Radnor Educational Foundation Grant Awards Top $100,000

June 28, 2012

Radnor Educational Foundation Grant Awards Top $100,000

The 2011-12 school year marks highest level of giving to Radnor schools

The Radnor Educational Foundation (REF) is pleased to announce grant awards totaling $100,000 for the 2011-2012 school year. In collaboration with Radnor Township School District, REF awards grants to programs that enhance curriculum at all five Radnor schools and the education of Radnor’s more than 3,000 students.

“We set a goal in the beginning of the school year to fund $100,000 in grants,” said Sarah Locher, REF co-president. “Our board and committed volunteers worked very hard to raise the funds to reach that goal. This is a testament to the value our community, businesses and parents, place in offering diverse educational experiences for Radnor’s students.”

REF raises money throughout the year to fund programs that are not part of the school district budget. “We revamped our grant process this year and worked closely with the teachers and administration to make sure we were funding programs that would provide new experiences and support curricular needs while providing benefit to the most number of students,” said Candyce Wilson, co-president and chair, Grants Committee.

“REF has granted over $700,000 to Radnor schools since 1994,” said Joy Antonoplos, REF executive director. “We rely on the generous gifts of individuals in the community, corporate sponsors, foundations, PA Tax Credit Program (EITC) contributions and partnership with the PTO/PTSA organizations to support the advancement of curriculum in Radnor.”

In the fall funding cycle, REF awarded $39,678. For the spring funding cycle, REF is supporting grants in the amount of $61,103 for the following programs:

iPads for Radnor Middle School Integrated Watershed Program, $4,000: Students experience the different features that iPads provide including online forums, blogs and collaborative projects with classmates and students from other schools around the world. iPad applications allow for differentiated instruction and help prepare students for 21st-century learning by supporting research and tools for successful implementation of student writing/projects.

After School Tutor/Mentoring Program, $10,400: After school tutoring program for K-8 at-risk students.

Ants are Amazing/Wayne Elementary School, $1,000: Ants are Amazing enhances scientific study of organisms and generates interest in non-fiction texts for young learners. Ant farms enable learners to observe how ants work together in a social community. Request is for ant farms and non-fiction books which students will read to learn about ants and soils. Students will compose short stories, poems and essays based upon reading and observations.

New England Dance Masters/Wayne Elementary, $3,000: Week long dance residency teaches students Anglo-American dance in gym class and songs in music class.

RAD TV upgrade/Radnor High School, $4,000: Technology enhancements to include green screens, backdrops, lighting, news room software, 3-D transitions and animation software, keyboards, and camera stabilizer.

Uganda Pen Pal Project/Radnor Middle School, $4,500: Materials and shipping for tiles to be used to build a latrine at the Bupala Primary School in Uganda. Bupala students are pen pals of students at RMS and RHS.

Birding & Gardening/Wayne Elementary School, $2,643: Purchase of gardening and birding materials for enrichment of John J. Audubon unit on birds and habitats.

Matching Students with Books/Ithan, Radnor & Wayne Elementary Schools, $20,000: Purchase of a wide variety of Leveled Reader Independent Daily Reading (IDR) books for book baskets for elementary school libraries in grades 2-5.

Anatomy & Physiology/Radnor High School, $2,975: Students study the body's structures/functions at the molecular/biochemical, cellular, tissue, organ, systematic and organism levels. Purchase of equipment to include sheep brains, sheep hearts, spray bottles, non-latex gloves and dissection trays. **PA Tax Credit (EITC) approved program.

VEX Robotics Equipment for STEM/Gateways/Radnor Middle School, $8,585

Video highlights of grant programs in action throughout the Radnor schools is available here on YouTube.

Founded in 1994 by Radnor Township School District parents, REF’s mission is to secure and provide funding and support to enrich the educational experience, maintain academic excellence and encourage innovative opportunities for the students of Radnor Township School District.

CONTACT: Joy Antonoplos
joy@radnoreducationalfoundation.org
610-688-8100 X6036