Ashley Teague is a fourth grade English language arts teacher at Upland Heights Elementary. She purchased a classroom iPad with the mini-grant.
“Meaningful teaching requires your students to be engaged and love what they are learning,” Teague said. “I thrive on having the opportunity to encourage active learning through the use of our iPad.”
Teague incorporates the use of interactive learning programs, such as Seesaw, allowing her students to upload assignments and presentations digitally. As a teacher, Teague can provide feedback to individual students through this program. Teague said her students’ level of knowledge is growing exponentially.
“It has been such a blessing to receive the grant from South Plains Electric Cooperative this school year,” Teague said. “Thank you, SPEC, for your generosity and support of teachers in our local area.”
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. Operation Round Up receives contributions from SPEC members whose monthly electric bills are automatically 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.
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 meters were enrolled in Operation Round Up, we would have over $340,000 a year to give back to our local communities. If you’re not already enrolled, you can sign up for Operation Round Up online or by calling 806.775.7766. You may also sign up by checking the Operation Round Up box on your monthly bill.
