Ideas Worth Borrowing: How Twinsburg EA is turning OEA grants into Local wins
OEA's grant programs empower Local associations to do incredible things for educators, students, and their communities. The Twinsburg Education Association has taken those opportunities and put that funding to work to build engagement and support. In this episode, we hear from 14 members of the TEA Grant Committee - yes, 14 guests on this episode! - about some of the amazing events, initiatives, and projects they've been able to do, with the support of their OEA grant funding. These are steal-worthy ideas (in the very best way) and TEA leaders hope you'll do just that!
SEE FOR YOURSELF | Watch this short video to see photos from a few of the many grant-supported projects the TEA Grant Committee members mentioned in this episode, including the kindergarten t-shirts, family night with the Cleveland Monsters, and more!
CATCH UP | Click here to listen to our conversation with OEA Secretary-Treasurer Rob McFee from earlier this season about the OEA grants that are available and the changes that have been made to make this funding more accessible and impactful for local associations. Your Dues Dollars at Work: What you need to know about OEA's Local Affiliate Grants
JUMP AHEAD | Helpful timecodes to hear about some of Twinsburg EA's initiatives and projects:
SEE FOR YOURSELF | Watch this short video to see photos from a few of the many grant-supported projects the TEA Grant Committee members mentioned in this episode, including the kindergarten t-shirts, family night with the Cleveland Monsters, and more!
CATCH UP | Click here to listen to our conversation with OEA Secretary-Treasurer Rob McFee from earlier this season about the OEA grants that are available and the changes that have been made to make this funding more accessible and impactful for local associations. Your Dues Dollars at Work: What you need to know about OEA's Local Affiliate Grants
JUMP AHEAD | Helpful timecodes to hear about some of Twinsburg EA's initiatives and projects:
- 3:00 - How Twinsburg Education Association got started with the OEA Affiliate and Wellness grants
- 6:00 - The types of grants TEA wrote for the 2025-2026 schoolyear
- 9:00 - Kindergarten shirts with grant money from the OEA Action Plan
- 12:25 - TEA Winter Party with funding from the OEA Affiliate Grant
- 14:00 - Quarterly newsletter with support from the OEA Action Plan
- 18:00 - TEA podcast, which will be supported by funding through the OEA Action Plan to get materials needed
- 20:45 - OEA Fund Lunch with funding from the OEA Affiliate Grant
- 24:45 - OEA Fund donations increased with an OEA Affiliate Grant-funded prize to encourage engagement
- 26:30 - Family Fun Event at a Cleveland Monsters game, funded by the OEA Affiliate Grant
- 28:45 - Coffee and snacks for each building, thanks to OEA Wellness Grant funding
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OEA GRANTS:
- For details about the Special Projects and Effective Local grants, click here. The application form is available here.
- For more information about the Local Capacity Grant, click here. Additional information can be found on the OEA Grants and Scholarships page, in the bottom right corner.
- For more information about the OEA Wellness Grants, click here.
- Click here to learn more about the OEA Foundation Grants.
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Featured Public Education Matters guests:
- Kimberly Fink, Retired Twinsburg Education Association member and former TEA President
- After teaching for 35 years in Twinsburg, Kimberly Fink continues to serve on the Twinsburg Education Association grant committee in her retirement. She was TEA vice president for four years and TEA president for six years, during which time she started the OEA Affiliate Grant and Wellness Grant-funded programs in Twinsburg. Fink was a Team Leader for 18 years and served on six negotiating committees. She also served ten years as a delegate to the NEOEA and OEA Representative Assemblies. She is now a member of TEA-Retired and OEA-Retired, and works as a student teacher supervisor for the University of Akron.
- Mary Bilinski, Twinsburg Education Association Vice President
- A third grade teacher at Samuel Bissell Elementary School, Mary Bilinski is in her 25th year of teaching, the last 18 of which in Twinsburg schools. She is currently in her first full year as TEA vice president and NEOEA/OEA Rep. Bilinski has previously served as a TEA building rep for three years (2009-2011 and 2024-205) and has served on two TEA contract negotiations committees. She was a Team Leader in 3rd Grade from 2011 to 2014, and she continues to serve on the Grade 3 Math Ohio Content Advisory Committee for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Bilinski has served in that role for the last eleven years.
- Note: During our conversation in March, Bilinski mentioned she was running in the upcoming TEA elections. She has since shared an update letting us know she was re-elected for another term as TEA Vice President!
- A third grade teacher at Samuel Bissell Elementary School, Mary Bilinski is in her 25th year of teaching, the last 18 of which in Twinsburg schools. She is currently in her first full year as TEA vice president and NEOEA/OEA Rep. Bilinski has previously served as a TEA building rep for three years (2009-2011 and 2024-205) and has served on two TEA contract negotiations committees. She was a Team Leader in 3rd Grade from 2011 to 2014, and she continues to serve on the Grade 3 Math Ohio Content Advisory Committee for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Bilinski has served in that role for the last eleven years.
