Sometimes, the smallest investments can make the biggest difference.  Read on to see how one of CVEF's small grants is making a big impact.

Thanks to a grant from the Conestoga Valley Education Foundation (CVEF), students in Ms. Rebholz’s 5th grade math class at Brownstown Elementary are experiencing math in a whole new way. With the addition of standing whiteboards, the classroom has been transformed into a dynamic “thinking classroom”—one where students are actively engaged, collaborating with one another, and working through problems in real time.

Rather than sitting at desks and passively watching others solve problems at the board, students gather around their own boards to share ideas, test strategies, and learn from each other. This hands-on approach encourages deeper thinking, builds confidence, and makes math more interactive and enjoyable.

It’s a simple tool, but its impact is powerful. These whiteboards are helping shift the focus from getting the right answer to understanding the process—fostering critical thinking skills that will benefit students far beyond the classroom.

This is exactly what CVEF grants are designed to do: provide resources that may fall outside traditional school budgets, but open the door to meaningful, innovative learning experiences. In this case, a relatively small grant is already making a big difference—one student, one problem, and one idea at a time.