100 Washington Educators Win $200 Grants

Teachers, counselors and other classroom staff in eligible districts can use the grants to enhance students' classroom experience.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Financial Aid

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of colored pencils in a ceramic cup on a wooden desk, with an evergreen silhouette on the horizon. — Washington's STCU credit union awarded $200 classroom grants to 100 randomly selected educators, including 69 teachers from 46 districts, in its 13th annual program. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think schools in your area have enough classroom funding?

STCU, a credit union founded by high school teachers in 1934, awarded $20,000 in classroom grants to 100 randomly drawn educators, with each grant worth $200. Sixty-nine teachers from 46 Washington districts were among the recipients.

Why it matters

The grants are small, but they give educators flexible funds to enhance students' classroom experiences, and the 2026 round marks the 13th year the program has run. For Washington families, it shows how local credit unions can support public school staff.

Each grant is $200, and the drawing was open to teachers, counselors, and other classroom-based positions at public and private districts served by Washington ESDs 101, 123 and 171. The online drawing also included districts in neighboring North Idaho and Eastern Oregon.

The players

STCU

A Washington credit union founded by high school teachers in 1934 that funds the classroom grant program.

Grand Coulee Dam School District

A Washington public school district whose teacher Casey Clark received a 2026 grant.

Nespelem School District

A Washington public school district whose teacher Cindy Fry received a 2026 grant.

Wilbur-Creston School District

A Washington public school district whose teacher Jeff Piturachsatit received a 2026 grant.

The details

Winners were selected through an online random drawing open to classroom-based educators at eligible public and private districts. Grant recipients may spend the $200 on anything that enhances students' classroom experience. Recipients from the 2026 round included teachers from the Grand Coulee Dam, Nespelem and Wilbur-Creston school districts.

2026 marks the 13th year STCU has offered the classroom grants.
The 2026 awards were announced in an article published on November 4, 2026.

Education Landscape

The STCU program is a long-running, credit-union-funded effort that supplements school budgets at the classroom level, a model that has persisted for 13 years and more than $300,000 in gifts. It sits alongside larger public and private aid systems but operates at a far smaller scale, targeted at individual educators rather than students' tuition costs.

Teachers, counselors and other classroom-based staff at eligible Washington districts may want to watch for future STCU drawings if they work in a public or private district served by the named ESDs. Families can ask their school's financial-aid or administrative office whether the district participates in or has received grants from programs like this one.

The takeaway

Community-funded grants can add flexible dollars for classroom enhancements, and educators in eligible districts should watch for future drawings. Those interested in similar programs can ask their school district's administrative office about grants available to classroom staff.