Thanks to nearly $5,000 in support from the Vandalia-Butler Foundation’s VISIONS fund and the Vandalia-Butler Optimist Club, students at Demmitt Elementary School will take a field trip to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. For many, it will be their first time experiencing the museum’s hands-on exhibits.
“This field trip will allow the students at Demmitt to experience life at a museum. Students will love getting to participate in multi-sensory learning through dramatic play and firsthand experiences,” said first grade teacher Katie Dwenger.
VISIONS contributed $2,888 toward the initiative, and the local Optimist Club added $2,088.
“The Vandalia-Butler Optimist Club and the Vandalia-Butler Foundation have pledged to work collaboratively with other organizations throughout the community to expand partnerships and strengthen local impact,” said Denise Eder, chair of the education committee and co-chair of the Vandalia-Butler Foundation. “Together, we are committed to creating and supporting greater opportunities that benefit students, families and the Vandalia-Butler community as a whole.”
In addition to the VISIONS grant for museum tickets, Demmitt Elementary School has received $3,000 for an interactive display cart to support English language learners and a previously approved $1,500 for a book vending machine to reward students for positive behavior.
In all, the Vandalia-Butler Foundation awarded a record-breaking $36,940 in educational grants in 2026 for innovative classroom initiatives in the Vandalia-Butler City Schools.
For those wishing to make a contribution to the VISIONS Fund, tax-deductible donations can be mailed to VISIONS Fund, c/o The Dayton Foundation, 1401 S. Main St., Suite 100, Dayton, OH 45409-2600. To make an online donation, visit vandalia-butlerfoundation.org/visions.
The Vandalia-Butler Foundation is a component fund of The Dayton Foundation. Leadership for the Vandalia-Butler Foundation rests in our own community, while fiscal oversight of our funds is maintained by The Dayton Foundation, which serves the Dayton/Miami Valley area. This partnership allows for the Vandalia-Butler community to benefit from local leadership and profit from resources pooled with others for investment growth.
(Check presentation photo by Justin Spivey. Pictured left to right: Ben Walker, Vandalia-Butler Foundation trustee and Optimist Club vice president; Josh Pohl, principal; Abby Alexander, first grade teacher; Katie Dwenger, first grade teacher; Amber Pelfrey, second grade teacher; and Greg Vicars, Optimist Club president.)