Local teachers are receiving some financial help towards their new internship program.
Voya Financial, Inc. announced that a group of educators at Gladiola High School in Grants Pass, has received a $2,000 grant as part of the company’s 2025 Unsung Heroes awards competition.
They are the only winners in the entire state of Oregon and one of only 50 winning submissions to receive the award to help fund their program.
The group receiving the grant from Voya includes teachers Robin Beierle, Gary Miller, Jalynn Dinkins, and volunteer Doug Walker. The team's internship program hopes to not only provide students with high school credit, but earn a wage, according to Beierle.
Selected from hundreds of applications Voya received from throughout the United States, these educators will now compete with other finalists for one of the top three prizes — an additional $5,000 for third place, $10,000 for second place or $25,000 for first place from Voya Financial.
For 29 years, the Voya Unsung Heroes program has awarded grants to K-12 educators in the United States to recognize and support their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects, and their ability to positively influence the children they teach.
