Current Programs

  • CLS Sensory Garden

    Dreamed up by the CLS Environmental club, this multi-sensory outdoor classroom is growing! Phase one of the garden is complete, featuring a spiral walkway and sensory plantings. Next up: a water feature, reading lawn, shaded outdoor classroom, and birdhouse cameras! Thanks to an RSF grant and community support, this beautiful space is thriving.

  • BMS Film Club SWAY Grant

    The BMS film club is diving into the art and science of filmmaking with industry professionals on industry standard equipment - exploring everything from lighting and sound to storytelling and editing. We can’t wait to see what they produce!

  • iFly Field Trip

    Back by popular demand - CLS 3rd graders are taking their study of the physics of forces and velocity to new heights at iFly! Students will experience the science of motion firsthand - exploring how lift, drag and gravity work together to keep them soaring!

  • 5th Grade Biodiversity Film Screening

    After a field trip to Upstate Films to see the documentary The Biggest Little Farm, 5th grade classes designed their own biodiverse and regenerative farms. Then they visited our own school garden, taking soil samples, noting environmental conditions and examining the soil in the classroom using hand lenses and teasing needles.

  • The 6th Grade Circus Returns

    Thanks to Mr. Aierstok and Mr. Thomas for teaming up with the National Circus Project to bring 6th graders back into the ring to explore science and math through movement and play. Students calculate distances, adjust angles, test stability and experience firsthand how gravity, friction, and motion affect their success.

  • RHS Tech Upgrade

    The Intro to Engineering class received a much-needed technology upgrade: laptops capable of running the Windows-based Autodesk Fusion 360 CAD. This will enable students to become designers, engineers, and problem solvers by allowing them to design their own creations using advanced CAD software.

  • LegoLand Field Trip

    CLS 4th graders took a trip to LegoLand to learn how engineers need to address potential and kinetic energy to create rides. Back at school the students needed to diagram and explain the energy principals of their favorite rides. What a way to bring learning to life!

  • Cardboard Carpentry

    7th grade tech students are teaming up with ENTA and Adaptive Design Hudson Valley to learn the art of cardboard carpentry - designing and building custom adaptive tools for people with physical challenges. RSF is proud to support this hands on project with AMAZING community partners!

  • Mindful Martial Arts

    This 3 week program taught CLS 3rd graders to pause, breathe and refocus, using traditional Karate techniques. This gave them tools to calm their bodies and center themselves, building skills in regulation, confidence and resilience. We are proud to support experiences that nurture the whole child.

  • Six Flags Physics Day

    Thanks to Ms. Koegel and RSF funding, BMS 8th graders will participate in Six Flags Physics Day - where thhey’ll put classroom concepts into motion. It’s hands-on, high-energy fun that transforms abstract concepts into unforgettable learning experiences! Because sometimes the best way to understand physics is to ride it!

  • Esopus Meadows Tideline Program

    7th grade students will explore the Hudson River tideline at Esopus Meadows Preserve. Thanks to Ms. Ross, students will study this dynamic environment up close and they connect classroom science to the real world ecology of their own back yard!

  • New 3D Printers

    RSF is proud to fund new equipment to meet the overwhelming demand in Mr. Stiverson’s after school club. 4th and 5th graders get to sketch ideas, build digital models, test their prototypes and refine their designs - just like real-world innovators. This hands-on work empowers these students to see themselves as creators, not just users of technology.

Previous Programs

  • RHS Robotics Team

    A dynamic group of high school students, under the direction of Ms. Zimmers, built and coded RHS’s first competitive robot from scratch. There were many challenges along the way for this self-taught group, but their dedication and determination prevailed.

  • Innovation Hub

    A dynamic maker space in the high school fostering creativity, engineering, & design thinking. The Hub is open to all students at community lunch, as well as being used by some classroom teachers. And the stage crew 3-D printed the props for the school production of Clue.

  • Inspiring Educational Field Trips

    Since 2008, we have funded over 44 field trips for hands-on learning experiences. Some have been to places like iFly, the Bronx Zoo, LegoLand, and the Museum of Natural History. While others were much closer to home at BARD, Omega, Upstate Films, or simply the Hudson River. We love to help students see classroom science come to life!

  • BMS Hydroponic Garden 2023

    Our first ever student grant, written entirely by BMS students motivated to improve access to fresh food in the cafeteria. This garden has been so successful that there is excess food donated to local families as part of the CLS Backpack program!

  • Science Night Out

    This long standing partnership with Bard Center for Civic Engagement exposes CLS students to a night of hands-on science fun, while giving BMS and RHS students the opportunity to pair up with Bard science fellows to run the experiments.

  • Human Engineering at Ramapo (CLS)

    Students actively engaged in a hands on learning experience at Ramapo’s campus that aligned with their 4th grade curriculum in the study of Native Americans as they worked in collaborative “tribes” to build a structure from found natural materials.

