Directions Credit Union Gives Back

Directions Cares for Classrooms Fall 2022 Winners Announced

Toledo, Ohio – Great news for some local teachers just in time for the holidays. Directions Credit Union is excited to announce 16 winners from the Directions Cares for Classrooms Grant Program Fall 2022.
Directions Cares for Classrooms grant program provides educators with small grants up to $500 each to be used for a variety of projects and materials, including books, software, calculators, math manipulatives, art supplies, audio-visual equipment, lab materials and more.

Directions Credit Union received 112 applications for the Fall 2022 grant program. Five of this year’s winners are educators in Toledo:
Toledo Winners

Jodi Frysinger, K-3rd Grades Intervention Specialist at Fort Miami (Maumee City Schools). Ms. Frysinger will use the funds for equipment to address social and emotional learning. The equipment will help students with both attention and anxiety, and because the items are quiet and not distracting, they won’t disturb other students in the classroom.

Rachel M. Birt, 2nd Grade Intervention Coach at Monclova Primary School (Anthony Wayne School District), will purchase items to help close the gap in reading. The items teach students using game play that aligns with lesson objectives and learning phonetic principles. This helps increase student motivation and positive attitudes around reading.

Cynthia Rodriguez, 8th Grade Teacher at Notre Dame Academy, plans to use her grant funds to purchase model rocket kits that will aid the students in building skills and the math and science associated with speed, distance, angle of acceleration and time.

Jillian Cowell, School Counselor (4th Grade Project) at Anthony Wayne Schools, will purchase Yellow Lab key chains. The yellow lab represents the School Therapy Dog, Teila, who is a yellow Lab/ Golden Retriever mix. The principal, Dean of Students, and school counselor will reward students with the key chains, which helps with meaningful, purposeful connections with the student and overall school morale.

Beth Fryberger, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher at Toledo Public Schools, is going to purchase supplies to help nonverbal autistic students, as well as flexible seating options for other autistic and ADHD students.

Directions Cares for Classrooms Winter 2023 application will open soon. K-12 educators who work for public, private or charter schools in the Directions field of membership, which includes schools in Ashland, Crawford, Fulton, Huron, Knox, Lucas, Richland, Tuscarawas, Wayne, Wood, Monroe (MI), and Lenawee (MI) are eligible to apply. Grant applications for Winter 2023 will be accepted January 1- January 31, 2023. Educators can apply online at  directionscu.org/cares-for-classrooms/<https://directionscu.org/cares-for-classrooms/>.

“Educators play such a vital role in the lives of their students, and they often spend their own money to purchase supplies, materials, and items to make their classrooms complete or to help students that may need something extra. Directions Cares for Classrooms is a small way we can say thank you to all the wonderful educators making a difference,” said Barry Shaner, President/CEO at Directions Credit Union.
You can find a full list of winners at directionscu.org/cares-for-classrooms/<https://directionscu.org/cares-for-classrooms/> .