Ida Cisneros is the seventh grade English language arts and reading teacher at Frenship Middle School and is a 2017-2018 Operation Round Up Mini-Grant recipient. Cisneros purchased three over-sized games with the mini-grant.
“As an educator, I am constantly looking for ways to keep my students engaged,” Cisneros said. “The interactive games provide hands-on, out-of-your-seat interaction for the students to facilitate learning.”
Cisneros and other Frenship Middle School teachers incorporate the use of the interactive games to reinforce knowledge, as well as develop problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills.
“The interactive games have motivated our learners,” Cisneros said, “and made the transfer of knowledge a seamless process. Thank you so much SPEC! We appreciate it!”
The Operation Round Up Board of Directors initiated a program offering $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.
