We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for Jody's remarkable contributions to the Kutztown Area School District Education Foundation. Your unwavering dedication to our mission, innovative ideas, and passion for fostering a positive impact in the Kutztown Area School District, the Kutztown community, and our organization inspire us all. Thank you for your exceptional service!

The Kutztown Area School District Education Foundation is delighted to share the news of awarding mini-grants for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. These teacher mini-grants will fund a wide range of innovative projects, impacting students across all schools within the district.

Congratulations to Dr. Boger '57 for receiving Australia's highest honor, the Companion to the Order of Australia (AC)!

His groundbreaking work in chemical engineering, including the discovery of of constant viscosity elastic fluids, known as Boger fluids, has earned him well-deserved recognition for his service to Australia and the environment.

Last year's Toys for Understanding mini-grant program inspired physics students to design creative toy prototypes, showcasing their mastery of physics principles in a fun, engaging final exam experience.

Dolly Parton started Imagination Library to inspire a lifelong love of reading.  The KASD Education Foundation supplies free books for children (ages 0-5) through this book gifting program.  Each child living in the district who is enrolled in the program will receive one new book each month from birth up to their 5th birthday.  This means your children could be starting out Kindergarten with 60 books in their home library! 

Through the recent generosity of East Penn Manufacturing, Weis Markets, Truist Bank, and a new donor, Fraser Advanced Information Systems, the KASD Education Foundation received $20,500 in EITC donations.

On Thursday, May 30, 2024, during a beautiful commencement ceremony, the recipients of two additional Education Foundation awards were announced.  

Kutztown Area School District Education Foundation honored Distinguished Alumnus Jonathan Bond at the Annual Reception, where he credited Kutztown's influence in shaping his success. Bond also delivered an inspiring commencement address at KAHS graduation, encouraging graduates to create their futures.

KES 5th-graders participated in a countywide STEM Design Challenge! They put their creativity to the test by designing innovative robots to assist PA farmers. 🚜

At Kutztown Elementary School, six teachers across grades K-5 applied together for a mini-grant to furnish a de-escalation room.

This mini grant project was designed to support students in de-escalating and self-regulating their sensory needs. The new tools will help students learn to calm down with privacy and dignity while allowing classmates to continue their school day with minimal disruption.

The pillow project involves Art Club students designing unique fabrics using a wax resist silk painting process that are then transformed into custom pillows. Made possible by a teacher mini-grant from the Education Foundation, this initiative enables students to create personalized keepsakes that tell a unique story through their design. Mr. Hoffman has been working with the Property Manager for Saucony Meadows to identify residents who would benefit from receiving these handcrafted pillows. The students have developed questionnaires to help them tailor the pillows’ stories to the recipients. The students are excited to illustrate and craft the pillows by the end of the school year. The pillows, each one a custom keepsake, will be delivered as gifts to the residents in the fall. In addition to learning about fabrics and crafting, students will bring smiles to people they have not yet met, demonstrating the power of art and community support.

The foundation-managed Memorial Award, presented annually at the Senior Awards Night ceremony, celebrates the achievements of graduating seniors who demonstrate academic excellence, good character, and represent their high school positively. This year's recipients were selected through donations received in memory or honor of loved ones, including Helen Schoener Gilde, Robert Loose, and 2024 Distinguished Alumni Jonathan Bond. We congratulate Otis Engel, the 2024 Memorial Award recipient, who will pursue Aerospace Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University – University Park.

Congratulations to Jordan Keller, the recipient of the Founders Award at the Senior Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 8th, 2024. She will be attending University of Delaware for Marine Biology.

This award is given annually to a graduating senior in honor and memory of the group’s founding members. The recipient embodies the characteristics of thoughtfulness, initiative, and leadership. If you wish to contribute to future senior scholarships like these, please click here!

On May 8, 2024, the recipients of 37 awards were announced by the KASD Education Foundation. We are excited to share this year’s awarded record total of $59,475.00. Thank you very much to all our donors who made this happen for many Class of 2024 seniors.  On May 30, 2024, during commencement, two additional Education Foundation awards will be announced, John and Laila Silan Valedictorian and Salutatorian Awards.  

Students from AP Government, AP Human Geography, and AP US History classes visited Washington, DC last week. Students toured the White House and the U.S. Capitol and stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court. Thanks to the KASD Education Foundation for helping to make this trip possible!

Discover the impact of the Teacher Mini-Grant as award-winning author Paul Volponi engages and inspires high school students through his personal journey and love for the written word. From sharing stories of teaching on Rikers Island to empowering budding writers, this unforgettable experience demonstrates the power of bringing literature to life.

The Kutztown Area School District Education Foundation Board of Directors announced the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus of the year, Jonathan (“Jon”) C. Bond. Jon embarked on his artistic journey upon graduation from Kutztown Area High School in 1974. He traveled extensively throughout Europe to study mural painting, which inspired him to focus on creating many “open air” works of art stateside. His career in art has taken him from the use of traditional materials into the age of computer assisted design.

Thank you, Lions Club of Kutztown, for your generous $25,000 endowment to fund your organization’s scholarship into the foreseeable future!

Each year, a Kutztown Area High School graduating senior will receive a $1000 award to be payable to Kutztown University. The recipient must be in the top one-third of the graduating class, exhibit involvement in community and/or school service activities and have received acceptance into Kutztown University.

We sincerely appreciate the kindness and support your members have shown in investing in the futures of our district's students for many years to come. What a testament to the quality of service your organization represents.

On March 22, 2024, the Kutztown School District hosted the 5th-grade Science Fair and STEAM Fair with financial support from the Kutztown Education Foundation. Showcasing a record number of student participants, the event featured 17 science fair projects and 27 STEAM stations, attracting over 300 community members. The STEAM Fair stations, organized by teachers, middle school students, and Kutztown University education majors, covered diverse topics ranging from art displays and live animals to virtual reality experiences and science demonstrations. The successful event, filled with excitement and collaborative spirit, serves as a testament to the importance of nurturing a love for learning, science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics in the Kutztown community.

In 2024, Mrs. Hess, a 1st-grade teacher at Kutztown Area Elementary School, received a wonderful mini-grant from the Education Foundation that allowed her to bring pedal cycles into her classroom.