Green Dragon Foundation Presents Checks Totaling $40,000 to LASD
From left to right: Kathy Swope LASD Board President, Brooks Gronlund, GDF President, Dr. Mark DiRocco, LASD Superintendent
On January 14, 2010, the Green Dragon Foundation presented two checks totaling $40,000 to Dr. Mark DiRocco, Superintendent of LASD.
Brooks Gronlund, Foundation President, announced “On behalf of the Green Dragon Foundation Board of Directors, I am delighted to make this donation to the Lewisburg Area School District. Our mission is to provide and direct funding for the realization of educational, cultural, and athletic programs and capital improvement projects for the enrichment and enhancement of the students of the entire Lewisburg Area School District.”
In keeping with its mission, the Foundation presented one check for $30,000 in support of 21st Century Classrooms at Kelly Elementary School. According to Dustin Dalton, principal of Kelly Elementary School, “Funds will be used to buy 25 lap top computers and a laptop cart, on which the computes are charged and transported throughout the school. This will be the 10th such cart in use at Kelly.” He continued, “Our carts are in use all day long. Rarely do we have one cart that is idle. Pre-kindergarten through third grade students use the computers to supplement reading and math curriculum, to create programs on Apple iMovie and to use a program called BrainPOP, an educational website that supports curriculum in mathematics, technology, health, science, social studies, arts and music, and English. Our teachers wills be pumped up!”
The Foundation also donated an additional $10,000 to Lewisburg Area School District in support of the On-Line Courses for Advanced Learning program at the High School. According to Dr. DiRocco “High School students will be able to access Advanced Placement and other advanced courses on-line that are not available in the Lewisburg Area High School Curricular Offerings or are in conflict with other high level classes. Courses will be contracted through on-line learning sites to provide students with learning opportunities that would not be available under normal circumstances. Students will have the opportunity to work on these courses during the school day through the use of dedicated laptops computer, and after school on their home or public use computers. This will create an extended curriculum for gifted and motivated students who want to excel beyond the constraints of the local curriculum offered by the school district.”
According to Gronlund, “the goal of the Foundation is to raise $25,000 to support the On-line Courses for Advanced Learning program. Tonight, we are presenting the district with the first installment of that pledge.” He continued, “The program was initiated through the PA EITC (Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit) program. Corporations such as Swineford National Bank, Wood-Mode, and Lawton Insurance Agency made a two-year commitment to fund the program. Because of their generosity and commitment, the district will begin to implement this innovative program.” Corporations wanting to learn more about the tax credit program can contact the Foundation at 522-8433.