BUTLER TWP — The Butler School District has awarded 18 Teaching with Technology grants for hardware purchases.

The district budgets about $20,000 annually for the program. Winners are chosen by a panel of eight teachers and two administrators.

The grants are divided into two groups. One receives an interactive white board and a second group receives a hand-held interactive slate.

All the awardees receive projectors and computers that are used with the interactive tools. Teachers are trained to integrate the technology with their lesson plans.

The program grew from the Classrooms for the Future program, a state Department of Education project. After state funding stopped, the district developed its own grant program, said Jerry Slamecka, assistant superintendent for technology, who is a supporter of classroom teaching technology.

For example, the white board opens up the classroom to global Web resources, he said. In addition, studies show that children benefit academically from these resources, which reinforce classroom lessons.

Interactive white board winners this year are Jacinta Lovenduski, grade 1, Broad Street elementary, Debra Gannon, Dave McCool and Rob Takacs, grades four and five, Clearfield elementary; Barbara Lewis, kindergarten, Connoquenessing elementary; Ashley Donaldson and Julie Reges, both grade four, Emily Brittain elementary; Ken Crowley, Beth LeFebvre, Brianna Strahler, grades 7 and 8 history and geography, junior high school; Karen Baker and Christina Kelly, grades four and five, Meridian elementary; and Mary Spence and Chad Broman, grades five and six, Oakland elementary.

Interactive slate winners are Mary Jane Ernst, grade 4, Clearfield elementary; Kelly Neff, Amanda Slupe and Karen Robb, grades two, three and six, Connoquenessing elementary; Jennifer Gassert, intermediate high school; and Colleen Miller, grade one, Meridian elementary.