Bonner County teachers are awarded STCU grants
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 9 years, 6 months AGO
—Courtesy photo Emily Norton of Kootenai Elementary is presented a grant by STCU Bonner County branch manager Stacey Darley.
—Courtesy photo Cathy Schwerin, center, of Sagle Elementary is presented a grant by STCU Bonner County branch manager Stacey Darley, left, and Anita Anderson, STCU member relationship officer at the Bonner County branch.
Twenty-two teachers in Kootenai and Bonner counties were among those receiving $250 classroom grants as part of STCU’s efforts to welcome educators back to school.
The not-for-profit credit union, which was founded by teachers, is honoring its roots by awarding the grants to 80 educators from throughout the region — a total of $20,000 to winners selected at random. The winners can spend their $250 grant on anything they believe will enhance students’ classroom experience, whether a basic need or something special.
STCU notified 68 of the winners on Wednesday, Oct. 5, which was World Teachers’ Day, as well as National Do Something Nice Day. Another 12 winners will be drawn in November, after Spokane Public Schools has its annual benefits fairs. That’s when Spokane’s classroom staff can enter the drawing.
In Bonner County, those receiving grants are:
• In the West Bonner School District: Monica Lederle at Priest River Junior High; and Mona Sage at Priest River Elementary School.
• In the Lake Pend Oreille School District: Cathy Schwerin at Sagle Elementary School; and Emily Norton at Kootenai Elementary School.
Continuing a long tradition, STCU provided meals, refreshments and door prizes at back-to-school events for more than 6,000 educators and other staff in 20 public school districts in Eastern Washington and North Idaho this year. The credit union will also help out at the Spokane Public Schools’ remaining events.
Classroom staff who attended those events entered our drawings for classroom grants. It is the sixth year that STCU has offered the grant drawings, although this year’s drawings were greatly expanded to include more recipients.
Founded by educators in 1934, STCU is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative with more than $2.4 billion in total assets and 19 branch locations, serving 159,000 members.