By Marian Pontz
For more than thirty years, the Hempfield Foundation has awarded grants to Hempfield educators and staff seeking to improve their classrooms and positively impact their schools. The foundation has surpassed the $1 million mark in grants, and it is not stopping now. Twenty-five to thirty grants are expected to be given this year, and the goal is to impact every grade level in every Hempfield school.
“We have a process to award grants, but we also try to be nimble enough that when a teacher or staff member comes to us with a great idea, we can act on it,,” explains Scott Bishop, executive director of the Hempfield Foundation. Bishop shares that, this year, the foundation paid for a guest artist to run workshops for 4th-12th grade string players. The visit also included a concert for parents and the community. They have funded a podcast studio in the high school library, as well, which he says is, “always full.” There are also sensory rooms in their elementary schools, where timeouts have become not just a punishment, but a chance to regroup, reorganize, and think about making healthier decisions while in a calm environment.
Bishop says that he loves the Hempfield School District. As a Hempfield graduate, he takes pride in the fact he was involved in the arts, band, and much more. The friends he made in school continue to be his good friends.
He is proud that their 18-member board supports these endeavors, which allow the district to grow and adapt to the modern demands made on graduates. He shares, for example, that students interested in business have the opportunity to hone their entrepreneurial skills at the Black Knight Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center. There they are able to use 3-D printers and other advanced technology. Through an alumni-funded grant – the Tom A. Albright Memorial Award – teachers run Shark Tank-like class projects, hoping to nurture creative and enterprising ideas.
This year, the Hempfield Foundation will participate in the Gifts That Give Hope Alternative Gift Fair on Sunday December 1, 2024 from 11am to 4pm at the Lancaster Farm & Home Center.
As Bishop shares, “We are excited to continue to grow our presence in the community and to be able to discuss with other nonprofits and the fair attendees how the Foundation encourages and supports new ideas in education.”
