March Foundation Impact Report
Any career requires the ability to adapt over the years. Teaching is no different, as how kids learn can change as much as what they learn.
Cara Pehanich knows that as a Reading Specialist at Shepherdstown Elementary School – her 19th year with the Mechanicsburg Area School District.
Change means adapting.
“Over the last 5+ years, the reading specialists and classroom teachers in Mechanicsburg began to learn about ‘The Science of Reading,’” Pehanich said. “This refers to the way that the brain learns to read as discovered through peer-reviewed scientific research studies. It involves complex processes from different parts of the brain and requires explicit and systematic instruction in both language and word recognition.”
Pehanich applied for and received a $1,200 grant from The Wildcat Foundation for the 2023-24 school year to use for Fundational Aligned Decodable Books. She used the grant money to purchase licenses for printable decodable texts, then printed out the materials for teachers to use within her building.
CLICK HERE to read more about the program.
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The Charles H. Jr. and Jane Eagle Diller Business Scholarship
The foundation is honored to again work with Charles H. Diller Jr. and Jane Eagle Diller to deliver their $20,000 scholarship to a graduating senior student who desires to pursue business and entrepreneurial goals and obtain a college education.
- The scholarship: This is a $20,000 award; $5,000 paid annually directly to the student's college or university. The student must meet eligibility criteria to maintain their scholarship for the subsequent three years.
APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/KGSCMckbVxbSse4YA
The Mechanicsburg Club/Wildcat Foundation Scholarship
The Mechanicsburg Club endowed the Mechanicsburg Club/Wildcat Foundation Scholarship in 2012.
Since then, the foundation has awarded four $4,000 scholarships annually to students performing any field of study at a 2-year college, 4-year college, community college, or trade school.
- The scholarship: Any MASH senior pursuing higher education (2-year, 4-year, community college or trade school), in any form of study, is eligible to apply for this scholarship. Four $4,000 scholarships will be awarded as a one-time payout directly to the recipient's school, college, or university.
APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/zvEPWomuc8SxfAKu6
The Stock & Leader Scholarship
Stock & Leader worked with the foundation to hand out its first $500 scholarship in 2022 to a senior student planning to pursue a degree in law or education.
For 2023 and now 2024, foundation board member Gareth Pahowka, an attorney with Stock and Leader’s School Law group, matched the scholarship funds to produce a $1,000 scholarship offer.
- The scholarship: This is a one-time $1,000 award to a student planning to pursue a degree in law or education.
APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/UWieWTs9gFE59CjYA
The Larry F. Carey Memorial Military Award
The foundation’s newest scholarship comes from the estate of former Upper Allen Township resident Larry F. Carey.
The Larry F. Carey Memorial Military Award will be awarded to one male and one female student each year for the next 10 years who is enlisting in the armed forces. Preference will be given to individuals entering the Navy.
- The scholarship: This is a $500 award to 1 male and 1 female student each year who enlist in the armed forces.
APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/Yh3v22Mt2JZSwe696
