OnPoint Community Credit Union Presents Community Builder Awards to Five Local Schools

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on May 13, 2024

OnPoint Community Credit Union announced the winners of their 2024 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education Community Builder awards. Five Oregon schools will receive cash awards for a special project that positively impacts its school and community.

Four schools will receive $2,000 from OnPoint for a special project of their choice, and one school determined by online community votes will receive $5,000. Since 2010, the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education has awarded more than $843,000 to 326 local educators and schools. The 2024 campaign will award an additional $193,000 to deserving K-12 educators and schools.

“We are humbled by the dedication and passion of the educators and schools nominated this year. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists who are making a lasting impact on the lives of their students and in their communities,” said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “It is our honor to recognize their efforts to foster curiosity, inclusivity and academic achievement, both inside and outside the classroom.”

$5,000 Community Builder Award Winner
Adams Elementary School is housed in one of the oldest school buildings in the Eugene, Oregon, district. The 1949 building continues to give students an adequate location to learn and grow, but it is greatly lacking expression of the culture and community. The Adams Elementary School Mural Project will beautify an external wall of the aged neighborhood school and give students a chance to express themselves through a large public art piece for the community to share. The wall that has been selected for the project faces the school parking lot and sports fields so that the artwork will be enjoyed by everyone coming to and from the school, including students, staff, and neighbors.

$2,000 Community Builder Award Winners
Marysville Elementary School: S.T.A.R. (Students’ Temporary Assistance Resource) Pantry (Portland Public Schools, Portland)
This initiative seeks to alleviate the burden of food insecurity and ensure that every student has access to nutritious food. The pantry will provide essential food items and promote a sense of dignity and inclusivity by offering a supportive environment where individuals can access what they need without facing financial barriers.

Bear Creek Elementary School: Community Garden (Bend-La Pine Schools, Bend, Oregon)
The garden provides students with hands-on experience in planting, sowing, and growing food and flowers. Many students will benefit from time outside with a constructive break and get their hands in the dirt. Students will work together and across grade levels, allowing them to interact with more peers who can become allies and mentors.

Molalla Elementary School: Outside Learning Oasis (Molalla River School District, Molalla, Oregon)
This project will create a vibrant outdoor area between the main building and the outdoor music module and serve as a dedicated outdoor learning and enrichment area for students, promoting their mental health and overall well-being.

Andrew Nativity School: Thriving through Middle School (Portland)
This initiative will equip the school’s counseling center with wellness kits for families experiencing crises and enhance the counseling environment to address the diverse mental health and social-emotional needs of its students.

OnPoint also named the eight finalists for its 2024 Educator of the Year awards who are in the running to have their mortgage or rent paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for their school. The winners, one in each category (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, and Gold Star), will be announced on May 23, 2024. The remaining four finalists will each receive a $5,000 cash award and a $1,500 donation to their schools for resources and supplies.

Posted in Oregon, Regional Member News.