Call For Nominations: OnPoint Community Credit Union Kicks Off 17th Annual Prize For Outstanding Educators And Schools Making An Impact (Photo) - 02/17/26
OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education recognizes inspiring educators and schools with financial support, including paying four mortgages or rents for a full year
PORTLAND, Ore. — OnPoint Community Credit Union is asking the public to nominate exceptional educators for its 17th annual Prize for Excellence in Education. The program will award $193,000 to eight outstanding educators and five schools across Oregon and southwest Washington.
“OnPoint was founded by teachers more than 90 years ago, and we honor our roots by celebrating educators in our community who inspire future generations,” said Rob Stuart, president and chief executive officer of OnPoint Community Credit Union. “Every day, educators help students build confidence, curiosity and opportunity. We invite the community to once again help us recognize these educators by nominating them for the OnPoint Prize.”
Four winning educators will have their mortgage or rent paid by OnPoint for one year. Four runners-up will each receive a $5,000 cash prize. The OnPoint Prize also includes the Community Builder Award for innovative school projects. Four schools will receive $2,000, and a fifth school selected by community votes will receive $5,000.
About the Nomination Process
Anyone can nominate an outstanding educator or apply for a Community Builder award at onpointprize.com. Educators may also nominate themselves. Applicants must be full-time or job-share classroom teachers, counselors, school administrators or librarians for grades Pre-K-12. They must work in an accredited public, private or charter school located within any county that OnPoint serves. OnPoint also accepts applications for the Community Builder awards within those same counties. The nomination period closes at 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, April 7. Educator of the Year finalists and Community Builder winners will be announced on May 6.
Since 2010, the OnPoint Prize has awarded more than $1 million in prizes to 347 local educators and schools.
This year’s awards include:
- Educators of the Year: Four educators will have their mortgage or rent paid for one year and receive a $2,500 donation to their schools for resources and supplies. One educator from each category below will be chosen:
- Grades K-5
- Grades 6-8
- Grades 9-12
- Gold Star: This category recognizes one educator who is a pre-kindergarten teacher, school counselor, substitute teacher, librarian or school administrator.
Runners-up: Four educators, one from each of the above categories, will receive a $5,000 cash award and a $1,500 donation to each of their schools for resources and supplies.
- Community Builder Awards: One school, selected by community votes, will receive $5,000 for a project that will meaningfully improve that school or community. Four additional schools will each receive $2,000 for special projects.
About last year’s winners
The winners of the 2025 Educators of the Year who had their mortgage or rent paid over the last year were:
- Ricardo Barber, 3rd grade teacher at Faubion Elementary, Portland, Ore.
- Rhiannon Young, 6th-8th grade teacher at Corbett Middle School, Corbett, Ore.
- Sophia Aguirre, 9th-12th grade English Language Development at Aloha High School, Beaverton, Ore.
- Hang Jones, Social Worker at Marysville Elementary School, Portland, Ore.
OnPoint awarded five Community Builder grants in 2025 to fund innovative school projects that inspire students, foster community, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and reach a broad segment of the school community.
The $5,000 Community Builder Award, selected by community votes, went to Morningside Elementary School in Salem, Ore. The award funded new portable risers for the school’s choir program, giving every student a safe, visible place during performances and community events. Four schools received the $2,000 award:
- Abiqua School: Nature Trail – A Path to Outdoor Learning (Salem-Keizer School District, Salem, Ore.)
- Innovation Academy: Community Garden (Medford School District, Medford, Ore.)
- Sherwood Charter School: H.E.A.R.T Care Closet (Sherwood School District, Sherwood, Ore.)
Skyridge Middle School: Flood Recovery for Books (Camas School District, Camas, Wash.)
For information about the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education, additional qualifications and contest rules, please visit onpointprize.com.
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About OnPoint Community Credit Union
OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union headquartered in Oregon, with assets of over $9.5 billion and serving more than 633,000 members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union’s membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and who lives, works, worships, or attends school in one of four Washington counties (Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, and Skamania), and their immediate family members. OnPoint Community Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). More information is available at onpointcu.com.
