SELCO Still Taking Applications For $125,000 In Educator Support, Including Grants And Classroom Makeovers

Educators have until Sept. 30 to apply for SELCO’s Regional Classroom Makeovers and Creative Educator Grants

(EUGENE, Ore.) — Time is running out for educators to apply for up to $125,000 in support through SELCO Community Credit Union’s Classroom Makeovers and Educator Grants. Teachers have until Sept. 30 to submit applications for the credit union’s two flagship programs, both created to help educators who too often pay out of pocket for classroom-related expenses.

Back for a second year, the Regional Classroom Makeovers will fund three projects for up to $15,000 each. In addition, SELCO will award dozens of Creative Educator Grants, each worth up to $2,500 and designed to turn imaginative classroom projects into reality. 

The programs are part of SELCO Steps Up, the credit union’s community outreach initiative, which aims to foster meaningful, lasting change through nonprofit sponsorships, volunteerism, and funding for students and educators. 

SELCO’s investment in educator support has proven especially timely, addressing a growing funding gap caused by rising costs and budget constraints. According to a national survey of educators, educators spent an average of $895 of their own money on classroom expenses during the 2024-25 academic year. That out-of-pocket spending has increased 49% since 2015, according to the same survey.

“With the Sept. 30 deadline quickly approaching, we want to encourage every educator with a vision to apply now,” said Craig Carpenter, SELCO’s Senior Vice President of Lending & Business Banking. “The impact these grants and makeovers have on classrooms is immediate—and we don’t want any teacher with a great idea to miss out on this opportunity.”

SELCO will begin accepting applications for the following programs starting Aug. 15:

• Classroom Makeovers: Three K-12 classrooms will receive makeovers worth up to $15,000 each. “Classroom” is loosely defined as any school learning space, including traditional classrooms, libraries, playgrounds, and gymnasiums. A SELCO Steps Up committee selects finalists in each of the three regions that SELCO serves: the Willamette Valley, Central and Eastern Oregon, and Northern Oregon. Then, through an online voting process held in October, SELCO members and the public at large select one winner from each region.

• Creative Educator Grants: Designed for K-12 educators with creative classroom ideas but lacking funds to get those projects off the ground. The program received a significant boost in 2024: SELCO increased the value of each grant to as much as $2,500 per recipient (up from $1,000) to support larger and more impactful projects. A selection panel reviews applications based on project originality, proposal clarity, number of students affected, potential for skill development, and diversity and impact of projects. 

CLICK HERE for images of the Classroom Makeover winners from last year.

For more information about SELCO Steps Up Classroom Makeovers or Creative Educator Grants, to view past grant recipients, or to apply, visit selco.org/educators. For questions, please email stepsup@selco.org.

About SELCO Steps Up:

The SELCO Steps Up program aims to create positive, innovative, lasting change through volunteerism, resource support, and collaboration with community partners. In 2024 alone, SELCO reinvested nearly $415,000 in the communities it serves through educator grants, scholarships, and impact-driven sponsorships, while SELCO team members committed nearly 1,400 volunteer hours. As a credit union founded by teachers, education is a cornerstone of these efforts, with a focus on removing barriers to financial literacy. By empowering individuals and families to achieve financial well-being, SELCO strives to build a strong foundation for all its members and neighbors. Learn more at www.selco.org/steps-up.

About SELCO Community Credit Union:

Founded nearly 90 years ago by a group of fiscally minded teachers, Springfield-based SELCO Community Credit Union today serves more than 150,000 members as one of the largest and longest-standing Oregon-based credit unions. A not-for-profit, federally insured, member-driven financial cooperative with more than $2.7 billion in assets, SELCO provides its member-owners with exceptional rates and low fees on a full range of financial products and services, including banking, mortgages, personal and business loans, investments, and insurance. Membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of the 27 Oregon or eight Washington counties SELCO serves. For more information or to become a member today, stop by one of SELCO’s 15 branches, visit selco.org, or call 800-445-4483.