Your gifts fund innovative initiatives throughout our district.
These are just a few examples.
Methacton Hydroponic Farm
The new Hydroponic Farm Lab is up and running thanks to your support! Methacton’s Environmental Science and Biology programs now includes a vertical hydroponic farm inside an insulated, custom-built shipping container. Methacton is the first school in Pennsylvania with this state of the art greenery farming system.
These experimental labs will supplement Methacton High School’s core science curriculum and allow for advanced application of the content in ways not typically provided to high school students. The Foundation will raise the funds through partnerships with corporate and community partners who share a mission to inspire innovative education, starting with Ambler Savings Bank and J.P. Mascaro & Sons.
A huge thanks to teachers Mr. Steve Savitz, Mr. Jeremy Walton, and Mrs. Tracy Murray who are bringing their vision to life with this incredible opportunity for Methacton Students
Coming Soon: Forensics & BioChemistry Lab
Methacton CSI will offer students a “Who Done It” case to solve using forensic tools and methods such as: DNA Electrophoresis, Fingerprint & Handwriting analysis, Fiber & Hair Analysis, and an FTIR Spectrometer to analyze counterfeit printing.
A big thanks to teachers Ms. Ashley Alveranga, Mrs. Jill Palmer, and Mrs. Barbi Griffith have been instrumental in developing this new Forensics and Biochemistry Lab for Methacton students.
You Help Fund the Backpack Program
17% of Methacton students live in poverty. The Backpack Program provides easy to prepare meals on weekends for our most vulnerable students. The Foundation has partnered with donors to support the Backpack Program since 2018. During the pandemic, the Foundation was able to provide weeks of food at a time to our students-in-need who couldn't access breakfasts and lunches at school.
You Help Fund Innovative Ukulele Program at Skyview
Thanks to a $2,500 grant from the Methacton Education Foundation, Skyview Upper Elementary School now has 35 ukuleles for its fifth- and sixth-grade music classes.
More than 700 students participate in Skyview’s music program each year. Over time, every elementary student in the district will come through the school and get a chance to play the ukuleles, says Dave Bickle, the school’s music teacher. To continue reading click here.
You Help Fund 3rd Grade Video News at Woodland
Click Photo to view view video
This is how your gift changes lives. The Methacton Education Foundation is proud to support Woodland Elementary School's Wildcat News. Thanks to Woodland Principal, Debra Euker, and her team for bringing this Video Production Program to Woodland and thanks to our donors for funding it.
Maybe we have the next Matt O’Donnell or Tamala Edwards from 6abc right here in Methacton!
You Help Fund the Methacton Electric Car Club
Microbiology, advanced physics, mechanical engineering - it may sound like a college course book, but these are standard curriculum at many of our area high schools. In this academically competitive environment, it’s increasingly challenging for districts to stand out with unique and innovative programs.
Enter the award winning Methacton High School Electric Car Club (ECC).
The only high school club of its kind in suburban Philadelphia, the Methacton Electric Car Club offers what other districts dream of: the opportunity outside the classroom where students can apply what they’ve learned in science, engineering, math, and programming in a hands-on setting.
Founded in 2001, The Methacton High School Electric Car Club is the proud owner and developer of three alternative energy vehicles: “The Once-ler,” an old diesel box truck transformed into an alternative energy classroom that runs on vegetable oil and charges their second vehicle, the electric-powered “Lorax.” The most recent addition is a Ranger pick-up truck that the club is in the process of converting to run on electric power.
The club works closely with sponsor and Methacton High School science teacher, Steve Savitz. They meet weekly to plan, work on the vehicles, and troubleshoot issues. These students aren’t content to only work once a week. Their passion drives them to show up on weekends to install new wires or program a circuit board that isn’t working. The ECC also follows through on its mission to educate the public about alternative energy vehicles. They demonstrate at the Philadelphia Auto Show, Temple Earth Fest, and at schools in the district.
While members are able to marry their passion and skills they’ve learned in the classroom, ultimately, they also learn about resilience and perseverance through the ECC.
“As a team we had to try things over and over before we got them just right. Every time we hit a roadblock we would find a creative way around it. If we didn’t have a part, we would find somebody who would donate it or we would find ways to move on without the part. If a demo wasn’t working, we would be in after school for testing to see what went wrong, and how we can fix it. By planning fundraising events, we had to think creatively about recruitment and ways to solicit donations, and we never gave up. ECC taught me to not give up but to look for ten different alternative routes, and if none of those work, to build a crane and remove the roadblock itself.” – Amanda Amornwichet, former ECC member currently at Cornell University studying Materials Science and Engineering with a focus on Sustainable Design.
The ECC alumni list reads like a who’s who in STEM and they all credit the club with igniting their passion and fueling their future. Theo Fleck, a sophomore at the University of Delaware, and president of the electric vehicle club at the university said, “The Methacton Electric Car Club is playing in a league of its own. It’s larger than the University of Delaware’s Electric Vehicle Club and on par with the Blue Hen Racing. People are blown away when I tell them the things I did as part of a high school club.”
Alumna of the club even come back to help and share their success. Club members Karthik Pillutla and Ben Sattler both went on to study engineering at Penn State University. As part of the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team, they helped convert a Chevy Malibu to a hybrid electric vehicle and brought it to Methacton to showcase the vehicle and their skills. As a result, Pillutla and Sattler landed jobs with General Motors Hybrid Division and SpaceX, respectively.
The Methacton High School Electric Car Club has been fostering a hands-on passion for STEM with long lasting impact. Bryce Merrill, freshman at the University of Pittsburgh studying Mechanical Engineering and participating in the Formula SAE Race Team explains the impact, “The club is the reason I’m here and participating in the car team which will eventually place me in a job before I graduate. My life was changed by Methacton Electric Car Club.”
The Methacton Education Foundation is thrilled to be part of the Electric Car Club's fundraising efforts. If you are interested in supporting this innovative programming Methacton, your gift can help the club can expand their efforts and change more lives.
You Help Fund Musical Instruments for Economically Disadvantaged Students
“Structured music lessons significantly enhance children's cognitive abilities -- including language-based reasoning, short-term memory, planning and inhibition -- which lead to improved academic performance.” – Frontiers in Neuroscience published study.
Because of the known benefits of music lessons, Methacton offers a co-curricular music program where students can opt to take band or orchestra and participate in lessons to learn a musical instrument. The only cost to the student is the instrument rental fees.
Unfortunately, in many situations this fee is more than students can afford. With 18% of the students in Methacton eligible for free & reduced lunch due to their annual household income, chances are they can’t afford to rent an instrument.
Thanks to generous donors, the Methacton Education Foundation is able to help fund a musical instrument loaner program that provides instruments to qualified, elementary students free of charge. Students borrow district-owned instruments so they are able to: participate in lessons, practice at home, and perform in concerts.
Studies may show that students benefit from learning and playing a musical instrument. The data doesn’t show the emotional impact like quotes from participating students. A third grade boy says, “I love playing music because it keeps my heart beating.” A fourth grade girl shares, “I like music because I feel free when I play.”
Your gift can continue and expand these programs to reach even more students in Methacton. Click here to donate now
