Everyone deserves an education that allows them to better themselves and their world, inspires creativity and innovation, and instills in them a life-long quest for knowledge. The Foundation supports initiatives that expand students’ horizons and allow them to learn about the world around them.
Not Just Water Under the Bridge – Advancing Marine Conservation Efforts in Stark County, Ohio
2023 – A continuation of previous grants, this project supports another cohort of Malone University’s marine biology students obtaining experiential knowledge by working with marine scientists in Florida and furthers Malone University’s partnerships with soil and water focused organizations within Stark County. The experiential trip in Florida includes a tour of Everglades National Park with Richard Kern, coral restoration with Rescue a Reef, debris cleanup in Biscayne National Park with Debris Free Oceans, and manatee research with Dr. Buddy Powell. This project also builds upon research regarding microplastics throughout the Stark County watershed, and provides the opportunity for students to obtain their scuba dive certification. Malone University will also be partnering with Stark County District Library and local elementary schools to expand their educational outreach in relation to the project.
Hoover-Jackson Marine Biology Project: The David Miller Memorial Marine Biology Scholarship
2022 – The Hoover-Jackson Marine Biology class has been around for over 32 years and has served around 800 Stark County Students. HWHF provided funding for a scholarship fund to provide 1-2 students yearly with the opportunity to take the class and attend the field study trip to either Andros, Bahamas or the Florida Keys. The scholarship fund was set up with the hopes to give underserved, underrepresented, and/or financially-pressed students the opportunity to take the course and be immersed in the field of marine biology.
Conservation Challenges and Genetics of West Indian Manatees
2022 – A continuation of the Hebert W Hoover Foundation Speaker Series, this program features Dr. Anmari Alvarez-Aleman and Richard Kern. Dr. Alvarez-Aleman is the Caribbean Research Director at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and her research is focused on the genetics of manatees. As part of this grant she will use genetics to learn about regional connectivity, diversity, and the genetic structure of the West Indian manatee. She will also travel to Stark County to present to 6 high school classes. Richard Kern has created a new film called “The Siren and the Springs” focused on Florida’s freshwater aquifers and springs as well as the Florida manatee. As part of this grant, Richard Kern will travel to Stark County to present his film to 10 schools. Additionally, funding from this grant is covering the cost of gel electrophoresis equipment for high school biology classes to learn about DNA and genetics
Beech Creek Pond Restoration: A Journey to a Healthy Ecosystem
2021 – This grant provides the funds necessary to restore a pond on the Beech Creek property to a healthy, natural habitat, and it supports educational opportunities for students and teachers in Stark County to learn about ecological restoration and natural habitats throughout the process.
Communicating the Connectedness – Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Oceans
2021 – Malone University students will engage in local watershed projects in collaboration with the Stark Soil and Water District and Ohio State University Stark County Agricultural Extension. These students would then be eligible to participate in a trip to Florida to conduct scientific research with UM Sharktagging, Rescue a Reef, and Debris Free Oceans in Miami, Florida.
Incorporating Literacy, Diversity, and Social/Emotional Learning into K-12 Science and STEM
2021 – The fifth year of The Herbert W. Hoover Foundation Speaker Series is unique, as it brings National Geographic Fellow and waste systems expert, Dr. Jenna Jambeck, to Stark County to conduct a closed-loop systems assessment of the Ohio River, starting from Canton, Ohio, in collaboration with students in Stark County. This is part of a larger effort to assess waste in the Mississippi River Basin, which drains to the Gulf of Mexico. Other speakers include Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, Dalton Hesley, and Richard Kern in either an in-person or remote setting.
Lettuce Provide Massillon City Schools Indoor Gardens
2018 – HWHF provides funding for 5 Massillon City Schools to procure indoor hydroponic gardens and the tools needed to teach students about agriculture and its effect on personal, community, and environmental health. Using these hydroponic gardens, students plant seeds, watch them grow, harvest, and eat the food that they grew directly inside of their classroom. This experience allows students to see the entire life cycle of agronomy, from seed to salad. (Photo Credit: Kevin Whitlock)
Creating “Media Building-Blocks of Environmental Knowledge” (MBEK) aka the “Ocean Health Voyage”
2014 – HWHF funds the development and creation of the online course “Ocean Health Voyage,” an innovative educational online platform that weaves a modular syllabus with adventurous documentary-style films. The educational cinematic experience features marine researchers on-site from field locations, above and underwater, as they teach fundamental ocean science and shine a light on the real-life complexities of working with stakeholders, finding solutions for balancing resource consumption, and conservation. This course is offered to members of the Hemispheric University Consortium, bringing the course from the United States to 6 other countries – Universidad Austral in Argentina, Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic, Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, Tecnologico de Monterrey and Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico, and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru.
