The P-H-M Educational Foundation is proud of its role in schools and in our community. Since 1996, we have awarded over $213,000 in Innovative Classroom Grants, Teacher-of-the-Year Grants, Hensler Scholarships, Academic Scholarships, Silver Mile Grants, Dr. & Mrs. Jerry Thacker Scholarships, Corporation-wide Initiatives, and Corporations for Education Grants.

The Innovative Classroom Grant program provides Penn-Harris-Madison teachers, individually or as part of a team, the opportunity to apply for funds to bring innovation into the classroom, improve aspects of teaching or programs for students that public funding does not provide. The chart below shows the increase in the grants awarded by the Foundation since 1996.

Click here (pdf file) to view P-H-M Educational Foundation's Disbursement Record since 1996-97 to 2008-09.

2010 Spring Innovative Classroom Grants Awarded

A total of seven education grants totaling $18,555 were awarded to P-H-M schools.  The approximate number of students impacted is 4,600.

Young Authors Conference

All P-H-M Elementary Schools

Christy Campbell, Elementary Curriculum Coach

Grades K-5 — 300-500 students impacted

Requested $2,000 — Received $2,000

The purpose of the Young Authors Conference is to provide an opportunity for young writers to explore written language and share their creativity with an audience. Along with sharing a personal writing piece with fellow students, all writers will have the opportunity to meet, inquire, and listen to a nationally recognized writer.  Finally, students will create blank books to take home for further writing experiences.  This project promotes academic excellence by allowing all children in grades K-5 the opportunity to witness first-hand an author who has made writing various genres her career.  It also has the capacity to ignite passion in our young writers.

Media Options for Special Needs Children in Kids Club

Elm Road, Walt Disney, and Prairie Vista Kids Club Sites

Jim Regelean, Kids Club Assistant Program Coordinator

Grades K-5 — 125-200 students impacted

Requested $495 — Received $495

Kids Club is the designated latchkey program for P-H-M schools.  Portable DVD players and developmentally appropriate DVDs are necessary for use with some acting out students who need a time out from the rest of the group.  The use of this type of media will provide Kids Club with another activity with which to engage certain children, including those with autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during their after school time. Oftentimes a personal video player has a calming effect on the child and helps make them more receptive later to homework and other forms of learning.

You’ve Got Mail!

Elm Road, Elsie Rogers, Madison, Meadow’s Edge, Moran and Walt Disney Elementary Schools

Reading Specialists - Joy Johnson, Sheila Lehman, Stephanie Lein, Kathie Shrock and Vivian Haney and RTI Interventionists, Shelley Lebiedzinski, Alison Noakes and Shelli Treely

Grade 2 — 110 students impacted

Requested $5,540.08 — Received $5,540

To help maintain and/or increase students’ independent reading level, this grant will provide books to below grade level student in the second grade at all P-H-M Title 1 schools.  These students pre-selected eight books that will be mailed weekly to their home throughout the summer. Students will then fill our and return a postcard that identifies specific reading strategies. The program promotes academic excellence by getting at-risk students motivated to continue their learning through the love of reading.

Technically, I’m Reading

Discovery Middle School

Kathy Burnette/Mary Keller, Librarian/Special Education Coordinator

Grades 6, 7 and 8 — 30-870 students impacted

Requested $3,635.54 — Received $3,600

Technically, I’m Reading is designed to improve reading comprehension and time spend reading.  Kindles will be used as part of a classroom unit of study as well as for individual checkout.  The material on the Kindle will be modified and customized for student use.  This will decrease the cost of materials while providing students with a way to interact with the teacher and others without being separated or singled out.  The goal is to improve reading skills which can lead to success throughout middle school and beyond to high school, college and life.

“Ramada” Garden Project

Schmucker Middle School

Mary Ann Bogucki, Young Adult Program Teachers

Young Adult Program — 30-35 students impacted

Requested $1000 — Received $1,000

The “Ramada” Garden Project would utilize outdoor space to provide a beautiful, lush garden classroom.  This project promotes academic excellence by encouraging students to learn about all life skills including: Reading, Math, Science, Visual Arts, Leisure, Recreation, Vocational and Personal Management.

Students Love to Read at SMS

Schmucker Middle School

Alberta Barnes, Pam Hollenberg, Suzanne Jones, Teachers/School Librarian

Grades 6, 7 and 8 Language Arts — 300 students impacted

Requested $1,224.60 — Received $1,225

This project will foster a lifelong love of reading by utilizing a wide variety of readily accessible reading materials. Teachers will model their own love of reading while teaching reading skills, introducing student-selected reading, and facilitating a supportive sharing environment. Teachers will use the book The Book Whisperer, by Donalyn Miller, as their main teaching resource.  They will be creating a reading community where students are inspired to read a lot and love to read long after they leave the classroom.

Infobase Career eBooks

Penn High School

Mary Kizer/Jane Carlson, Media Specialist/OLC Teacher

Grade 9 — 2,400-4,000 students impacted over the next 3-5 years

Requested $2,000 — Received $2,000

Penn High School has a new program called Orientation to Life and Careers.  The OLC teachers work with the sophomores on career-related topics, such as exploring and determining what types of careers they might be interested in and then locating more information on those careers. Exploring career options as sophomores is important as the high school moves towards an academy format that will require students to select what paths they want to pursue such as fine arts, technology, or health.  This project promotes academic excellence by encouraging students through self-assessment to evaluate their career options, which, in turn, will help them decide what classes to take at Penn to help them achieve their career goals.

Thinking Small and Green:  Nanotechnology & Green Chemistry

Penn High School

Paul Montbriand/Lynda Rose, Teachers

Grade 10 — 150 students impacted

Requested $2,965 — Received $2,965

This project is designed to bring more relevance and rigor into the chemistry curriculum.  The use of virtual labs and simulations in the classroom provide a unique modeling opportunity for the students as well as eliminate the use of many hazardous materials.  Students will investigate the chemistry and application of nanotechnology through topics such as quantum dots and gold nanoparticle biosensors.  To further illustrate green chemistry principles, and as part of the assessment, students will create blogs, podcasts or discussion forums to talk about how these experiences affect their learning in chemistry and make recommendations for “greening” experiments.  This project promotes academic excellence by emphasizing inquiry and problem solving skills through modern applications as well as promoting literacy in science and technology.