At its November 2024 meeting, the Manheim Township Educational Foundation Board of Directors voted to fund more than $74,000 in projects to benefit Manheim Township students. These grants are made possible though EITC donations, memorial funds, institutional grants, general donations and contributions from MTEF Community Partners.
General Grants
Brecht Artist-in-Residence (Brecht) – Brecht PTO – $5,000
Artist Julia Kamanda will serve as an artist-in-residence at Brecht Elementary during the 2024-2025 school year. Through the exploration of music literacy, storytelling, rhythm, and melody, students will be exposed to diverse music and cultural components from various countries and regions including Sierra Leone, Peru, Mexico, Hawaii, and India.
Bucher’s Environmental Science & Arts Investigations (Bucher) – Kristen Rychener – $2,217
Students in grades 2-4 will have the opportunity to learn about the environment through hands-on, experiment-led lessons facilitated by Sallie Gregory from Lancaster County Conservation District. Students will gain a better understanding of the ecosystems and natural resources in their environment and record their observations through writing and sketching.
Drones in Flight (MTMS) – Jackie Druck & Gretchen Reasner – $8,000
Drones will be integrated into the 7th grade STEM curriculum to spark student engagement with hands-on experiences that tie directly to real-world applications such as forest fire fighting and space exploration. Students will pilot drones, learn visual-based coding, and develop essential problem-solving and teamwork skills while exploring technology-driven careers.
Fall Play Preview (MTHS & Elementary Schools) – Kristel Kennedy & Michelle Luther – $2,393
Through this grant, all 3rd and 4th grade students will have the opportunity to attend an abbreviated version of the MTHS fall play Peter and the Starcatcher. This chance to view live theater will help to introduce elementary school students to the elements of live theater including acting, singing, dancing, set design, costumes, lighting, and sound, and will include a question-and-answer session with the high school students after the show.
Foundation of a Middle School Science Olympiad Team (MTMS) – Marissa Schwartz – $6,012
This grant will provide for the purchase of the initial supplies needed for students to be able to prepare for the 23 Science Olympiad events. Students will compete in several regional invitational tournaments in preparation for the official Pennsylvania Regional Tournament.
High School Creative Commons: Part 3 (MTHS) – Carly McCarthy & Nick Scales – $20,000
With this final grant, the High School Creative Commons will include not only a physical space within in the library for whole class and individual student use, but also the resources and materials needed to support students’ creative exploration and expression including whiteboards, LEGO walls and bricks, 3D printer pens, and various coding tools and robotics.
Ripple Effects (MTHS) – Paul Barr – $11,700
The Ripple Effects Program uses music production to instruct students across the curriculum. The program will provide instruction in social skills and career workplace behaviors through a hands-on learning format designed to motivate and challenge learners for school success and post-secondary transition. Students will participate in lessons in music production, vocal recording, creative writing, music industry knowledge, and social/emotional learning.
Tower Gardens (Brecht, Bucher, Neff, Nitrauer) – $6,000
Building on the successful integration of tower gardens into science lessons at Reidenbaugh and Schaeffer, a tower garden will be added to the STEAM resources at each of the other elementary schools. Tower gardens provide students with the opportunity to experience the cycle of planting and harvesting crops any time of year utilizing a modern farming technology.
We Are Creative and YOU ARE TOO! (Nitrauer) – Patrick Murphy & Nitrauer PTO – $3,000
Local author and illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox will share their collaborative creative process with students at Nitrauer Elementary School. Through interactive presentations, story-time, and hands-on activities, the pair seek to encourage students to see creativity in their daily lives and in the people around them, fostering a deeper appreciation for reading, writing, and artistic expression.
2024-2025 Quiz Bowl (MTHS) – Zach Mussmon – $2,500
This grant will help the High School Quiz Bowl team’s participation in the national Quiz Bowl competition. Quiz Bowl provides students with opportunities to apply their study skills and academic prowess in a team setting where success requires problem-solving and collaboration.