  • Info Chat (RHS) 2023

    Over twenty career professionals—ranging from physicians and engineers to film makers and politicians—are invited into the High School to chat over breakfast with Juniors and Seniors about their varied career paths.

  • Project Lead the Way Principles of Engineering (RHS)

    Innovate. Imagine. Initiate. Project Lead The Way emphasizes team building and creative problem-solving, with particular focus on the role curiosity plays in science.

  • Esopus Environmental Program (BMS)

    7th grade students participated in Clearwater's Tideline program, providing a series of stations focused on the Hudson River. The students investigated various ecological phenomena and assessed the impact of human intervention on the environment.

  • STEM Fair (CLS)

    10 week deep exploration of the scientific method, where students design and conduct their own experiment, culminating in a STEM fair.

  • Silkpainting (CLS) 2022

    Painting on silk combines art and science. Students used colorful color dyes and added different substances to create textures and patterns through chemical reactions.

To date, RSF has funded programs, activities and events through grants and awards totaling approximately

$1,251,995

  • 3D Printing In School 4th/5th Grade $7,300

    BMS 6th Grade Circus Arts Performance $7,850

    Esopus Meadows - Tideline Program 7th Grade Field Trip $1,440

    Mindful Martial Arts 3rd Grade $1,400

    Legoland field trip 4th Grade 2026 $2,550

    Biomimicry & Sculpture 7th Grade 2026 $1,940

    iFly 3rd Grade Field Trip $3,577

    Stockade Works SWAY Program Grades 6-12 $11,000

    Bronx Zoo 3rd Grade Field Trip $1,218

  • Cardboard Carpentry BMS $6676

    3D Printers CLS $4,043

    Legoland field trip 4th grade $2,200

    Esopus Meadows field trip 7th grade $1,660

    Laptop cart for Intro to Engineering RHS $26,240.24

    BMS Film Club equipment$1,382

    CLS Sensory Garden $5,377.44

    RHS Robotics Club perimeter kit/tiles $918

    Seniors mini gardens BMS $400.

    Six Flags Field trip 8th grade $2,240.00

    Natural History Museum 6th grade $1,286.50

    Adaptive Design/ Cardboard Carpentry Fall $3,130.00

    Madagascar Day 6th grade $400

    Biodiversity & Soil Health 5th grade 735

  • Biomimicry Talon Challenge, $3820
    Bronx Zoo field trip - 3rd grade, $2832
    Madagascar Day, $800
    iFly 3rd grade field trip, $6004
    Robotics Club equipment - Driver station and game field, $1247
    Bronx Zoo field trip - 6th grade, $1,336
    Spike Prime Robot, $5399
    Biomimicry Elective, BMS, $2790
    Innovation Hub, RHS, $62670

  • Water Fountain $13,950.00
    3D printing $3,000.00
    Garden Group $6,097.00
    Bronx Zoo - 6th grade $1,245.00
    Sustainability Summit $2,000.00
    Biomimicry $1,600.00
    Columbia Scholastic Press Conference $1,500.00
    Climate Smart Week $800.00
    Madagascar Day $450.00
    Heart Rate Monitoring $1,100.00
    Bronx Zoo - 3rd grade $1,144.00
    Bard Day of Science $340.00

  • Biomimicry

    Columbia Scholastic Press Conference

    Climate Smart Week

    Madagascar Day

    Heart Rate Monitoring

    Bronx Zoo

    Bard Day of Science

    Sustainability Summit

  • Madagascar Day: Lemurs

    Madagascar Day: Zara Aina

    Principal Discretionary Grants

  • Remote Learning / Digital Equity (Laptops, Canvas)

