At its May 2025 meeting, the Manheim Township Educational Foundation Board of Directors voted to fund more than $85,000 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
Building Inclusive STEM with LEGO Coding Express (MTSD K-6) – Joshua Stehman and Melanie Stoltzfus – $2,600
This grant will fund the purchase of LEGO® Education Coding Express kits, making coding tools more accessible to students with fine motor and other academic needs. Kits will be integrated into the STEM curriculum, to ensure that all students, regardless of ability, can engage in foundational hands-on coding experiences that develop problem-solving, collaboration, and computational thinking skills.
Educators Rising (MTHS) – Melissa Diehm – $6,500
This grant supports the implementation of the new Educators Rising course at Manheim Township High School. Recommended for students interested in pursuing a career in education, the rigorous curriculum will include lectures, lessons, hands-on activities and a clinical component within the Manheim Township School District, while offering an opportunity for students to earn micro-credentials. Educators Rising is a national movement promoting community-based “Grow Your Own” programs that benefit aspiring young educators and their school districts.
Environmental Science and Arts Investigations (Bucher) Carrie Denlinger and Kristen Rychener – $1,830
Bucher students will have the opportunity to engage deeply with the elementary science curriculum through hands-on, expert-led lessons. Sallie Gregory, from the Lancaster County Conservation District, will visit Bucher’s indoor and outdoor classrooms and stream, teaching 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classes about animal biodiversity, habitats and conservation. Hands-on experiences will foster students’ positive relationships with nature, our local community, and our environment.
Exploring Medical Careers with Hands-on Models (MTHS) – Allison Noecker and Rebecca Hyde – $12,000
This grant will fund the purchase of MANIKEN class sets for the Advanced Anatomy and Anatomy & Medical Careers course to better support STEM learning and career exploration in the fields of medicine. MANIKEN sets offer high fidelity models and high quality, reusable supplies that allow students in the program an opportunity to learn in a more meaningful, hands-on way. Students will be able to interact with the structures of the body with the scale models in ways that are unattainable with paper diagrams, while teachers will be able to build more inquiry-based lab experiences and conduct performance-based assessments.
Garden Club, Summer Garden Camp and Rock Garden Rehab (Brecht) – Nicole Siegel – $850
This grant will expand Brecht’s after-school garden club and support two 4-day summer garden camps. Funds will also be used to rehab the rock garden with replacements and additional materials. Once rehab is complete, the rock garden will be incorporated into Brecht’s sensory path.
Gators and Grand-Friends (Schaeffer) – Schaeffer PTO – $1,125
Gators and Grand-Friends establishes community bonds between Schaeffer Elementary students (Gators) and residents of Calvary Fellowship Independent Living (Grand-Friends). Schaeffer students will meet with Calvary residents several times during the school year to participate together in seasonal activities, developing positive intergenerational relationships.
Kick-off Day Speaker: Everyone Belongs (MTSD) – Sharon Schaefer – $2,000
The grant will fund a speaker for district kick-off day on August 18. Ben Hartranft will share his story and perspective on his life with autism with Manheim Township professional and support staff. After the district presentation, Ben will meet with special education students and families to talk about their experiences and questions.
Peace Path (Nitrauer) – Jill Milton and Zach Snyder – $721
Painted onto the blacktop in several locations on the Nitrauer playground, the Peace Path will provide students a way to resolve conflicts peacefully, literally “step by step.” The Peace Path empowers students to settle their own disagreements fairly, with both parties being heard, reducing adult involvement and creating a more peaceful and fun school environment for all students.
Restorative Practices Finding Your Joy (MTSD) – Courney Nowak and Amber Mentz – $5,000
The Pupil Services staff will receive individualized restorative practices training to enhance their understanding of responsiveness to their students’ unique needs and their own skillset to regulate and provide support. This learning will allow Pupil Services team members to provide additional professional development to general education staff.
Rolling Into Learning: Sphero Indi Robots for Early STEM Minds (MTSD K-4) – Jackie Druck, Lacy Plumbo, Kiersten Mullen, and Meghan Nephin – $20,000
With six Sphero Indi Robot Class Packs, each of the district’s six K-4 STEM classrooms will be equipped with tools that make coding accessible to all learners, especially younger grades, by removing the barrier of text. By utilizing Indi’s screen-free, color-based programming system, the youngest students can engage in problem-solving, critical thinking, and real-world applications of STEM principles.
Science Spectacular Assembly (Neff) – Taylor Good & Neff PTO – $1,200
The Science Heroes will visit Neff Elementary for a Science Spectacular Assembly. This program promotes creativity, curiosity, and connections through the performance of live science experiments.
