The DASD Foundation 4 A’s campaign is beyond thrilled to share that the Richard King Mellon Foundation has awarded the Derry Area School District Ag/Hort program an incredible $163,000 grant!

This funding will enable us to replace an outdated greenhouse, improve technology and enhance our educational infrastructure. Derry Area is the only school in Westmoreland County with an Ag/Hort program and we are very proud of it! It's a huge win for our students, teachers, and entire community!

A massive thank you to the Richard King Mellon Foundation with the support of PA State Representative Lesli Rossi for their generosity and commitment to supporting education. We're honored and can't wait to see the impact this will have on our district! 

There were two ceramic kilns in the high school art room That were used regularly. Both Were timeworn and showed signs of corrosion. New kilns ensure the health and safety of all students and can expand capacity to be of service for the growing number of students choosing to take ceramics. Ceramics enables students in flow and spontaneity, provides an outlet, and helps them with self-identification and self-expression, bolstering confidence and self-esteem. A quality kiln is vital to a ceramics program. Two New Kilns were purchased thanks to an EITC Grant. 

Exciting things are happening in Chemistry thanks to the support of Educational Improvement Tax Credit funds and the DASD Foundation's 4 A's Initiative!

With $2,395 in funding, Mr. Brian Clawson’s science classroom recently acquired a professional-grade freeze dryer—and senior Timothy Miller is already putting it to amazing use in his Independent Environmental Science course.

Tim is conducting a deep-dive environmental chemistry research project, studying how aquatic plants improve water quality in a wetland stream near his home. By freeze-drying plant samples collected at scientific intervals, Tim can preserve them and analyze the leaves for contaminants like oil, salt, and roadway runoff—gathering real data on how nature helps clean our water. 

Not only is this an incredible hands-on learning experience for Tim, but the freeze dryer will continue to support innovative science experiments in the classroom for years to come. Way to go, Tim and Mr. Clawson