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Wlaf1450Wynn Elementary teacher awarded seventh UCOR grant
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
By Charlotte Underwood
HABERSHAM, TN (WLAF)- Thanks to a United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) grant, science students in Mrs. Tiffany Logsdon’s class at Wynn are getting to virtually explore museums, canyons and planets and starts up close!
Wynn Elementary School science teacher Tiffany Logsdon has won a United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) mini grant of $1,000 for the seventh year to be used in her classroom! Each year receiving the grant, Logsdon has made improvements in her classroom, making it a welcoming environment for learning. This year, she plans to use the grant to build on the Virtual Reality program that she purchased with last year’s grant funds and will add more headsets for students to use.
“I am very excited about receiving the UCOR grant again this year. The real winners are my precious students,” Logsdon said.
UCOR has awarded $51,250 for projects in the 2025 STEM Education Mini-Grants Program, supporting STEM education in East Tennessee schools for the 15th year. The program is open to K-12 schoolteachers and schools in nine counties for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) projects.
This year, teachers in 29 schools across eight school systems received awards ranging from $750 for a single classroom project to $1,500 for a project for the entire school. In total, UCOR awarded grants to 48 STEM projects, including some in related subjects like reading and music.
This is the seventh year that Logsdon has received the grant.
“When I first started receiving the UCOR grant, I was a fairly new teacher. I was new at teaching Math and Science, so I didn’t have many resources I wanted for my students. In those first few years, I used the grant to purchase flexible seating, math manipulatives, games or other essentials to help my classroom function the way I envisioned, Logsdon said, explaining the UCOR grant helped me create a space where my students could truly thrive.”
Each year, Logsdon has been able to add something new to the classroom that she couldn’t afford on her own or purchase with BEP funds.
“Last year, I was awarded $1,000 and used it to purchase four Virtual Reality VR headsets and chargers. These headsets have been a game changer in my classroom. I bought them to bring my science standards to life, and my students have been to explore canyons, view stars and planets up close, and even walk through a dinosaur museum – all without leaving the classroom. This year, with my $1,000 award, I hope to add a few more headsets so more students can experience them at once,” Logsdon said.
This grant has allowed students living in a rural area to expand and explore new horizons, all from the classroom.
“I teach in a very rural part of the county, and many of my students have never experienced virtual reality before. Watching their faces light up with amazement and excitement is something I’ll never forget. Science should be hands-on, fun, and engaging, and I love finding new ways to bring my standards to life. My classroom has grown into a place where my students and I love to learn together, and I am deeply grateful to anyone who supports my students and I look forward to the UCOR grant each year,” Logsdon said.
UCOR
Applications for the 2025 mini-grants program will open again in February-March 2026. For more information about UCOR’s Education Mini-Grants Program, contact Shannon Potter, UCOR Community Outreach & Workforce Development Coordinator.
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini at ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/29/2025-6AM)