Operation Round Up Teacher Mini-Grants

Operation Round Up Teacher Mini-Grants

Funder: South Plains Electric Cooperative through Operation Round Up program

Amount: $500 per grant

Geographic Scope: Service area of South Plains Electric Cooperative in Texas

Focus Areas: K-12 education projects in music/art and science

Eligibility

• K-12 teachers in the South Plains Electric Cooperative service area
• Projects must focus on music/art OR science subjects
• Teachers must work at schools within the service area

Program Background

Operation Round Up was established in 1993 with the tagline "neighbors helping neighbors." The program:

Is guided by a 10-member board of directors

Funds community and individual assistance projects

Is supported by South Plains Electric Cooperative members who voluntarily round up their monthly bills to the next dollar (averaging $6 per year)

Has assisted hundreds of individuals and organizations over 24+ years

In 2015-2016, the Operation Round Up Board initiated teacher mini-grants as a way to support classroom education projects. Ten grants were awarded that year, with continued annual funding approved due to the program's success.

Example Use: One third-grade teacher used a $500 grant to purchase "The Learning Carpet" for classroom science vocabulary learning and cooperative student assessment.

Funding Source

Grants are funded by:

Voluntary member contributions from rounding up monthly electric bills

Additional donations from generous members (e.g., Glen Williamson donated $1,500 to fund three grants)

Contact: South Plains Electric Cooperative

Office: 806.775.7732

P.O. Box 1830, Lubbock, TX 79408