- Scott Peterson, Twinsburg Education Association Secretary
- Scott Peterson teaches 8th grade Language Arts in Twinsburg and is in his 31st year of teaching. He was a building rep for 11 years, and has been the TEA Secretary for the past five years. Peterson also writes the Politics Corner column for the quarterly TEA newsletter. Outside of his work for TEA and in his classroom, Peterson coaches the 8th grade Power of the Pen team.
- Kristie Lewis, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Kristie Lewis is a dedicated educator with 27 years of experience supporting students and public education. She spent eight years as a classroom teacher and has served as a school counselor for the past 19 years. Now in her eighth year with Twinsburg City Schools, Kristie continues to advocate for student success, wellness, and equitable opportunities.
- In addition to her work with students, Kristie is an active union leader and advocate for educators. She has served as a Building Representative and as a delegate for the Northeast Ohio Education Association, Ohio Education Association, and the National Education Association Representative Assembly for the past three years. Through grants and partnerships with these organizations, she helped provide nearly 200 books to support student learning. Diversity Read-Ins are grant-sponsored events offered by TEA. Kristie believes empathy in solidarity and protecting public education is both her passion and her life’s work.
- Dave Ockuly, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Dave Ockuly teaches visual arts to Pk-1 students at Wilcox Primary in Twinsburg. He is in his third year as a building rep for TEA as well as a delegate for the OEA and NEOEA Representative Assemblies. Additionally, he served four years as an NEA RA delegate, has attended OEA's Summer Leadership Academy, and was on TEA's most recent contract negotiations team. Ockuly is running for TEA vice president in the local's spring elections.
- Tiffany Markim, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Tiffany Markim is a third-grade teacher at Samuel Bissell Elementary, and has been teaching in the Twinsburg district since 2014. This year marks her first year serving as a building representative and her first year on the TEA Grant Committee. Markim says it has been a pleasure working alongside other teachers in her union. Through TEA, she says, they continue to build stronger relationships, give back to their community and fellow educators, and work together as a team to strengthen both their union and the goals they share.
- Caitlyn Bonhag, MOT, OTR/L, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Caitlyn Bonhag is her ninth year as a school-based occupational therapist and says she has her dream job working with preschoolers in the Twinsburg City School District. Her husband, Stephen, is a band director, and two years ago, she managed to find herself as a majorette advisor for his marching band program. When it is not marching band season, Caitlyn enjoys spending time outdoors with her two dogs.
- Gabrielle Copen, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Now in her second year on the TEA Grants Committee, Gabrielle Copen is in charge of the TEA Family Event. She has been teaching Twinsburg since 2015, currently as an English Language Arts teacher at R.B. Chamberlin Middle School. In addition to her work on the Grants Committee, Copen has been a TEA building rep for about five years.
- Allison Doyle, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Allison Doyle has served as a building representative and a member of the Twinsburg Education Association Executive Committee for over 20 years. She brings 30 years of teaching experience in Twinsburg, where she has worked with both second- and third-grade students. In addition to her local leadership, she is currently in her third year serving on the OEA Grant Committee.
- Molly Manley, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Molly Manley has spent her 27-year career in Twinsburg schools - even doing her student teaching there! She currently teaches math at the high school, mainly to juniors and seniors. Manley was a building rep when she first started teaching and returned to that role last year. She says she has really enjoyed becoming more involved this year, especially with the Grant Writing Committee.
- Rebecca Widener, Twinsburg Education Association member
- A 6th grade math and science teacher at Dodge Intermediate School, Rebecca Widener is in her 20th year teaching in Twinsburg. Over the past four or five years, she has served as a building representative, and this year, she also joined the Grant Writing Committee for the first time. Widener says one of the things she really loves about the TEA is how dedicated the people are. She says, there are so many folks working behind the scenes, not just to strengthen our association, but also to connect with the community and support a strong educational system here in Twinsburg.
- Ian Horstman, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Ian Horstman is currently an intervention specialist who runs a behavior unit. He grew up in Cuyahoga Falls and attended and graduated from Ohio University. He coaches three sports and enjoys playing tennis. Horstman has been passionate about making a difference in education and was grateful to learn from his formal wrestling coach in how to be an effective mentor/Intervention Specialist.
- Alexis Sabo, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Alexis Sabo is a 7th grade Intervention Specialist who advocates for equitable access to education for all students. In her eighth year of teaching, she works with students with learning disabilities. Alexis serves as a building representative for her local union, a role she has held for the past three years, and has been an active member of the bargaining committee. She has also contributed to publishing her association’s newsletter and helped launch their TEA podcast, amplifying educator voices and strengthening community engagement.
- Chris Kuzas, Twinsburg Education Association member
- Now in his 12th year teaching, Chris Kuzas is in his 10th year teaching in Twinsburg. This is his third year as a building representative for the Twinsburg Education Association.
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About us:
- The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
- Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award-winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.
This episode was recorded on March 5, 2026.
