1+1 Winner: Nick Rotella

Every other week NewsCenter1 and First Interstate Bank award a local teacher with $500 to pay for expenses that would otherwise come out of pocket. Nick Rotella from West Middle School in Rapid City was awarded on April 26.

Rotella will be using the funds to purchase fetal pigs for his seventh grade science classes.

“It's a mammal just like humans, so it works really well for comparative anatomy, comparative body systems," Rotella said. "It also gets them used to some of the techniques used within dissection, which a lot of them - with something like this - will decide they want to go into the medical and veterinary field.”

NewsCenter1 and First Interstate Bank recognize the educational benefits of dissection, but also the lasting impression it leaves on young minds. Ellyn Vogel, a loan processor at the bank, said this application stuck out to her.

"This was the most out of the box one," Vogel said. "It was really cool. Once we got it, all of us started talking about what we did in school, and those are things that you remember.”

To submit nominations click here. View other winners here.