Since 1993, the Hempfield Foundation has worked to support students and teachers alike by consistently providing a wide range of grants and scholarships. As it closes the chapter on 2023, the foundation is reflecting on three decades of educational enrichment initiatives and looking ahead to its goals for the new year.

One of the Hempfield Foundation's primary goals is to provide opportunities for students in the Hempfield School District to excel regardless of their pursuits. The organization awards numerous grants to educators at each grade level, from second-grade art classes to high school science courses. Grants are also frequently used to reinforce the school district's many extracurricular programs, including theater departments and STEM competitions. In 2023, the Hempfield Foundation awarded dozens of grants to teachers and staff members throughout the school district, totaling more than $81,000. Projects made possible by Hempfield Foundation grants last year include the creation of a podcast production studio and an entrepreneurship center at Hempfield High School, emotional management kits for students at East Petersburg Elementary School and book publishing tools at Landisville Primary Center.

In addition to supporting children in the classroom, the Hempfield Foundation seeks to set students up for success as they embark on their next stage in education. In May, the foundation awarded $26,500 in scholarships to graduating seniors at Hempfield High School.

In October, the Hempfield Foundation ventured into new territory by welcoming two student representatives to its board of directors. Hempfield High School students Alexandra Gregory and Tobin Marco were selected to offer their perspective on the school district's needs, and they began to fulfill their duties by attending regular board meetings. In the coming year, Gregory and Marco will complete various outreach assignments from the board, such as following up with grant recipients to see the impact of their projects in the classroom. The student representatives will also be able to share their insight with the Hempfield Foundation as it prepares to choose the next round of grant recipients. "With (Gregory and Marco) being the first student representatives, there's some learning on both sides. But they have been fully engaged with meetings, and they will have a key role in sharing their input on our ideas," said Scott Bishop, executive director of the Hempfield Foundation.

After the Hempfield Woman's Club disbanded in September, the Hempfield Foundation used the group's final donation to create the Hempfield Woman's Club Legacy Fund. The fund will be used annually to fund specific teacher grants to honor the club's contributions to the community since its creation in 1965.

Through a partnership with Penn State Health, the Hempfield Foundation is able to continue to provide resources for several classrooms and special needs students across the school district. Many of the last year's programs were also supported by the 1993 Partners of the Foundation, which contributed more than $10,000 in donations from multiple local businesses.

"It's important for us to grow the diversity of projects and initiatives we can support," Bishop said. "Of course we have great programs for core academics, but it's really cool when we can go beyond that and beyond students other needs."