    InfoChat

    Embody Art: Anatomy and the Human Muscular System, RHS

    Week of Discovery, 7th Grade

    Omega Drawdown Scholarships

    Book’s Journey, 4th Grade

    Science Night Out

    Interactive Math Materials, 3rd Grade

    Math Carnival, 1st-3rd Grades

  • Bronx Zoo Trip

    Mad Science

    Madagascar Day Events

    Outdoor Human Engineering

    Embody Art

    Citizen Science

    Norwalk Aquarium Trip

    Candy Anatomy

    Spheros in the Classroom

    DaVinci Robots

    Science Night Out

    Parent Academy/School Avoidance and Anxiety

    Books Journey

  • Arbor Day 4th Grade with the Rhinebeck Rotary Club, CLS

    Week of Discovery 7th Grade Field Trips, BMS

    Science Night Out With Bard CCE and BMS Peer Mentorship Club, CLS

    Power of Resilience Parent Academy, RHS, BMS, CLS

    Red Hook/Rhinebeck Science Fair: BMS

    Innovation Academy (pilot): CLS, BMS, RHS

    Creating Origami Models, 4th grade CLS

    Citizen Science with Bard CCE 2018 8th grade, BMS

    Principal Discretionary Funds for Microgrants, CLS BMS RHS

  • Discovery Festival, RHS, BMS, CLS

    Embody Art with ENTA, 7th grade BMS

    CLS STEM fair 3rd, 4th, 5th CLS

    Norwalk Aquarium 5th grade CLS

    Outdoor Human Engineering, 4th grade CLS

    Madagascar Day Lemur Presentation, 6th grade BMS

    PLTW Summit Teacher Participation, CLS

    Augmented Reality Sandbox Earth Science (9th grade), RHS

    Fun with Energy, 3rd Grade CLS

    PLTW Design and Modeling/GTT Teacher Training, BMS/RHS

    PLTW: Computer Science Grant, RHS

    7th Grade field trips, BMS

    Arbor Day 4th grade, CLS

    Screenagers K-12

    BMS STEM Fair, BMS 8th grade

    Bubble Trouble 3rd grade, CLS

    Science Night Out Bard CCE, CLS

    STEM Fair, 3,4th, 5th grade, CLS

    Citizen Science with Bard CCE 2017 8th grade, BMS

    Principal Discretionary Funds for Microgrants, CLS BMS RHS

  • Embody Art: Anatomy Spring 2016 7th grade, BMS

    Weatherbug Weather Station, Fall 2016 BMS and RHS

    Fun with Energy Fall 2016, 3rd grade, CLS

    Lemur Madagascar Presentation, Fall 2016 6th grade, BMS

    DaVinci Robotics, RHS

    Lego Robotics kits for Robotics and Coding Club, Fall 2016, CLS

    Norwalk Aquarium and Sloop Field Trip for 5th grade, CLS

    K’nex Education Simple Machines grant, 2nd Grade 2016

    Fourth Grade Forrester, CLS

    7th Grade Field trip Clearwater Tidelines, BMS

    7th Grade Field trip Nature Writing, BMS

    7th Grade Field trip Engineering/STEM at Time and Valleys Museum, BMS

    Norwalk Aquarium Field Trip for the 5th grade 2016, CLS

    STEM Fair 2016, CLS

    Science Night Out with Bard CCE 2016, CLS

    Citizen Science with Bard CCE for 8th grade 2016, BMS

  • STEM Lab Launch 2

    Fun With Energy

    Madagascar Day

    Citizen Science

    CLS Science Night Out

    STEM Fair

    Norwalk Aquarium

    Clearwater Tidelines

    Nature Writing

    Time Valley Museum

    Arbor Day Trees

    K-NEX Education

    Discovery Festival

  • Micro Grants

    Music Comp iGuitars & iPads

    Citizen Science

    Jeff Boyer Fun With Energy

    STEM Fair

    Rhinebeck Science Club

    CLS Science Night Out

    BMS Computer Lab

    A/V Grant

  • Extended Responses for Science, Math and Common Core, Phase 1

    Intro. Design and Design

    Media Grant

    Citizen Science

    Fun With Energy

    STEM Fair

    POE

    STEM Lab

    Extended Responses for Science, Math, & Common Core Phase 2

    Day of Archeology

  • -Fall 2012 Professional Development Toolbox: Writing and the New Common Core Standards RCSD

    -2012 RPI Lego Robotics Camps (with Frost Memorial Fund & Starr Library)

    -Gateway to Technology Lab Renovation 2012 BMS

    -Gateway to Technology Equipment 2012 BMS

    -Gateway to Technology Professional Development 2012 BMS

    -Science Fair 2012 CLS

    -Micro-Grants - Principals Discretionary Fund 2012 CLS, BMS, RHS

    -Fun with Energy 3rd Grade 2012 CLS

    -Citizen Science 2012 BMS

    -Eco-Initiative Professional Development Year 3 2012

    -Lego Robotics Software/Hardware Year 2 CLS 2011

    -Flip Video Cameras 2011 RHS

    -Medicines of the Rainforest Program 2010 RHS

    -Sol Lewitt Program 2010 CLS, BMS, RHS

    -Second Grade Nature Walk 2010 CLS

    -Eco Initiative Year 2 Professional Development 2010

    -Eco Initiative Year 2 2010

    -LEGO Robotics Hardware & Software 2010 CLS

    -LEGO Robotics Professional Development 2010 CLS

    -Scientist in Residence (with PTSO) 2010 CLS

    -Building Blocks 1st Grade 2010 CLS

    -Math Fair 2010 CLS

    -Eco Initiative Year 1 2009

    -Fourth Grade Archaeology Program CLS

    -Math Fair 2009 CLS

    -Micro-Grants - Principals Discretionary Fund 2009 CLS, BMS, RHS

    -Classroom Equipment: Microscopes, Stereomicroscope, Other Equipment 2008 CLS, BMS, RHS

  • The Rhinebeck Science Foundation funds hands-on science, math and technology learning programs that are inquiry-based and happen through exploration. We encourage long-term thematic projects.

    We favor grant applications for projects that incorporate all of the following factors:

    Present students with real life applications of science, math and technology

    Encourage hands-on, problem based learning

    Build on concepts across multiple grade levels

    Encourage linking subjects across multiple disciplines

    Impact maximum number of students

    Include professional development to implement project

    Partner with colleges or other community resources