UPPER LAKE, Calif. – When one thinks of teachers, many different aspects of the job come to mind – mentoring, inspiring, guiding.
Now, add grant writing to that list.
At a time when schools are facing historic cutbacks and a dearth of resources, educators are having to become more creative in order to get their students what they need.
That's what is happening at Upper Lake High School, where senior math class teacher and Math Department Chair Teresa Dunne netted $10,050 to help her students' education.
Dunne applied for and received a $10,050 “Pathways to Financial Success” grant sponsored by Discover. The award was made to the school in the last week of August.
Discover has made available $10 million in grants to schools like Upper Lake High through the grant program.
The program’s goal is to ensure that young people receive the financial education they need to make informed decisions about money and have a brighter financial future.
Dunne said she plans to use the grant to purchase curriculum related to the “Stock Market Game,” along with laptops and printers, and pay for scholarships for job shadowing opportunities.
The educational game will teach students enrolled in the senior math course about resume building, personal finance and budgeting, banking, real estate, mortgage and escrow, investing, business ownership and business management, according to Dunne.
Dunne said she found out about the grant thanks to Pat Iaccino, Upper Lake High's principal and superintendent. He's been forwarding links to grant applications to all of the teachers.
She said Iaccino is great at helping teachers find avenues to try to address the lack of financial resources.
Dunne, who took over the senior math class after another teacher retired, said the grant addressed many of the concerns she had for her students, including those who are not going to college but who nevertheless need financial literacy skills to survive.
The school also had a need for new educational materials, she said.
“Our textbook is 20 years old and there's no money for curriculum – there's no money for anything,” she said.
The new coursework will allow students to spend half a school year working on the Stock Market Game. Activities will include breaking into teams and learning how stocks work.
The eight laptops Dunne will purchase – at a total cost of $4,000 – will be used to access free online educational materials, she said.
The goal is for students to gain the financial vocabulary they're lacking so they won't be disenfranchised from what's going on in the world, she said.
Another $3,000 will be used for job shadowing mini scholarships and $1,500 for 36 “Financial Algebra” textbooks, Dunne said.
Dunne herself is an example of resilience in a financially uncertain world.
She had worked as a director of production for the Gap International and at age 40 decided to become a math teacher to meet the need in Sonoma County. She took a 90 percent pay cut and after four years found herself laid off due to educational cutbacks.
But Dunne found new opportunity in Lake County, and is championing the effort to get her students what they need.
“Their education is taking a hit and I think that's wrong,” she said.
Dunne will invite members of the business community in and around Upper Lake to come in and speak with her students about a variety of topics related to finance and to offer them job shadowing opportunities.
To find out more about this program and how you can be a part of it, contact Dunne at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .