Grant Kingsbury teacher gets $500

May 27, 2006

Jorge Enciso, a teacher at Kingsbury Middle-High School, is a winner of the One Class At A Time $500 grant awarded by the Memphis Area Teachers' Credit Union. Enciso was surprised in his classroom with a $500 check from MATCU's senior vice president Ken Newberry, Eyewitness News personalities Dee Griffin and Cameron Harper, and MATCU's ATM mascot Smarty.

"I was very surprised (with this award). Now I can keep my job," said Enciso after receiving the grant. Enciso, a first-year teacher, is coordinating a cultural diversity program that focuses on racial reconciliation. His plan requires student, faculty and community buy-in and also monetary resources that are not yet fully committed. A parade of nationalities, a poster contest and a mural make up the project created to help foster an understanding between students of different cultures.

Enciso, a native of Columbia, is one of many bilingual teachers at Kingsbury, which has one of the most diverse student enrollments in the area. Assistant principal Emily Newman explained that Kingsbury has more than 28 nationalities and 16 languages represented in the student body. Enciso and his wife, also employed with Memphis City Schools, are residents of the Binghamton area in Memphis.

One Class At A Time was developed by MATCU and Eyewitness News to award one teacher per month within the Mid-South a $500 grant to be used for classroom supplies and student enrichment programs. For complete program details, visit the MATCU Web site, matcu.com and click on the "One Class At A Time" logo.