At its May meeting, the Manheim Township Educational Foundation (MTEF) board of directors voted to approve the grant committee's recommendation to fund 12 grants for innovative educational programs, awarding more than $60,000 to benefit Manheim Township students in the coming year. The grants are made possible through the support of the community through avenues such as EITC contributions, memorial funds, institutional grants, general donations and MTEF Community Partners.

The Schaeffer Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) was awarded $5,000 for phase two of the outdoor classroom project at the school. The goal of the project is to create an ADA-compliant accessible learning area that will accommodate an entire class.

A total of $17,000 was awarded for the Herren Project at Manheim Township Middle School (MTMS) and Manheim Township High School (MTHS). This grant will bring former professional basketball and substance-use prevention advocate Chris Herren to speak to seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders about his personal experience with substance abuse and overcoming addiction.

The PTO at Brecht Elementary School received $1,000 for spring and summer garden lessons and maintenance. The Brecht garden provides students with an opportunity to learn hands-on skills with real plants. The grant will support maintenance and enhancements for the garden, including bilingual and visual signage, seeds, flowers and supplies.

Reidenbaugh Elementary School received $1,100 for the school's Calming Corner, a designated sensory area for students experiencing dysregulation. The Calming Corner will be available for any student needing to regulate themselves due to a variety of factors or circumstances.

Schaeffer Elementary School was given $2,920 for its "Decodable Books Do Wonders for Our Students" program. The grant will provide students in kindergarten through second grade with practice texts specifically designed to promote the foundational skills of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.

The high school received $14,250 to offer gamified learning - using game mechanics to engage users in a non-game setting - and game-based learning - using a game to consume content. The grant will support the creation of a toolbox of materials, available through library loan for teachers to use with students in the school library or their classroom, with professional development resources for educators.

Manheim Township School District's time capsule project was presented $2,000. The grant will support the creation of the time capsule in celebration of the school district's 175th anniversary.

A grant of $2,200 for a sensory space was presented to the MTMS PTO. The grant will fund elements of the space, including manipulatives and tactile experiences that are designed to reduce stress and anxiety and improve focus and productivity to support the evolving needs and emotions of middle school students.

MTHS was presented with $12,134 for the creation of an interactive demonstrative table and the addition of innovative small appliance ware. By adding tiered seating and converting an existing kitchen island into a demonstration table, the school will enable students to view real-time lessons in basic and advanced food science courses. Funding also supports cookware to equip the demonstration table and new small appliances.

The "STEM for all Students" program at Landis Run Intermediate School received $4,965. The grant will provide accessible STEM robotics and technology for students with special needs.

A grant of $1,011 will be used to create a functional skills instruction area at Landis Run Elementary School. A functional learning lab offers a natural environment for students with developmental or intellectual disabilities to receive modeled instruction connected to skills in academic curricula.

A grant of $1,405 will be used to establish a tower garden at Reidenbaugh Elementary School. Tower gardens allow students to plant seeds, observe growth, harvest - and even eat - crops throughout the year.