More than 30 teacher-initiated projects set for 2009-2010 school year
Teachers at the Hatboro-Horsham School District will initiate innovative ideas in the classroom next school year thanks to $100,000 in funding from local business sponsors. The $100,000 is a 67 percent increase from last year’s $60,000 in funding.
The Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation (HHEF) was responsible for gathering the funds that local businesses provided through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC).
According to Laurie Rosard, director of the educational foundation, local businesses were able to provide larger funds to the EITC for the 2009-2010 scholastic year before the recession hit.
The HHEF used the gathered funds as Innovative Learning Grants to teachers who have exceptional lesson plans throughout the broad educational spectrum of students. The foundation, made up of school administrators, teachers, parents and local business owners, chose teachers to receive the Innovative Learning Grants based on applications submitted in January 2009.
After reviewing applications, the foundation decides to fund projects they feel have the highest level of educational value and the most innovative learning experiences to students.
Rosard said the HHEF began in 1988 and is the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the state.
“The foundation was created to support special programs that the school district, because of the tight budget restraints, is not in a position to be able to fund,” she said. Thirty-one teacher-initiated educational projects, including subject matters, such as theater, art, health education, robotics, music, environmental science and technology were approved for grant funding in the coming school year.
The innovative grant projects include, but are not limited to, a Shakespeare theater workshop in the high school, hands-on robotics programs for all levels of students, video editing software and computers for high school students and interactive white boards at selected schools across the district.
To be approved, grant applications must fall into the math, science, media literacy, environmental education or non-restricted grant categories.
All applications are evaluated for an innovative component that enhances the district’s current curriculum, educational value and the number of students that will be served by the program.
The mission of the nonprofit foundation is to add to the everyday learning experiences of students throughout the district through funding acquired from area donors and local businesses through the EITC.
The state program allows businesses to receive tax for donating to educational institutions.
Corporate donors to the foundation this year include Hatboro Federal Savings, Motorola, Harleysville National Bank, Materials Sciences Corporation Inc, PNC Financial Services Group, Centocor Inc., Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Research Services Inc. and Universal Health Services Inc.
Rosard is grateful to the participating businesses.
“We greatly appreciate their assistance in being able to offer these enriching programs to the students and also recognize it as a strong partnership between the private business community and educational community,” she said.
Rosard is happy to see companies taking advantage of the EITC program, but is fearful of future funding because of the current economy. Funding for programs to be implemented in 2009 and 2010 is based on funds provided to the foundation from the 2007 calendar year. Rosard said the funding for 2009 - 2010 was acquired prior to the stress of the current economy.
The $100,000 in grant funding was awarded to teachers for use in the upcoming school year. Teachers were notified about their grant receipt in the spring in order to have the projects up and running by the fall.
Hatboro-Horsham High School broadcast journalism and video production teacher Dave Thomas received a grant for the second year in a row.
“I was floored,” he said. “It’s now come to point where, as long as the grants can continue, I am looking for things possible for next year that cannot be covered in the regular operating budget,” he said.
At the high school, Thomas runs the district’s local television channel, HHTV, which is broadcast on Verizon and Comcast channels.
The channel features events throughout the district and is run, in part, by a 20-student film crew.
This year, through his second grant, Thomas received two full video-editing computer systems for students at a cost of about $9,500.
Previously the 20 students in the television studio shared three computers for video editing.
Thomas said, because the PCs are what would be used in a professional studio, students are able to get real-world experience to prepare them for college and the working world.
“My goal for the students is that they are able to experiment with the field in high school before they attend college or get a job,” he said.
Last year, Thomas received portable digital video recorders that assisted video students in video recording and importing their reels onto a computer. Students use the equipment on a daily basis.
For more information, call 215-420-5261.
The Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation (HHEF) was responsible for gathering the funds that local businesses provided through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC).
According to Laurie Rosard, director of the educational foundation, local businesses were able to provide larger funds to the EITC for the 2009-2010 scholastic year before the recession hit.
The HHEF used the gathered funds as Innovative Learning Grants to teachers who have exceptional lesson plans throughout the broad educational spectrum of students. The foundation, made up of school administrators, teachers, parents and local business owners, chose teachers to receive the Innovative Learning Grants based on applications submitted in January 2009.
After reviewing applications, the foundation decides to fund projects they feel have the highest level of educational value and the most innovative learning experiences to students.
Rosard said the HHEF began in 1988 and is the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the state.
“The foundation was created to support special programs that the school district, because of the tight budget restraints, is not in a position to be able to fund,” she said. Thirty-one teacher-initiated educational projects, including subject matters, such as theater, art, health education, robotics, music, environmental science and technology were approved for grant funding in the coming school year.
The innovative grant projects include, but are not limited to, a Shakespeare theater workshop in the high school, hands-on robotics programs for all levels of students, video editing software and computers for high school students and interactive white boards at selected schools across the district.
To be approved, grant applications must fall into the math, science, media literacy, environmental education or non-restricted grant categories.
All applications are evaluated for an innovative component that enhances the district’s current curriculum, educational value and the number of students that will be served by the program.
The mission of the nonprofit foundation is to add to the everyday learning experiences of students throughout the district through funding acquired from area donors and local businesses through the EITC.
The state program allows businesses to receive tax for donating to educational institutions.
Corporate donors to the foundation this year include Hatboro Federal Savings, Motorola, Harleysville National Bank, Materials Sciences Corporation Inc, PNC Financial Services Group, Centocor Inc., Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Research Services Inc. and Universal Health Services Inc.
Rosard is grateful to the participating businesses.
“We greatly appreciate their assistance in being able to offer these enriching programs to the students and also recognize it as a strong partnership between the private business community and educational community,” she said.
Rosard is happy to see companies taking advantage of the EITC program, but is fearful of future funding because of the current economy. Funding for programs to be implemented in 2009 and 2010 is based on funds provided to the foundation from the 2007 calendar year. Rosard said the funding for 2009 - 2010 was acquired prior to the stress of the current economy.
The $100,000 in grant funding was awarded to teachers for use in the upcoming school year. Teachers were notified about their grant receipt in the spring in order to have the projects up and running by the fall.
Hatboro-Horsham High School broadcast journalism and video production teacher Dave Thomas received a grant for the second year in a row.
“I was floored,” he said. “It’s now come to point where, as long as the grants can continue, I am looking for things possible for next year that cannot be covered in the regular operating budget,” he said.
At the high school, Thomas runs the district’s local television channel, HHTV, which is broadcast on Verizon and Comcast channels.
The channel features events throughout the district and is run, in part, by a 20-student film crew.
This year, through his second grant, Thomas received two full video-editing computer systems for students at a cost of about $9,500.
Previously the 20 students in the television studio shared three computers for video editing.
Thomas said, because the PCs are what would be used in a professional studio, students are able to get real-world experience to prepare them for college and the working world.
“My goal for the students is that they are able to experiment with the field in high school before they attend college or get a job,” he said.
Last year, Thomas received portable digital video recorders that assisted video students in video recording and importing their reels onto a computer. Students use the equipment on a daily basis.
For more information, call 215-420-5261.