Sprouting Learners (MTSD) – Elizabeth Edwards – $4,000
Manheim Township School District seeks to help students birth to age 5 and their families access pre-kindergarten learning opportunities. Through the Sprouting Learners program, the district will provide learning materials to support at-home literacy, math, fine and gross motor experiences for children ages 0-2 and ages 3-5, as well as family workshops twice a year for ages 3-5 to promote school readiness. At these events, community partners will also be present to provide families with information and resources.
Tiny Creatures, Big Discoveries: A Live Science Experience for Future Scientists (Nitrauer) – Nitrauer PTO – $1,200
This grant will support an interactive, science-based educational program at Nitrauer Elementary to complement the district’s new science curriculum. Ryan Bridge, “The Bug Man,” will engage students in the fascinating world of entomology. Through an immersive, hands-on experience, students will explore the anatomy, life cycles, and defense mechanisms of insects, as well as their ecological importance.
Touch Screen Interaction for Low-Incidence Special Education Classrooms (MTSD) – Cathy Patterson, Samantha Buckwalter, Nicolas Dimarco, Caroline Newell, Melissa Begyn, Erin Weigand – $21,822
Through the use of interactive viewboard televisions, students in low-incidence special education classrooms throughout the district will gain new, hands-on opportunities to engage in the learning process. Using the Unique Learning System, a Dynamic Learning Map aligned curriculum, students will have opportunities to interact with curriculum stories and activities through digital touch screen technology. Additionally, students will be able to interact with technology that is already available in the general education curriculum, such as Nearpod, Discovery Education, and Khan Academy.
MINI GRANTS
Angle Build (Landis Run) – Mark Jordan – $500
Students will design and build a fireplace or similarly sized structure utilizing skills related to an angle relations unit. Determining the details of a unique build without much background knowledge will require a great deal of ingenuity, creativity, and flexibility and collaboration as the project will be completed by as many as 10 different groups of students.
Busy Hands, Calm Mind (LRIS) – Amy Houck & Caitlyn Flint – $530
This project seeks to provide students will access to fidgets, brain teasers, and jigsaw puzzles as calming tools to help support emotional regulation and mental focus during the school day. These resources will be available in classrooms, designated calm-down areas, or break spaces for students who need a short, structured break to reset and refocus. By offering developmentally appropriate, hands-on materials, the project aims to reduce stress, support self-regulation, and improve students’ readiness to learn in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Summer Reading Program (Brecht) – Amanda Munson – $1,000
Funded by the Louise Weaver Engle Memorial Fund, established to support literacy initiatives at Brecht Elementary School, Brecht’s annual Summer Reading Kick-off helps students build excitement for summer reading. Students complete a craft, receive a book, and enjoy outdoor reading time with homeroom buddies.
Brilliant Bobcats Attendance Club (Brecht) – Amanda Munson – $500
The Brilliant Bobcats Attendance Project focuses on building great habits one day at a time. Using daily check-ins, incentives and regular family communication to celebrate progress, this program is designed to develop responsibility, consistency, and school pride in a way that’s positive, supportive, and fun.
Snorkl for Formative Immediate Feedback – Rebecca Maryott & Nick Scales – $875
This project aims to deepen student understanding and engagement in high school math by integrating Snorkl, an innovative AI-powered website, into the daily practice of seven math teachers and their students. Throughout the school year, these teachers will use Snorkl with either pre-loaded or teacher-created prompts, allowing students to visually and verbally articulate their math thinking on a digital whiteboard and receive instant, personalized feedback.
Steven Courtney Assembly (Nitrauer) – Liz Ducey – $1,000
Steven Courtney is an experienced and engaging musician whose songs focus on literacy, positive social behavior, and family well-being. Steven Courtney’s performance will complement the Little Spots program, designed to help students better understand, process, and regulate their emotions, which was implemented at Nitrauer this school year.
National Art Honors Society (MTHS) – McKenna Griffiths and Matt Jones – $500
The National Art Honor Society (NAHS) at Manheim Township will provide dedicated art students with opportunities to develop their artistic skills, collaborate on creative projects, and serve their community through the arts. This program will provide students with a platform to showcase their talents, collaborate on meaningful artistic initiatives, and build a strong foundation for future artistic endeavors.
ROBIN L. FELTY STUDENT IMPACT GRANTS
Startup Club Shark Tank (High School) – Alexis Song – $1,000
The MTHS Startup Club will host a business pitching competition, allowing students to hone skills correlating to business fields. Participating students will practice public speaking, collaboration and problem solving in developing and making their pitches and will receive feedback from a panel of adult judges. The top three teams, as selected by judges, will receive awards.
Team Toucan – Samuel Tennison – $1,000
Team Toucan is a new club offering at MTHS whose goal is to increase awareness of Fair Trade principles and achieve a Fair Trade certification for Manheim Township High School. This grant will help club members to develop and shared educational materials, host events, and sell Fair Trade certified items to continue to raise funds to support the club’s work.