Mini Grants
Alex Dorf, Artist Visit (MTHS) – Samantha Haldeman – $850
Alex Dorf, an alum of both MTHS and the MTPA program, is currently working as a Broadway performer on the National tour of Hamilton. Alex will present workshops to MTHS musical theatre students discussing his life and career path, college musical theatre experiences and advice, tips for auditions, and teaching a dance combination.
Art Show Banners (MTHS) – Matthew Jones – $1,000
High School art students will design custom banners for the school district’s annual art show to help differentiate the artwork from each school building while helping to provide a more cohesive visual experience for the show as a whole.
Building Connections: Interactive Object Lessons in Economics (MTHS) – Ked Kantz – $275
Economic concepts are often foreign and abstract to new learners. Using interactive manipulatives to introduce new concepts can help students to understand the practical content of the broader conceptual ideas before applying them to specific economic theory and real world applications. This grant provides for the purchase of interactive manipulatives, including Jenga Blocks and Tetris Tower Blocks, to help illustrate economic concepts.
Build It, Count It! (Nitrauer) – Allyson Weitzel – $810
First grade classrooms at Nitrauer will have access to a Digi-Block 3-Place Counter and Digi-Blocks to help illustrate the concepts of place value in concrete ways. Students can assemble single blocks into blocks-of-10, blocks-of-10 into blocks-of-100, and blocks-of-100 into 1,000.
Enrichment through Reader Engagement (Reidenbaugh) – Jaclyn Griffith – $1,000
This grant will provide access to multiple copies of high-interest fiction and nonfiction texts to use for student enrichment through integrative units of study. Students will engage in authentic reading and learning experiences to extend reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, research, writing, and critical thinking skills, promoting student growth and helping to cultivate a community of learners.
High School 9/11 Speaker (MTHS) – Tara Newhouse – $1,000
One of the goals of the Jean Hoadley Peterson Memorial Fund is to ensure that MTHS students continue to learn about the people and events of September 11, 2001. Jean, a 1964 MTHS alum, died on 9/11 as a passenger on Flight 93. In September, Commander Bernie Ryan, a volunteer with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, visited MTHS to share his 9/11 story from working at the Pentagon, as well as historical information about the events in New York City and western PA.
High School Work-Based Learning Mini Business (MTHS) – Ashley Cooper – $990
This grant will provide for the purchase of additional storage and food prep space for the High School Work-Based Learning program’s mini-business which provides student-baked breakfast items and drinks on a weekly basis throughout the school year. Through this venture, students practice employment, post-secondary, and independent living skills ranging from food prep and kitchen skills to customer service and social skills.
LRIS Chess Club (LRIS) – Mark Jordan – $550
Foldable chess boards and pieces will be purchased to facilitate an exploratory chess club for Landis Run students. Student participants will develop abstract thinking, planning, and numerous executive functioning skills as they hone their strategy and game play. Students excelling at the game may even participate in the IU13 chess tournament.
Vertical Whiteboards for Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Reidenbaugh) – Noelle Duscha – $784
Whiteboard flip charts will be used to help promote active engagement in critical thinking, perseverance, and collaboration during math lessons. Students will work together to solve a problems and then be able to walk around to see the ideas of other student groups.
Student Impact Grants
American Rocketry Challenge Team (MTHS) – Cameron Zuschmidt – $700
This grant will be used to purchase the rocket parts necessary for the MTHS rocketry team to compete in the American Rocketry Challenge. The team’s goal is to construct several rockets and host 8-10 launches to both collect flight data to analyze and eventually qualify for the national ARC competition in May.
MT Table Tennis Club (MTHS) – Vishal Swamy – $250
The new MT Table Tennis Club will provide students with another sport that is more accessible than others, but equally competitive and challenging. The ultimate goal is to encourage students to be more active while playing an excellent sport. Grant funds will be used to purchase nets and paddles for students to use during the club period.