Kyle Hunt, robotics team coach at Happy Valley High School, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teacher’s Teach grant winner.

Hunt is using the grant to purchase necessary robotic parts to help the team build a robot for upcoming competitions. Teams spend two weeks designing robots and have a construction period of two months to complete their build before the competition. Each year, a new challenge is given to robotics teams to complete.

“Our program is in need to funding to purchase materials and parts for our robots in order to ensure we remain competitive despite the increased difficulty and mechanical demands of this year’s challenge,” Hunt said. “For many, this is the first time in an intellectual environment that empowers them to showcase their skills and abilities in ways they never thought possible. After participating in robotics, students often express an interest in STEM-related career areas and go on to pursue 4-year degrees.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment.  Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website:  www.BeMyCU.org.

Lisa McGinnis, counselor at Unaka High School, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teacher’s Teach grant winner.

McGinnis used the grant to purchase an industrial fan to use in the Unaka High School gymnasium during class time and extra-curricular activities. The gym does not have air conditioning and the windows cannot be opened because birds, bugs and other wildlife will enter the building.

“During the day when classes are going on, the only fresh air that could come in would be from opening the main doors into our hallway,” McGinnis said. “However, due to security, these doors must remain closed at all times when students are present. With no air movement, the gym has unbearable temperatures for students. No student wants to be in a class that causes sweat to drop from their heads and to begin their day with a bad feeling about themselves.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment. Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website: www.BeMyCU.org.

Courtney Taylor, Response to Intervention Coordinator at Hunter Elementary, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teacher’s Teach grant winner.

Taylor plans to use the grant to purchase literacy tools for kindergarten through second grade students at Hunter Elementary. The materials would include reading dice, self-correcting methods and word sorts that focus on beginning reading sounds.

“Students will be having fun while they learn,” Taylor said. “These resources will be used in small groups and students will play games and improve their basic reading skills.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment.  Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website:  www.BeMyCU.org.

Northeast Community Credit Union is helping sponsor Happy Valley Elementary School’s End of the Year Celebration event to reward the students for all their hard work during this unconventional school year.

“This is to reward students who have worked so diligently during these unprecedented times while maintaining a positive outlook for learning,” said Julie Winegar, second-grade teacher at Happy Valley Elementary. “We want to celebrate their efforts and success as we wrap up the 2020-2021 school year.”

Northeast Community Credit Union has been serving our community since October 1952 when it was chartered as a credit union by the State of Tennessee. Northeast Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative. It is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Carter, Johnson, Washington, Unicoi and Sullivan counties along with their immediate family members.

Christie Malone, fifth-grade math teacher at East Side Elementary, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teacher’s Teach grant winner.

Malone plans to use the grant to purchase two Polaroid instant cameras and film. This equipment would allow Malone’s students to create a “math newsletter” along with other projects such as a monthly classroom bulletin board, lesson projects and presentation boards.

“Students can be in control of taking pictures of our classroom projects, highlights of our lessons, and post these pictures along with work samples on a bulletin board for our peers and classmates to see,” Malone said. “This project would allow all fifth-grade students to be involved in something that they have never been able to be a part of. It would build their confidence, create new friendships and be a fun way to create something for the school to see.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment.  Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website:  www.BeMyCU.org.