One Class at a Time: Bean Elementary teacher Elena Salas

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A Lubbock ISD dual language teacher is making a lasting impact on 1st graders and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Elena Salas is the 5th educator this school year to receive accolades for a job well done. In this month’s ‘Once Class at a Time’, sponsored by Frontier Dodge and Spirit Chrysler of Lubbock, she was awarded a $500 grant.

“In my wildest dreams I never thought I could get this award,” Mrs. Salas said.

Teachers everywhere often wish they could provide special things in their classrooms, but it adds up, making it impossible for some. But with the $500 grant Mrs. Salas received, it looks more attainable.

“When they get whatever I’m teaching or when they get the content and are excited about something that just brings me joy. I have a couple of little ones that only speak Spanish, so when they talk to me in English, that’s exciting to me,” she said.

The Lubbock Dream Center is excited as well, after being chosen for this month’s matching $500 grant.

”We just appreciate any funding we can get and it goes right back into the community," Leighann Ramirez, the Dream Center’s Community Outreach Coordinator, said.

The Dream Center has a closet for those in need and a hair salon where folks can get free haircuts on Mondays.

“We provide a variety of resources for the community and the families that come to seek some help,” Ramirez said. “We have a food pantry that opens every Saturday. We offer supplemental assistance that will get families through until they can get into some other services.”

If you would like to donate to Lubbock’s Dream Center visit https://lubbockdreamcenter.org.

To nominate an educator for One Class at a Time, click here.