Morning Side Elementary School and Abiqua School are two Salem schools among five schools that will receive cash prizes for special school projects in the 16th annual
OnPoint Prize campaign awards
PORTLAND, Ore., — May 7, 2025 — Five local schools have won the 2025 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education Community Builder awards. Each school will receive a cash prize for a special project that positively impacts its school and community.
OnPoint also named the eight finalists for its Educator of the Year awards. Each are in the running to have their mortgage or rent paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for their school. The four winners in each category (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, and Gold Star) will be announced on May 22, 2025. The remaining four runners-up in each category will receive a $5,000 cash award and a $1,500 donation to their schools for resources and supplies.
“Every year, we are proud to uplift the schools and educators who are making a meaningful difference in their communities,” said Rob Stuart, president and chief executive officer of OnPoint Community Credit Union. “They’re creating inclusive spaces, restoring vital resources and designing learning experiences that connect students to the world around them. It’s our privilege to celebrate their commitment and extraordinary impact.”
Since 2010, the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education has awarded more than $843,000 in prizes to 326 local educators and schools. The 2025 campaign will award an additional $193,000 to deserving K-12 educators and schools.
Learn more about the 2025 Community Builder award winners and Educator of the Year finalists below:
Community Builder Awards
OnPoint has recognized five schools from across the region with its Community Builder awards. Four schools will receive $2,000 from OnPoint for a special project of their choice, and one school determined by online community votes will receive $5,000.
Grand Prize Winner – $5,000 Community Builder Award
Morningside Elementary School – Elevating Every Voice (Salem, Ore.)
As Morningside Elementary’s beloved music program continues to grow, outdated and unstable choir risers have made it difficult—and unsafe—for all students to be seen and heard during performances. Thanks to the $5,000 Community Builder Award, that’s about to change. The funding will allow the school to purchase new, portable risers that ensure every student can take their place with pride during concerts, assemblies and other community celebrations.
$2,000 Community Builder Award Winners
- Abiqua School: Nature Trail: A Path to Outdoor Learning (Salem, Ore.) For students at Abiqua School, the most powerful lessons aren’t always found in textbooks—they’re discovered beneath the trees, along winding paths, and under open skies. With a vision to turn a nearby wooded area into a vibrant outdoor classroom, this project brings science, writing and art into nature’s embrace. The $2,000 award will help clear safe paths, install educational signage, create seating areas, and build interactive learning stations—transforming a quiet forest into a living, breathing extension of the classroom where curiosity can roam free.
- Innovation Academy: Community Garden (Medford School District, Medford, Ore.) With support from local agricultural experts, Innovation Academy is turning part of its expansive acre-and-a-half campus into a thriving garden where students can explore hands-on learning in sustainability, science, and food systems. The $2,000 award will help develop the garden infrastructure and launch student-led projects, allowing young minds to grow alongside the fruits of their labor.
- Sherwood Charter School: H.E.A.R.T Care Closet (Sherwood School District, Sherwood, Ore.) The H.E.A.R.T (Helping Everyone Access Resources Today) Care Closet at Sherwood Charter School helps students show up to school feeling confident, cared for and ready to learn. It provides students and families with essential items like food, hygiene supplies, clothing, school tools and gift cards—all in a welcoming, judgment-free space. The $2,000 award will help stock and sustain this vital resource, ensuring students can access what they need with dignity and continue thriving in and out of the classroom.
- Skyridge Middle School: Skyridge Flood Recovery for Books (Camas School District, Camas, Wash.) When a burst pipe flooded the Skyridge Middle School library, it washed away more than $6,000 worth of books—many of which weren’t covered by insurance. Determined to rebuild their collection, the school is using the $2,000 award to restore and revitalize their nonfiction section with fresh, high-interest titles.
Educator of the Year Finalists (listed by category, then alphabetically by last name)
OnPoint also named its eight finalists for its 2025 Educators of the Year awards. Winners will have their mortgage or rent paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for each of their schools. The remaining four finalists will receive a $5,000 cash award and a $1,500 donation to their schools for resources and supplies.
K-5 Finalists
- Ricardo Barber – 3rd grade, Faubion Elementary School, Portland Public Schools
- Lisa Lewis – K-1st grade, West Powellhurst Elementary School, David Douglas School District
6-8 Finalists
- Britta Hobbs – 6-8th grade Choir/Music, Covington Middle School, Evergreen Public Schools
- Rhiannon Young – 6-8th grade, Corbett Middle School, Corbett School District
9-12 Finalists
- Sophie Aguirre – 9-12th grade English Language Development, Aloha High School, Beaverton School District
- Katie Ryan – 9-12th grade Science, Academy of Arts and Academics, Springfield School District
Gold Star Finalists (includes pre-kindergarten teachers, school counselors, substitute teachers, librarians, principals or school administrators)
- Hang Jones – Social Worker, Marysville Elementary School, Portland Public Schools
- RJ Tagorda – Principal, Holy Cross Catholic School
Click here to learn more about OnPoint’s finalists for the 2025 Educator of the Year awards. Winners and runners-up will be announced on May 22, and the announcement will be broadcast live on KGW.
Honoring Founders’ Legacy of Excellence in Education
Founded by 16 schoolteachers in 1932, OnPoint continues to honor its legacy today by improving access to quality education for everyone. Visit onpointcu.com to learn more.
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ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 603,000 members and with assets of $9.9 billion. 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 two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) 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 or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932.