PAST PROJECTS IN EDUCATION
Bridging Stark County and Biscayne National Park – Championing Ocean Health Together
2018 – HWHF provides funding to Malone University to allow groups of students to travel to south Florida to participate in world-class marine conservation experiences. Students observe manatees with Buddy Powell of Sea to Shore Alliance, collect and learn about the problem of marine debris in Biscayne National Park, and participate in shark tagging expeditions with Neil Hammerschlag and the University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation Lab. Upon returning from their trip, students share their experiences with Stark County residents, conveying how their lives in Ohio can impact the oceans.
Plastic Pollution in Our Backyards, Our Watersheds, and Our Dinner Plates
2017 – HWHF funds research by Dr. Chelsea Rochman at the University of Toronto that examines how plastics contaminate food webs and humans, by developing a method that tests blood or tissue samples to determine plastic pollution via chemical tracers. Simultaneously, the Stark County ESC’s Science and Math on the Move (SAMM) program will work with students to teach them what plastic pollution is, how it enters our watersheds, and how plastics and chemicals can transfer and accumulate up the food chain. Students get to go out into the field to collect their own data, quantifying plastic pollution in the Stark County, Ohio region, and enter their data into a government database run by the NOAA Marine Debris program. Dr. Rochman will come to Stark County to meet with students and teachers and discuss their findings.
Bridging the Gap Between Stark County and Biscayne National Park
2016 – A unique program that bridges the gap between Stark County students at Malone University and Biscayne National Park is established with funding from the HWHF. This program has resulted in the creation of a marine biology minor with 10% of 2018 freshman students declaring the minor. The success of the program allowed the university to hire an additional full-time faculty member.
Water Quality Education
2015 – A partnership is formed with the Stark County Educational Service Center to provide students in Stark County with access to world-class scientists and elevated science education. Since the initial funding, over 11,000 students in Stark County have benefited from these hands-on educational opportunities and countless others will continue to benefit from the scientific equipment provided through this project.
Sponsor Partner with University of Miami to Support Society for Environmental Journalists Conference
2011 – HWHF co-sponsors the Society for Environmental Journalists conference held at University of Miami bringing over 800 environmental journalists in to Miami to learn about the issues impacting South Florida.
The Greening of Chemistry Labs on College Campuses
2007 – Funding is provided for the project “The Greening of Chemistry Labs on College Campuses” at Walsh University with the goal of creating environmentally-friendly chemistry through the development of lab experiments that could be run without the use of heavy metals, solvents, and poor waste management.
Integrated Teaching at the Shark Research Program for At-Risk Students of Dade and Other Florida Counties
2002 – HWHF provides funding for Dr. Samuel H. Gruber and the Bimini Biological Field Station Shark Research Program, allowing high school teachers and economically disadvantaged students to join a 4-day research trip to the Bimini Biological Field Station and participate in authentic shark research experiences.
The Encounters Education Series Program for Miami-Dade County Schools
1999 – HWHF begins funding Encounters in Excellence/Odyssey Earth, an organization that has reached 1.5 million students in South Florida and Ohio with its live auditorium presentations. The program consists of a series of film lectures on natural history topics with a focus on the biodiversity of Biscayne Bay.
The Herbert W. Hoover Chair in Physical Therapy at Walsh University
1993– HWHF provided funds to Walsh University to create a physical therapy program and to establish the Herbert W. Hoover Chair in Physical Therapy. Further funding was provided in 1995 to renovate facilities to support the Program. Today, the Doctorate of Physical Therapy is one of the leading academic programs at the Walsh University with 100% of graduates since 2009 passing licensure and obtaining employment.