Banking on Youth Update

Banking on Youth

For the past six years, Pennian Bank has been providing
educators with an opportunity to receive funding for an innovative classroom
project. The program is called ‘Banking on Youth’ and it’s one way for us to show
our appreciation to our local teachers. We know that teachers are on tight
budgets, which unfortunately means their more expensive projects don’t usually come
to fruition. With this opportunity, we have seen some really neat ideas come to
life!

In order to be considered, teachers must complete an
application which includes a written proposal that explains the project,
long-term effects on the students and a projected budget. Once we receive all
of the applications, a group of judges anonymously picks their favorite
projects. The winners are listed in November, along with their project ideas. We
are currently still accepting applications through October 29th, so
if you haven’t already done so, please take a few minutes to fill out our
Banking on Youth application form which can be found here.

We’ve listed some of our previous winners below.

Stephanie Grosko – Cumberland Valley School District (First
Grade Teacher)
Project: Innovative Recess Time
Each student received their own critical thinking and creativity bin that
they could use during inside recess, which eliminated the need to share
materials with their classmates. Inside recess helped to encourage students to
improve their critical thinking skills and express their creativity.

Brenda Flanders – Greenwood School District (Grades 9-12)
Project: Screen Printer Press with Material
for Online School Store

The business teachers purchased screen printing materials that allowed
students to sell branded merchandise online that they created. Through a student-run website, they had the opportunity to run a
business and learn about inventory management, sales, etc., while encouraging
teamwork.

Amanda Dittmer – West Perry School District (Seventh Grade
Teacher)
Project: USB Digital Microscopes
In a typical life science classroom, students have many opportunities to use
traditional compound microscopes throughout the school year. The purchase of digital
microscopes allowed kids to view specimens and then share the images
electronically, which was especially important during Covid.

Mary Blymire – New Bloomfield Elementary School (Third Grade
Teacher)
Project: Flexible Seating
She purchased flexible seating items for the classroom, which ultimately
created a more comfortable learning experience for the students.

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