At the School District of Lancaster, the success of our students is deeply connected to the support of our community. Wharton Elementary School received a $1,000 donation from Patient First, a gift that reflects a long-standing commitment to helping students thrive in ways that are both immediate and lasting.
Patient First has included school support in its mission since the organization was founded in 1981. Each year, they identify elementary schools within the radius of their centers and select a group of schools to receive funding with one guiding belief. Schools should have the freedom to determine how the money will best serve their students. No requirements. No restrictions. The only expectation is that the donation directly benefits children.
Todd Krickler, who has been visiting schools on behalf of Patient First for the past four years, shared how meaningful the work has become for him. “In times like this, when schools are facing cutbacks at the federal and state levels, it feels good to find a way to offer support,” he said. “The schools and the community have always supported us. This is our opportunity to give back in a way that has a clear and direct impact.”
Wharton Elementary has been part of this partnership for several years. Although Todd did not personally select the school, he shared that Wharton has always stood out for its strong communication, responsiveness, and willingness to collaborate. Returning to Wharton this year was an easy decision.
For Wharton Principal Dr. Welters, this gift could not have arrived at a better moment.
The school is currently halfway toward a $10,000 dollar campaign to build a student media studio. This space will serve as a creative hub where students can grow skills in reading, writing, speaking, interviewing, and visual storytelling. While traditional assignments support many students, the staff at Wharton recognized that some students connect more deeply with hands-on expression, verbal communication, and creative production. The studio will give those students a place where their strengths can shine.
“We wanted to create a space where students who do not always engage with traditional literacy assignments can express themselves in ways that feel natural to them,” Dr. Welters explained. “The studio is a way to help them build confidence, develop their voice, and discover new skills that they can carry into middle school, high school, and beyond.”
Dr. Welters sees this project as a launch point, not a standalone program. The goal is for Wharton students to arrive at middle school already familiar with media production, storytelling, and studio equipment. From there, they can grow into the more advanced programs available at the secondary level and begin to see future possibilities in communications, journalism, broadcasting, technology, and media production.
“We want this to be their point of origin,” she said. “A place where curiosity begins. A place where confidence begins. A place where a future career can start to grow.”
The donation from Patient First helps push the project closer to reality, but Wharton is still actively looking for partners who want to be part of this work.
For community members interested in contributing, the school has made the process simple. Anyone can contact the office, request a tour, learn about the vision, meet the team of community stakeholders already supporting the campaign, and explore ways to get involved. The hope is that families, organizations, and neighbors will join together to help bring this space to life.
Patient First’s generosity is an investment in student creativity. It’s a vote of confidence in the importance of literacy, communication, and self-expression. And it’s a reminder of what becomes possible when the community and our schools stand beside one another.
At Wharton Elementary, students will soon step into a space built for imagination, skill-building, and the discovery of new pathways. And it begins with partnerships like this one that help open doors today so students can walk through new ones tomorrow.