PROGRAMS
Upper Perkiomen Education Foundation Senior Sign Project
Goals:
- Inspire a community-wide celebration for the Class of 2021
- Provide each 2021 graduate with a “Class of 2021” Yard Sign
- Provide each 2021 graduate with a Senior Portrait Sign
- Generate revenue for UPEF projects including the UPEF Scholarship Fund
The Upper Perkiomen Education Foundation provided a “Class of 2021” to every senior when they picked up their cap and gown. Signs were also sold to anyone wanting to share congratulations. Senior portrait signs were displayed during the graduation celebration and were distributed to graduates afterwards.
Thank you to the following individuals and businesses who sponsored the 2021 project:
Andrew & Heidi Pistoria
Ed & Blake Stauffer
Jeff & Luanne Stauffer
Nate & Laura Wambold
Aquaculture Program
This program will encompass grades K-12 and even involve teachers and other adults outside of the classroom setting from the community. This program will combine STEM education as well as the Aquaponics subject matter. This program is also set up in a way that every student is involved in the details of the process. This way, they learn the values of clean, nutritional food and healthy eating. They also learn food sustainability and how one hand helps the other in the food growing process.
Students in K-5 will oversee alternative farming systems working with small, interactive aquaponics greenhouses in their science classrooms. The students then will take a trip to the high school to see a larger working greenhouse in action run by the students in grades 9-12.
Middle school students in grades 6-8 will develop a business plan and put together a working farmers market with involvement from local, youth service clubs in the school and community such as 4H, Key Club and FBLA. Students who are involved in technology courses in the middle and high schools will be building their plastic and woodworking skills by building the physical aquaponics components.
Students in grades 9-12 that are studying technical subjects will design and implement aquaponics greenhouses that are energy efficient and pesticide free. Students in art classes will help to design graphics and materials for this program. Brochures, flyers and computer presentations will be used in classrooms like health to promote the greenhouses and all the benefits from the program.
The lessons used in this program will incorporate all grade levels. They will make use of people in the community, the school, students and teachers to implement and run a working aquaponics greenhouse and farmer’s market.
The lessons learned in this program such as community sustainability, teamwork, healthy eating, math, science, building, marketing, and community investment will benefit and reach more than 3,000 Upper Perkiomen School District Students.
- Names of Districts and Schools: Upper Perkiomen School District
- Hereford Elementary School, Marlborough Elementary School, 4th & 5th Grade Center, Upper Perkiomen Middle School and Upper Perkiomen High School
- County of Districts and Schools: Montgomery County & Berks County
- Hereford Elementary School – Berks County
- Marlborough Elementary School, 4th & 5th Grade Center, Upper Perkiomen Middle School and Upper Perkiomen High School – Montgomery County
