Grant Awards for HHSD Educators
Each year, the Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation awards teacher grants to give all students, grades K-12, access to extraordinary learning opportunities. Many familiar and regarded programs in our District were launched with HHEF grant funds, including LEGO robotics, virtual reality, LINK Crew, Trout in the Classroom, Be a Part of the Conversation, and STEM drones. We are incredibly proud of our grants tradition, which empowers our teachers, engages our students, and ensures a dynamic curriculum.
The HHEF offers two grant award programs:
Innovative Learning Grants enable teachers to apply for up to $10,000 to launch a groundbreaking program with the potential to advance the school curriculum.
Classroom Grants offer teachers $300 awards to support an instructional need that would benefit students.
ONE Classroom Grant per school site will be awarded yearly.
Other HHSD Programs
The HHEF annually supports the following programs
for Hatboro-Horsham School District.
Jarrett Nature Center
The HHEF supports the district's outdoor classroom by inviting environmental educators from organizations like Briar Bush Nature Center and Schuykill Center for Environmental Education to facilitate workshops with students.
Hatters Robotics
As an ongoing partner of Hatters Robotics, the HHEF provides funds for equipment needs and supports the teams' participation in local and national competitions.
Be a Part of the
Conversation
Be a Part of the Conversation is a drug and alcohol awareness program founded within Hatboro-Horsham School District. The HHEF funds the workshops they provide for students, teachers, and families affected by addiction.
Guest Presenters Series
Each year, the HHEF welcomes accomplished authors, scientists, artists, and leaders to present, perform and engage with Hatboro-Horsham students. These experiences, from constructing a mural alongside an accomplished tile artist to hearing the motivational words of a renowned athlete, represent the extraordinary learning opportunities we endeavor to provide. Prior speakers have included M.I.T. professor and robotics pioneer, Woodie Flowers, children’s author David Kirk, basketball star Chris Heron, and the Cavani String Quartet. Whenever possible, our guests stay for an evening presentation for the community.
In 2024-25, the HHEF will host the following guests:
Phil Bildner is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young people including the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor-winning middle grade novel, A High Five for Glenn Burke, the Margaret Wise Brown Prize-winning picture book, Marvelous Cornelius, and the Texas Bluebonnet Award-winning picture book Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy. Phil is also the author of A Whole New Ballgame, Rookie of the Year, Tournament of Champions, and Most Valuable Players in the critically acclaimed middle grade Rip & Red series. His other picture books include Martina & Chrissie, Twenty-One Elephants, and The Soccer Fence. His latest is the biography, Glenn Burke, Game Changer.
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Phil grew up on Long Island, studied political science at Johns Hopkins University, and then attended law school at New York University School of Law. After passing the bar in New York and New Jersey and working for a short time as an associate at a large Manhattan law firm, Phil went back to school and earned a master’s degree in early childhood and elementary education at Long Island University.
For eleven years, Phil taught in the New York City Public Schools. He taught fifth and sixth grade in the Tremont section of the Bronx in the 1990s and middle school Language Arts and American History in Manhattan in the 2000s.
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After leaving the classroom to write full time, Phil began chaperoning student-volunteer trips to New Orleans to help in the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. He founded The NOLA Tree, a non-profit youth service organization and served as the co-Executive Director for several years.
In 2017, Phil founded The Author Village, an author booking business and speakers bureau. He now represents over eighty book creators for young people, educators, and librarians.
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Phil also serves on the Board of Directors of Baldwin for the Arts, the non-profit organization founded by Jacqueline Woodson and whose mission is to create a safe and nurturing space for Artists of The Global Majority.
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These days, Phil lives in Newburgh, New York with his husband in a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse. Most of the time, you’ll find him out in the yard playing with his dog named Kat, hanging with his cats named Primrose and Rue, or working on the back porch (aka, his office) overlooking the Hudson River.
Harlem Wizards
In 1962, New York sports promoter Howie Davis first envisioned a show and organization that would put a different spin on show basketball. The Wizards are a show basketball entity delivering wildly successful fundraiser events for schools and nonprofits, last season alone playing in over 450 communities across the USA, while raising more than $3 million for schools and non-profits.
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What makes a Wizards show “awe-inspiring” or as the kids and teens say, “off the hizzle?” Some say it’s the oohs and aahs created by the thunderous, sky-high slams. For others it’s the humor and seeing the teachers being good sports and having fun on the court with the Wizards. The comedy, the audience participation, the spontaneity delivered as a world class show, in an intimate and community setting adds up to a night to be experienced and treasured.
The Wizards roster is full of amazing hoop talent. The Wizards have three units that crisscross the USA, with Eric “Broadway” Jones, and Dwayne “Swoop” Simpson, both former Globetrotter showmen, as well as the dynamic duo of David “DP” Paul and “King Arthur” Lewis a former Academic All-American at Bowie State University.
The star-studded, experienced roster includes Arnold “A-Train” Bernard, an accomplished trickster and a veteran of 7 years with the Globetrotters. Add in James “The Roadrunner” Tyndal who is fast enough to dribble thru New York City traffic, and Devon “Livewire” Curry who led his team to become the FIBA 3 on 3 US championship.
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The slams come at rapid fire pace in the Wizards show. The roster features Lemarvon “Showtime” Jackson, the Wizards training camp slam-dunk champion. Add in veteran Leon “Space Jam” Sewell along with rookie sensation Jordan “Flight” Southerland who both competed in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during the 2015 NBA All-Star week in New York. Roscoe “Sarge” Johnson’s 360 backboard shattering dunk in a Wizards game was shown on ESPN’s dunks of the week online and has had over a hundred thousand views.
Join us for final masterclass workshop of the year with HH Alum, Sara Gallo!
She will be teaching vocal to our Middle School and High School students!
In 2016, a Girls’ STEAM initiative was created through collaboration between the Hatboro Horsham School District and the Hatboro Horsham Educational Foundation. The goal of the initiative was to provide innovative opportunities for young women to further their education in the STE(A)M fields. While open to all students, the programs a re designed for female students who need extra encouragement to enroll in higher level STE(A)M classes in high school and college.
During the 2024-25 school year, students will be invited to attend field trips, community evenings at the FABLAB, lunch and learn guest presenters, a college panel, and mentoring between high school and middle school students.
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All of these opportunities are provided free of charge to attending students.
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Please contact Executive Director Suzy Krzaczek (skrzaczek@hatboro-horsham.org) if you are interested in getting involved with HHEF’s Girls STEAM initiative!
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To see pictures and videos
from our past events,
please click here!
