The newly formed Teacher Grant Program aligns well with the credit union’s Key Giving Areas: Partnership & Involvement, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, and People & Communities.
“Investing in the wellness of our communities is a top priority for us at American 1,” said Erica Estelle, Community Partnership Manager for American 1. “Many of these educators spend their hard-earned money to ensure that their students have the resources they need to be successful. Granting these classrooms additional funds will help remove the burden off these teachers, but also allow them to find new and unique ways to teach students valuable skills while having fun in the process.”
The Teacher Grant program complements the American 1 Scholarship program, which has awarded $240K in scholarships to 240 local students since the program’s inception in 2004.
"We are always looking for new ways to invest in our community, especially through education," remarked Kelly Grygiel, Vice President of Communications for American 1. "The new Teacher Grant Program allows us the opportunity to continue to support education in a different capacity. Currently, our Financial Wellness Department visits local schools and youth organizations to teach key financial skills for early onset success, further strengthening American 1's dedication to education.”
The recipients of the American 1 Teacher Grants are;
Janelle Watson - Davinci Schools
Emily Prus – Northwest Elementary
Amanda Casillo - Middle School at Parkside
Heather Whisman - Jackson High School
Joanne Dailey - Northeast Elementary School
Kalani Bates Burghard - Marshall High School
Kendra Gibbs - Hughes Elementary School
Ashley Swift - Kidder Middle School
Kelsey Mecham - Springport High School
Marilyn Andrews - Vandercook Lake High School
Established in 1950, American 1 Credit Union serves over 63,000 members, including over 250 employees, with 16 branch locations across Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Wayne counties. American 1, recipient of the Best-in-State Credit Union Award by Forbes for 2023, is proud to serve the members of its communities by creating financial wellness through personal everyday banking.