Wolfinger Fund Awards Grants to Area Schools
More than $7,300 in grants have been issued to regional schools, supporting hands-on STEM learning, field trips, and classroom enhancements.
Pictured: 5th grade students from Ellicottville Central School with newly purchased STEM kits
OLEAN - The Wolfinger Family Donor Advised Fund, established in 2019 by Connie and Harold “Sandy” Wolfinger, recently awarded $7,354 in grants to local school districts to support special projects and educational enrichment programs.
The Coudersport Area School District received $1,000 for the Challenger Learning Center Tip. This field trip offers students hands-on, space-themed STEM activities that develop communication and teamwork abilities.
Houghton Area Homeschoolers was granted $1,000 for gym equipment and Lego Robotics Club expansion.
Northern Potter School District was awarded $1,000 for flexible seating. This project will allow students to sit or stand at desks, tables or the floor via the purchase of adjustable height round tables and adjustable stools.
Smethport Area School District received $700 for the PA Elk Endeavors and Oswayo Valley Fish Culture Center visit. The students will take a field trip to the St. Mary’s Elk Visitors Center to provide students with a unique and immersive learning experience focused on conservation and management of Pennsylvania’s elk population. The trip aims to enhance their understanding of wildlife ecology, habitat preservation, and the role of human intervention in sustaining healthy elk populations.
The visit to the Oswayo Fish and Culture Station will provide students with a learning experience focused on the conservation and management of Pennsylvania’s trout population. The excursion aims to enhance the students’ knowledge of stream ecology, habitat preservation, and human roles in sustaining healthy trout populations in PA streams.
“This funding is more than just a travel budget – it provides a unique window into the natural world for many students who would otherwise never have the opportunity to visit these local landmarks” said Christine Lightner, Smethport Central School teacher. “These experiences turn abstract classroom lessons into tangible, lifelong memories, fostering a genuine respect for our state’s conservation efforts.”
Ellicottville Central School was granted $494 for Exploring the Cosmos: Hands-on STEM Learning About Outer Space. This project will equip the Ellicottville Central School STEM lab with interactive, hands-on materials that allow students to explore concepts related to space science, astronomy, and engineering. Students will deepen their understanding of the universe while strengthening critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.
Additionally, Belvidere Central School in Belvidere, New Jersey, received three grants: $1,300 for a life skills room; $1,060 for agricultural biology aquaculture test kits; $800 for drama club organizations and consolidation/clothing closet. This school holds personal significance to the Wolfinger family, as Sandy’s mother, Dorothy, and sister, Alice Wilhelm, were lifelong residents and alumnae. Alice also taught kindergarten there for many years.
Donations to the Wolfing Family Donor Advised Fund can be made at CRCF, 301 North Union St., or online at cattfoundation.org.