Ollie Hart is the fourth-grade science and social studies teacher at Abernathy Elementary and is a 2017-2018 Operation Round Up Mini-Grant recipient. Hart purchased three Chromebooks with the mini-grant.
“As an educator, I am constantly looking for ways to keep my students engaged,” Hart said. “Our Chromebooks create the competitive and exciting classroom sharing experience my students need to be active learners.”
Hart incorporates the use of interactive websites for her students to participate in discussion groups, allowing them to gain social discussion skills while using technology.
“The goal is to prepare my elementary students to tackle junior and senior high school digital assignments,” Hart said. “The Chromebooks and technology enable them to meet this goal. Thank you, SPEC, for your support of West Texas area classrooms!”
Thanks, South Plains Electric Cooperative!
The Operation Round Up Board of Directors initiated a program offering small, $500 grants to teachers. Grants were available to K-12 teachers in reading or social studies for the 2017-2018 school year. The funds are made available by South Plains Electric members who ask to have their monthly bill rounded up to the next dollar. The extra change, averaging only $6 per year, funds projects like the teacher mini-grants, scholarships and much more.
Operation Round Up was established in 1993 to help communities and individuals needing a hand up, not a hand out. The program’s tagline, “neighbors helping neighbors,” is at the heart of why South Plains Electric Cooperative exists.
During the past 25 years, Operation Round Up has helped hundreds of individuals and organizations. Many donations go unpublicized out of respect for the individual recipients. Operation Round Up, under the guidance of a 10-member board, sometimes works quietly to improve members’ lives.
Ten teacher mini-grants were awarded for the 2017-2018 school year. The recipients were: Amanda Campbell, Abernathy ISD; Ollie Hart, Abernathy ISD; Margaret Hernandez, Cotton Center ISD; Cynthia Walden, Cotton Center ISD; Ida Cisneros, Frenship ISD; Ashley Teague, Frenship ISD; Laura Cueto, Lubbock-Cooper ISD; Bruce Lange, Lubbock-Cooper ISD; Kerri Tosi, Lubbock-Cooper ISD; and Lisa Scott, Shallowater ISD.
If all of our members were participating in Operation Round Up, we would have over $200,000 a year to give back to our local communities. You can sign up for Operation Round Up online or call 806.775.7766. You may also sign up by checking the Operation Round Up box on your monthly bill.
For the 2018-2019 school year there are 10 mini-grants of $500 each available. Applications can be found at SPEC.coop and entries must be submitted online by May 15, 2018. This year’s grant is available to any K-12 science or art/music teacher if any of the following criteria are met:
- The teacher is a member of (receives electric service from) South Plains Electric Cooperative.
- At least one student in the class is a member of and receives electric service at their home or family business from South Plains Electric Cooperative.
