The Oley Valley Community Education Foundation (OVCEF) is proud to share it's funding of 18 innovative educational grants for the 2024-2025 school year. These grants will provide Oley Valley students with opportunities to explore and learn beyond the standard curriculum, thanks to the innovative and forward-thinking ideas of the district's dedicated teachers and staff members. From hands-on STEM projects to creative arts programs and beyond, each grant reflects the passion of our educators to inspire students and enhance their learning experiences in meaningful ways. These projects aim to open doors for students, spark curiosity, and provide skills that will benefit them well beyond the classroom. Below you will find a list of the funded grants, with a brief description of each project and the school it will benefit: Sustaining OVSD Food Sources Oley Valley High School The purpose of this project is to expand OVHS food growing programs to include egg and chicken production. Students currently grow and donate leafy greens and vegetables to our HS cafeteria and community food banks as part of food and ag science courses. This program will expand that initiative to allow OVHS students to have access to protein production through ag classes. 9/11 Memorial and Museum Field Trip Oley Valley Middle School Our 7th grade students are born well after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 , and therefore have no memory of this horrific day. Seventh graders possess the maturity to be taught what happened that day, who lost their lives, and who the many heroes that emerged that day, which this field trip will allow them to explore through a guided tour of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial. STEM Hands-On Learning with Hydroponics Oley Valley Elementary School This project combines STEM learning with hydroponics to grow herbs, greens, flowers, and more. Students will have the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to learn about plant growth, nutrition, and sustainability. Activities and learning will vary between the grade levels from learning about plants, understanding hydroponics including interpreting pros and cons of using it, experimenting with germination of plants, and creating evidence based proposals for where the plants need to be placed within the unit. By the end of the year, all students, grades k - 5 will have an increased understanding of plant biology and hydroponics as an alternative, environmentally efficient way of growing plants. Unified Sports: Bocce Oley Valley High School Unified Bocce brings people of all abilities together, promoting inclusion, teamwork, and friendships through the power of sports. Unified Bocce pairs studnets with and without intellectual disabilities to play together on the same team, creating meaningful connections while having fun. The Art of Expression: A Conference for Emerging Writers Oley Valley High School The purpose of this project is to give students instruction from experts in the field of creative writing and publishing, allowing them to earn a certificate of completion which can be added to college applications, resumes, etc. They will also be given the chance to network with industry professionals and arrange potential mentorship opportunities. Video Club - Auditorium Audio/Visual Expansion Project Oley Valley Middle School This project will fully utilize the newly-renovated MS auditorium and provide a more robust, fully-immersive experience for performances. In addition, the project will develop and utilize a trained staff of students to use their technical and artistic skills to make unique performances throughout the year. Career Partnership Program Oley Valley High School Career exploration and development requires a strong collection of industry partners serving as mentors, presenters, site visit hosts, and advisors. This project will create a brand to support consistent messaging as we formalize a strong Career Partnership Program at Oley Valley School District. One School, One Book Oley Valley Elementary School One School, One Book is a program designed to create a shared reading experience across an entire school community. Each student receives a copy of a selected book, and every family reads that book at the same time. The shared reading experience is maximized by presenting enriching activities at school that enable children to share and experience the characters and world of each book. TSA Build Kits Oley Valley Middle School & High School This project will s upport young engineers as they design and build to understand core concepts and practices of engineering and design as part of TSA chapters at OVMS and OVHS. Understanding Culture through Movement Oley Valley Middle School Students will discover the history of the British Empire bringing this sport around the world in social studies class. The key focus will be on the impact it had on the Indian subcontinent. The Bollywood movie, Lagaan, which is a historical fiction piece , focused on the conflict British Empire's rule on an Indian village and is resolved through a game of cricket. Next, students will learn the rules of this sport and actually play this game in their physical education classes. