PA Grants Supporting Independent Passions
Who could imagine a poetry vending machine? Riverdale helps bring unique ideas like this to life with the help of Parents Association Summer Grants, PA grants. PA grants have allowed students in the Riverdale community to dig deep into their interests and create meaningful, student-led connections within their own communities. PA grants also offer students leadership positions, such as serving on the PA committee. To qualify, PA grants must be original student ideas, completed over the summer, and cannot be used for courses, personal expenses, or certifications. Assistant Head of Upper School Ms. Julie Choi explains that “this summer there were 12 PA grants. However, there is a limited amount with a budget of 6,000 dollars, so the grants have to be reasonable.” 12 grants is a significant step up from previous years, and the PA committee is working to further increase that number.
This year, many took advantage of the opportunity. Senior Joana Ramos received a grant to create poetry and flash fiction vending machines, expanding on her passion for writing. Inspired by a vending machine she encountered at a bookstore that dispensed poems in exchange for coins, Ramos wanted to bring that experience to her classmates here at Riverdale. Ramos commented positively on the grant process, sharing that “PA grants gave me motivation to pursue a project that I would not have otherwise. Without Ms. Choi’s support, I would not have gotten this all done.” The vending machines have been a hit—not only bringing her joy but also to students of all ages. Joana has received numerous compliments for her work and creativity, recalling students telling her, “Oh, I liked your idea.”, “The vending machine was very fun to use”, and “It was fun reading people’s poems.” Ramos has gotten numerous compliments for her great work and creativity. She proudly added, “I reached and accomplished the goal I set out to achieve with the help of PA grants. It was nice to put an idea into reality”.
Senior Leo Ziff also took advantage of PA grants to merge his passion for coding with the outdoors, creating an app to help manage operations at camp Pok-O-MacCready, which he attends during the summer. Having taken computer science all of his years at Riverdale, Ziff used Python to build his app from scratch, collaborating closely with his camp to ensure that it met the needs of campers and counselors while on camp trips. Ziff said that PA grants “enabled [him] to have funding to create an app that helps manage trips and health forms for my summer camp, and makes things a lot easier for the staff.” His app achieved this goal, successfully helping counselors reduce stress. By creating the app from scratch, Ziff demonstrated his determination and commitment to the project, one he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish without the support of a PA grant.
Throughout this article, seniors have shown resilience, creativity, and grit, with their PA grant ventures. These grants have empowered students to make meaningful contributions to their communities in a variety of ways, from bringing joy and entertainment, like Ramos’ vending machines, to addressing practical challenges, such as Ziff’s app for his summer camp. Beyond supporting individual endeavors, these grants play a vital role in strengthening the broader Riverdale community, promoting collaboration, and inspiring a shared commitment to progress and creativity.
