Five county teachers earn grants from Directions Credit Union
MONROE COUNTY — Five Monroe County teachers received grants recently from Directions Credit Union.
Traci Hopper, Nancy Masuda, Carolyn Hasley, Julia Mayolo and Annalyse Auxter were winners of the Directions Cares for Classrooms Fall 2023 grant program. Each received a grant of up to $500 for a variety of projects and materials. Directions also awarded grants to 10 Ohio teachers. Grants can be used for projects and materials, including books, software, calculators, math manipulatives, art supplies, audio-visual equipment and lab materials.
This year's Directions Credit Union received 161 applications, an increase from last year’s 112 applications.
Monroe County winners and their projects are:
• Traci Hopper is an 11th grade teacher at Airport High School in Carleton. She will use the grant for PILOT, the school's peer-to-peer mentoring program, which pairs 20 general education students with 20 special education students to build friendships and skills such as sewing, money, budget, food, cooking and growing. The students will be creating an indoor garden.
• Nancy Masuda is a 12th grade teacher at St. Mary Catholic Central High School. Masuda will purchase a LNT – 4136 Mobile Collaborative Whiteboard Table.
"This purchase will increase flexibility in the classroom to address the needs of all students. It will improve collaboration between students, support their learning and will put the classroom on par with college classrooms by supporting all students through project development to completion," Masuda said.
• Carolyn Hasley is a 10th grade teacher at Dundee High School. She will use the grant to begin developing a classroom library with a variety of popular young adult novels. The “Brand New Titles Classroom Library” will serve as a platform for social and cultural awareness, Hasley said.
• Julie Mayolo is an eighth grade foreign language teacher at Bedford Junior High. She will use the funds to reduce the participation fee for a field trip to Sofia Quintero Arts and Cultural Center in Toledo.
"The students will participate in a hands-on art project as well as a culinary activity as part of their lunch while o site. This experience will give the students a greater appreciation for those who come from a different background," Mayolo said.
• Annalyse Auxter, is a STEM teacher at Ida Elementary School. She will use the grant to update the STEM Lab to fit the needs of the current students. The items purchased will include grow lights, planting materials, Keva plank sets and manga tile to encourage engineering skills.
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Directions' Cares for Classrooms Winter 2024 application is now open. K-12 educators who work for public, private or charter schools in the Directions field of membership, which includes schools in Monroe and Lenawee counties, are eligible to apply. Educators can submit applications until Jan. 31. Winners will be announced on or before March 1.
“Educators play such a vital role in the lives of their students, and they often spend their own money to purchase supplies, materials and items to make their classrooms complete or to help students that may need something extra. Directions Cares for Classrooms is a small way we can say thank you to all the wonderful educators making a difference,” said Barry Shaner, president/CEO at Directions Credit Union.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Five county teachers earn grants from Directions Credit Union
