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Venture Grant Overview
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The Foundation approved 15 grants totaling $70,247.19 for the 2019-20 school year!
"Math Morning Tubs" The five teachers of grades K-1 will assemble tubs of math manipulatives for children to explore math concepts, then will rotate the tubs to the other classrooms. - Akron Elementary
"Courtyard Creativity" A collaboration with Millersville University will guide students in grade 4 to design an interactive courtyard for Akron Elementary. - Akron Elementary
"C-Pens" C-Pens are designed to scan any text and read the words or sentences out loud. This enables students with literacy delays, dyslexia, or ESL issues to access text when there is no aide available to help them read directions. - Fulton Elementary
"Guided Reading made Fun" Students will use reading materials with manipulatives to increase skills with engaging activities. - Highland Elementary
"Imagine Learning for English Learners" Imagine Learning is language and literacy software program that accelerates English learning. It focuses on oral language, academic vocabulary, phonics, fluency, grammar, and comprehension. The program identifies each student’s strengths and weaknesses and prescribes personalized sets of learning activities. It also monitors the students with checkpoints and adjusts instruction when necessary. - District Wide
"STEAM Days" Elementary Science Explorers, the Maryland Science Center, Zoo America, and the Whitaker Center will present K-4 inquiry-based assemblies on each of the five district half-days, and an inquiry-based “field trip” experience for the focus grade level that day while classroom teachers provide STEAM activities for the other grade levels. - Elementary District Wide
"EIMS Bluebird Trail" This project was begun in 2009 using personal funds. The grant would provide for the building or refurbishment of blue bird nesting boxes. Data is collected and reported to the Pennsylvania Bluebird Society. - Ephrata Intermediate School
"Communicating in a Competitive Market" Teams of students design a product and go before a panel of “investors” to pitch their product. The winning team becomes the management of the classroom business and the other students are hired into positions at different levels. The product is produced and marketed with the profits benefiting a charity. - Ephrata High School
"Glowforge for Science Curriculum STEM Enhancement" A Glowforge laser cutter will help students design and build models for multiple physics, chemistry, and science fair projects. - Ephrata High School
"Mountaineer School Store" Students in the life skills classes need opportunities to experience real life vocations. A school store would serve as a training facility to give students an understanding of vocational positions including, but not limited to retail, maintenance, secretarial, and customer service as well as provide more opportunities to interact positively with the students in general education classes. - Ephrata High School
"STEAM Club at EIS" The current STEAM club seeks to move beyond paper towel tubes and pipe cleaners to gain hands-on experiences with robotics, snap circuits and other more technologically advanced materials. - Ephrata Intermediate School
"Virtual Reality at EHS" The purchase of 10 virtual reality headsets and related equipment provides for experiences ranging from touring a college campus to observing a surgical procedure in an operating room without having to arrange for an actual field trip. - Ephrata High School
"E-Commerce Project" In the original project students researched boxes of Amazon returns being liquidated and picked, purchased, “unboxed” and chose items to sell on eBay with the goal of making a profit. Although they succeeded in making a profit, more importantly were the lessons learned about the challenges in real life e-commerce of selling, fees that cut into profits, and shipping costs. - Ephrata High School
"Link Crew" Link Crew is a nationally recognized high school transition program. Through this program freshmen are welcomed and made to feel comfortable throughout their first year of high school and beyond. Members of the junior and senior classes are trained to serve as mentors who guide freshmen through the transition from middle school to high school. - Ephrata High School
"Expressive Art Equals Social Learning" An art professional with training in a therapeutic setting will conduct monthly one-hour sessions using painting, sculpture, and journaling to promote introspection, stress relief, and engagement in learning. - Ephrata High School
"Courtyard Creativity" A collaboration with Millersville University will guide students in grade 4 to design an interactive courtyard for Akron Elementary. - Akron Elementary
"C-Pens" C-Pens are designed to scan any text and read the words or sentences out loud. This enables students with literacy delays, dyslexia, or ESL issues to access text when there is no aide available to help them read directions. - Fulton Elementary
"Guided Reading made Fun" Students will use reading materials with manipulatives to increase skills with engaging activities. - Highland Elementary
"Imagine Learning for English Learners" Imagine Learning is language and literacy software program that accelerates English learning. It focuses on oral language, academic vocabulary, phonics, fluency, grammar, and comprehension. The program identifies each student’s strengths and weaknesses and prescribes personalized sets of learning activities. It also monitors the students with checkpoints and adjusts instruction when necessary. - District Wide
"STEAM Days" Elementary Science Explorers, the Maryland Science Center, Zoo America, and the Whitaker Center will present K-4 inquiry-based assemblies on each of the five district half-days, and an inquiry-based “field trip” experience for the focus grade level that day while classroom teachers provide STEAM activities for the other grade levels. - Elementary District Wide
"EIMS Bluebird Trail" This project was begun in 2009 using personal funds. The grant would provide for the building or refurbishment of blue bird nesting boxes. Data is collected and reported to the Pennsylvania Bluebird Society. - Ephrata Intermediate School
"Communicating in a Competitive Market" Teams of students design a product and go before a panel of “investors” to pitch their product. The winning team becomes the management of the classroom business and the other students are hired into positions at different levels. The product is produced and marketed with the profits benefiting a charity. - Ephrata High School
"Glowforge for Science Curriculum STEM Enhancement" A Glowforge laser cutter will help students design and build models for multiple physics, chemistry, and science fair projects. - Ephrata High School
"Mountaineer School Store" Students in the life skills classes need opportunities to experience real life vocations. A school store would serve as a training facility to give students an understanding of vocational positions including, but not limited to retail, maintenance, secretarial, and customer service as well as provide more opportunities to interact positively with the students in general education classes. - Ephrata High School
"STEAM Club at EIS" The current STEAM club seeks to move beyond paper towel tubes and pipe cleaners to gain hands-on experiences with robotics, snap circuits and other more technologically advanced materials. - Ephrata Intermediate School
"Virtual Reality at EHS" The purchase of 10 virtual reality headsets and related equipment provides for experiences ranging from touring a college campus to observing a surgical procedure in an operating room without having to arrange for an actual field trip. - Ephrata High School
"E-Commerce Project" In the original project students researched boxes of Amazon returns being liquidated and picked, purchased, “unboxed” and chose items to sell on eBay with the goal of making a profit. Although they succeeded in making a profit, more importantly were the lessons learned about the challenges in real life e-commerce of selling, fees that cut into profits, and shipping costs. - Ephrata High School
"Link Crew" Link Crew is a nationally recognized high school transition program. Through this program freshmen are welcomed and made to feel comfortable throughout their first year of high school and beyond. Members of the junior and senior classes are trained to serve as mentors who guide freshmen through the transition from middle school to high school. - Ephrata High School
"Expressive Art Equals Social Learning" An art professional with training in a therapeutic setting will conduct monthly one-hour sessions using painting, sculpture, and journaling to promote introspection, stress relief, and engagement in learning. - Ephrata High School