Klager teacher Stephanie Little receiving $500 check from American 1. Photo courtesy of Widad Luqman.

by Sara Swanson

American 1 Credit Union announced last week the recipients of its 2026 Annual Teacher Grant Program, awarding 15 grants of $500 each to area educators. One of these teachers was from Manchester Community Schools, Stephanie Little who teaches at Luter C. Klager Elementary. Little was the only Washtenaw teacher to receive a grant this time around.

Haley Hemmig, Community Partnership Manager at American 1 Credit Union stated, “These grants help ease the out-of-pocket costs teachers often face while giving them added resources to bring creative, meaningful learning experiences into their classrooms.”
Since its inception in 2004, the American 1 Educational Grant program has awarded $307K in grants and scholarships to 318 teachers and students from Jackson, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Calhoun, and Washtenaw counties.

Little stated that the grant money has been spent on items that improve the learning space and that the students even helped choose some of the items like plastic tooth necklaces to take their lost teeth home in which they were very excited about. In addition she was able to purchase books, games, a curtain, a vacuum, and a Yoto player which she explained is a device that will allow families to record themselves reading meaningful stories or poems, or singing songs that can be incorporated into the classroom.

Widad Luqman, Klager Elementary’s principal thanked American 1 and congratulated Little. She stated, “We’re so grateful for our educators who go above and beyond to write these grants. Their hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.”

Klager teacher Stephanie Little and representatives from American 1, posing with her class. Photo courtesy of Widad Luquman.