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This fund was created by Taconic IPA, whose mission is to provide the premier healthcare delivery network in the greater Hudson Valley, optimizing the value of medical services while maximizing physician satisfaction. Grants from this fund are awarded to secondary school science teachers to expand students' learning opportunities in the sciences through the acquisition of classroom and laboratory science equipment. 2010 Grantees 
2010 Taconic IPA Science Education Grant Winners
Thomas A. Blon and Shirley Frank “The Physics and Physiology of Fitness” Middletown High School $961.00 This Grant will enable middle and high school students to investigate the basic physics and physiology of fitness using computer compatible lab sensors. Questions to be answered include, “Should a runner run in bare feet? How strong are bones? Do our feet and lower legs act as shock absorbers?” Loretto Canfield “Weather in Science and Math Class” St. Martin de Porres School $515.00 Earth science students will have hands-on opportunities to study weather and will gain experience with tools for the collection of weather data instead of simply relying on data supplied by weather services for their studies. These students will focus on wetlands situated on campus and equipment purchased with this grant will provide valuable data that can be correlated directly to the wetlands. Patrick E. Dechon “Spectroscopy in the Classroom” Ellenville High School $1,067.08 Physics students will use the spectrophotometers purchased through this grant to measure emissions for gas discharge tubes and relate their findings to atomic energy levels found within the gaseous elements. Forensic students will use these tools to analyze dyes found in inks and use their results to solve a simulated forgery case. Jennifer Gilles “Hotplate Magnetic Stirrers for Chemistry Labs” Ellenville High School $985.00 The purchase of two hotplate magnetic stirrers will give students the opportunity to create chemical solutions. They would experience the procedure first hand rather than having the solutions already made for them giving them a better understanding and appreciation for what they are learning. Sheryl M. Hawks “LEGO Mindstorm NXT Robots” Beacon High School $950.00 NXT’s are currently used to measure temperature and salinity of water through sensors built by students and used in the Hudson River. As an extension of that project, students will build a robot and then program it to perform various tasks using the sensors. Charles Hoffman “Open Scientific Torso” Minisink Valley Middle School $956.25 The grant will allow the purchase of a large plastic torso with removable parts giving students a hands-on learning experience. They would see real life experiences in acquiring knowledge of fundamental body parts and developing core knowledge. Marjorie Lawton “Electronic pH Bench Meters” John C. Borden Middle School $987.73 Students in all classes will have the opportunity to use this equipment in conjunction with manual pH testing of common household products. By exposing students to more electronic-based equipment, they will develop a clearer appreciation of their precision and the accuracy that technology can provide. Erin M. Nelson “Germs Germs Everywhere” M. Clifford Miller Middle School $725.00 This grant will allow the purchase of an Electric Autoclave that will allow students to make nutrient agar, the medium necessary to grow bacteria in petri dishes. Students will collect bacterial samples from common “hotspots” such as door knobs, telephone receivers, TV remote controls, kitchen or bathroom sinks and grow these samples in the classroom. Students will find the answers to such questions as, “Are there more bacteria on a shopping cart handle at a grocery store or a department store?” James R. Santos and Marc Koenig “Programmable Calculators for CBL's” Port Jervis High School $1,239.80 These calculators will be used in Chemistry and Physics labs allowing students to do a variety of tasks such as heating curves, titrations and energy exchange labs while focusing on the results of the experiments. Having these graphing calculators will help those students who cannot afford to purchase them. Gwen Saylor, Lori Beer and Marc Ouimet “Knowledge for a Nano World” Arlington High School $1,090.00 Nanoscale technology is revolutionizing the fields of medicine, electronics and communications. The National Science Foundation projects the need for two million “nanotechnology-savvy workers” by 2014. This grant will be used to purchase equipment that will introduce students to the basics of nanotechnology in hopes of instilling a passion that will encourage exploration of future educational opportunities as well as future nano-discoveries. Aileen Toback, Kevin Rothman and Joseph Raiti “Enhancing Learning Through Forensic Science” Heritage Junior High School $746.75
This grant will help purchase equipment and supplies to conduct a forensic investigation with seventh grade students as part of a themed unit. Forensic science is paired with several topics as an introduction to the scientific method, the microscope, laboratory procedures and maintaining a laboratory notebook. Students will expand upon their understandings of genetics and DNA and develop their problem solving skills as they investigate a hypothetical crime scene. Megan K. Wieboldt “Save a Penny, Kill A Watt” Port Jervis Middle School $906.00 Going Green, the future of energy and saving money has been at the top of today’s news. By providing students with an investigation that deals with these topics, an engaging and attractive approach is used to draw middle school students to the sciences and technologies. Students will use a Kill-A-Watt meter to measure the actual amount of electrical energy used by small appliances and investigate the differences between energy-efficient and traditional appliances now and over their lifetimes.
2009 Grantees
2008 Grantees
2007 Grantees | 
