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Arvest Bank recently honored Dustie Swaim at Dewey High School during the bank’s annual “We Love Teachers” initiative, which awards area educators $500 each to help with the purchase of school supplies. 

Swaim, the high school art teacher, was one of 142 teachers at K-12 public state-funded schools throughout the bank’s four-state footprint to receive the award. Recipients were selected by partnering with schools’ administrations based on classroom needs.

“At Arvest, we value the important role teachers play in shaping the future of our communities,” said Stevie Williams, marketing manager. “We appreciate the dedication and hard work teachers do daily and know they are making a positive impact on their students’ lives. We are proud to honor Ms. Swaim with this recognition, and it’s our hope this award will help contribute to an enriched learning environment for her students.”

The bank’s “We Love Teachers” initiative aims to help teachers with the purchase of school supplies. According to a 2024 Teacher Spending Survey released by AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers reported spending an average of $860 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies.

Since 2016, Arvest has donated $539,500 to local teachers throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas.