Northwest Community Credit Union awarded Project Community mini grants to 40 Oregon PreK-12 educators, totaling $60,000. The intent of the annual program is to help educators create meaningful learning experiences for students. Douglas ESD is thrilled to announce that three educators from Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Services are grant recipients. Anela Plunkett, Haley McGee and Summer Swan were each awarded $1,500.

We’re incredibly grateful for the support Northwest Community Credit Union has provided our local educators, which will positively impact students today and into the future. 

Anela Plunkett, early childhood special education behavior interventionist, will use the funds for the Eastwood PreK classroom to expand curriculum and materials to support students in developing both emotional regulation and social skills to prepare for their upcoming transition to kindergarten. 

Haley McGee, early childhood special education specialist at our EI/ECSE campus in Green, gets to use the grant money to purchase outdoor/indoor equipment and toys to help facilitate cooperative play and friendship skills, as well as develop students’ motor skills while playing outside.

Summer Swan, early childhood special education teacher at Yoncalla Elementary School, will use the award for books, toys and other materials in the classroom to offer a more diverse representation of all families and children, while engaging children in friendship-building activities. 

“Grants like these are vital for adding enrichment to our programs. Our goal has been to increase our focus on social and emotional learning across our program and these grants will provide materials that will not only benefit our current children, but future ones that come through our program as well,” says Angela Keeran, Douglas ESD special education coordinator. 

We’re excited for the students and staff who will benefit from the new resources.