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Trip Oley Valley High School The project is to develop and implement an annual field trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of an extension to the curriculum for the course History of the Holocaust. The study of this sensitive, yet profound topic, needs to be applied in a relevant fashion in order to best meet the needs of students within a 21st century perspective. By embracing varied student strengths (auditory, tactile, and visual), a visit to the museum will enhance these abilities for use in the classroom and beyond. Teachers in the Parks (TIPs) Oley Valley Elementary School TIPs is a summer reading program that provides students with ongoing literacy support over the summer. Instead of reviewing literacy skills in a classroom, students enjoy reading and learning skills outside. Students learn in groups and have the opportunity to engage in reading skills while enjoying time with their peers in a summer camp-like environment. Career Academy Remodel for Workforce Skills and Preapprenticeship Oley Valley High School The purpose of this project is to provide the Career Academy students and others with a complete hospitality and life skills setting to practice necessary skills for independence as well as workforce skills to prepare for pre-apprenticeship and internship opportunities. The setting w ill include a full kitchen, living area, and laundry room. Aevidum Oley Valley Middle School Aevidum is a club/team of students who focus throughout the year on small but meaningful ways to promote mental health and wellbeing among students and to provide a positive and safe environment where all students feel connected. Autistic/Emotional Support Rooms Oley Valley High School The purpose of our project is to establish a meaningful space for students with autism and emotional needs to feel safe and supported. As students transition from middle school to high school, many changes take place, until now, we have not had this type of space to provide safety and comfort at the high school. Ag Ed Science Lab Oley Valley Elementary School The Ag Ed Science Lab provides meaningful and effective hands-on STEM-focused experiments inside the mobile science lab for students in first through fifth grades. This program supports the elementary school’s agricultural education and meets state standards in science and technology and environment and ecology while doing it. Drones in the Classroom Oley Valley Middle School This project brings coding to life by introducing students to programmable drones. Through hands-on activities, students learn to code as they program their drones. This engaging approach not only makes learning fun, but also builds valuable STEM skills, fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, and a love for technology. Biomedical Learning Experiences 3.0 Oley Valley High School This program continues to expand, attracting more students each year as they see connections and value in biomedical explorations as it relates to careers across various industries. Our biomedical pathway serves students considering medical/nursing school, biotechnology, and medical courses as part of a career pathway as well as those interested in taking one or two classes to explore a career cluster. The expansion of this project enables deeper science learning and supports the shift to phenomena focused learning that will carry our students and our school into the future. OVCEF is incredibly proud to support these innovative projects and the educators who designed them. By encouraging students to think creatively, engage in hands-on learning, and explore new interests, these grants are helping to make the Oley Valley School District a place where learning truly comes to life. This success wouldn't be possible without the support of our incredible community. Your contributions and dedication ensure we can continue funding projects that inspire and empower our students.

On December 11, 2024, Oley Valley's 7th grade students had the incredible opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. This meaningful experience was made possible through an OVCEF Education Grant, allowing students to explore one of the most significant events in recent history and reflect on its impact. After the visit, the students expressed their gratitude in heartfelt thank-you letters to the Oley Valley Community Education Foundation. Their reflections highlighted just how insightful and thought-provoking the trip was to them. Here's what some of the students had to say: "Thank you for the opportunity to visit NYC and tour the 9/11 Museum...While visiting the 9/11 Museum, I saw 5% of the North Tower's antenna on display. I learned about the man who worked on the antenna and kept working until the tower fell so that communication could continue. The museum was quiet so it felt like a respectful place to remember all those who lost their lives...I had been to NYC before but many of my classmates hadn't." ~ Brayden T. "Thank you for providing my grade with the wonderful opportunity to visit the beautiful city of New York...The museum was very interesting and I learned a lot...It was surprising to me how many people decided to help others first before helping themselves...I really appreciate that you chose to fund this trip for us." ~ Riley F. "I believe this trip is very valuable because it gives an opportunity to show young people and older people the history of 9/11. It is an amazing opportunity. It gives people an emotional connection and it shows you how big this event was. It also shows you how the United States of America persevered through this tough time. It shows how strong of a country we truly are and we will stay that way no matter what happens in the future." ~ Jesiah B. "Everything was very interesting, but probably the most appealing was the elevator motor. It was very interesting to learn about it and the story behind it, where there was a guy who was trapped with people in the elevator in the 9/11 attacks, he used his tools and skilled resourcefulness to save him and the other people 5 min before the building came down." ~ Paul P. "Being at the 9/11 museum really gave me a different perspective of what happened on that day. Seeing everything also made me a little emotional thinking about all the lives that were lost whether they were working in the towers, 911 officers, firemen, or just watching the whole thing happen was really sad...I think this trip was valuable because it really helps you think differently about what happened that day." ~ Madison A.  OVCEF is proud to support opportunities like this, helping to bring history to life for students and fostering deeper learning outside the classroom. Experiences like these not only educate but also inspire students to think critically about the world around them. We're grateful to our community for supporting OVCEF's mission to enhance education through grants like this, and we're thrilled to see the impact it has on our students.