Grants to Fund Computers, Videoconferencing Equipment at Hatboro-Horsham Schools

and the Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation  are two organizations out of 52 nationally to have been awarded Empowerment Grants from the Motorola Mobility Foundation totaling $20,000.

The grants will be used at the elementary and secondary levels to support technology implementation via videoconferencing equipment. Empowerment Grants are given out by the Motorola Mobility Foundation and are meant to support programs that leverage technology to build stronger communities and provide nonprofit organizations with funding to close the digital divide.

Hatboro-Horsham High School will be using its $10,000 Empowerment Grant to buy high-powered computers needed for the school's new Introduction to Engineering Course and further the implementation of additional engineering courses in the years ahead. The course, which will begin this spring, already has 40 students enrolled.

"The engineering course came out of an awareness that we need to connect our kids to job opportunities here in our region," said Joe Grady, a former engineer who will be teaching the class for juniors and seniors.

Moving forward, he said the aim will be to team up with the technology education department and enhance the curriculum so that the students can discover the link between the theoretical aspect of engineering and how to apply it practically.

Key to winning the grant was the fact that Hatboro-Horsham has a strong career development program in place. Various efforts have been made over the past year to introduce students to professions that will be in demand when students graduate from high school and college. For example, the high school arranged several "career field trips" that enabled students to tour area businesses where careers are expected to be in demand. Last year, Hatboro-Horsham High School students interested in science and math toured Fort Washington-based Maida Engineering and PRMS, a pharmaceutical company based in Horsham. In addition, the high school partnered with other community groups to organize a , where area entrepreneurs exhibited and spoke with students.

Sue Fox, the high school's Career Education and Work Curriculum Coordinator, said giving high school students a chance to explore careers before they declare college majors can be instrumental in helping them save on college tuition costs . With high school career experiences, students have a better idea going into college of what to expect in terms of their studies and which major will help them prepare best for the professional world.

"It's important for high school students with an interest in math and science to know what engineering can involve," said Fox. "Engineering majors drop out en masse once they get into college courses because they sometimes don't understand the preparation or the skills that an engineer must master."

Fox and Grady applied for the Motorola Empowerment grant and said the help they got from Laurie Rosard, Executive Director of HHEF, was instrumental in acquiring the funding. The HHEF had a pre-existing relationship with (which has company offices located in Horsham) and its Foundation, and was able to introduce the high school team to key representatives.

How the Empowerment Grant will be Used by the HHEF

Last year the HHEF awarded $24,000 in to teachers for videoconferencing equipment at and elementary schools. This year the HHEF grants awarded included $25,070 for new videoconferencing equipment at and elementary schools and HHEF applied for the Motorola Mobility Foundation's Empowerment Grant to purchase the equipment for .

"With the awarding of this grant, HHEF has been able to equip all of the district's five elementary schools with videoconferencing equipment, another tool to promote 21st Century learning skills," said Rosard.