Grants Expand Hampton Students’ Music and STEM Opportunities

Hampton Township, PA...Hampton Township School District students will learn to play unique percussion instruments, design products with a laser engraver, and discover their STEM potential thanks to about $32,140 in grants from the Hampton Alliance for Educational Excellence (HAEE).

Orff Instruments for all K-5 Students, Plus a Musician in Residence

Students at Central, Poff, and Wyland Elementary schools will expand their musical opportunities by exploring Orff xylophones, glockenspiels, marimbas, metallophones, drums, and recorders. As a wonderful bonus, the grant also provides for a Musician in Residence to travel among the three schools and work with the teachers and students. Poff Principal Dr. Colleen Hannagan and the elementary music teachers applied for the $22,355 grant.

Second Laser Engraver for High School

Graphic design students will have access to a laser engraver through a $9,534 grant. The high school has one laser engraver in the Architecture and Engineering classroom. The purchase of a second laser engraver will create additional capacity for Architecture and Engineering students as well as Graphic Arts students, plus members of the Technology Student Association. Teachers Ryan Scott and Nick Helbling successfully applied for the grant.

In-School Engineering Field Trip for Middle School Girls

Middle school girls will solve design challenges, learn about various engineering disciplines, and participate in a Q&A with female engineers working in the field during an in-school field trip designed to help close the gender gap in engineering. The goals of the day-long event include introducing the girls to the wide variety of engineering disciplines they could pursue, and highlighting the courses at Hampton High School that would help them achieve those aspirations. The women working in engineering who speak to the girls will include Hampton alumni and will serve as encouraging role models. Another special aspect about this $250 grant – the applicant, Danielle Sutterlin, is a student – this fall, she will be a Hampton High School junior.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Cunningham offered special congratulations to Miss Sutterlin. “Not only did Danielle put a lot of effort into a well-written application for a thoughtfully-designed project, she focused the grant to share her passion for engineering with other students.”

“Hampton Township School District is so thankful to have HAEE to partner with and to support projects that enrich all of our students’ educational experiences. We are so grateful for these awards and for the many grants over the years since the organization was founded in 1992,” said Dr. Cunningham. “We look forward to highlighting these grants at our next Remake Learning Day and inviting the community to come and see the grants in action.”

Additional information and how to become involved in the Hampton Alliance for Educational Excellence can be found on their website https://hamptonalliance.org