Teacher Service-Learning Grants
Service-learning Grants are available to Bethlehem Area School District teachers to implement high-quality service-learning projects. Service-learning is a teaching strategy that connects classroom curriculum with service projects that engage students socially, civically and academically. A high-quality service-learning experience combines meaningful service with in-depth learning. Service-learning begins with classroom content and moves into the community through the planning and implementation of a service-project.
Applications for 2024-2025 open August 15th! Click here to apply online, or click here to apply via inter-district mail with a hard copy form. Please have all applications submitted before September 29th for eligibility!
2024-2025 Service-Learning Grant Recipients
“Farmersville Green Team,” – Farmersville Elementary School, Danielle Jackson
Description:The Farmersville Green team is made up of 3rd-5th graders that are committed to taking care of our Earth and beautifying our school. In the past two years the team has drafted plans to beautify Farmersville Elementary while taking care of our Earth. Past projects from the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years have included the following- DIY bird feeders and birdhouses, picking up trash around our school, creating Earth Day posters and posting them around the building, planting annuals and perennials in raised garden beds that were built, and taking walks around our school to draft beautification ideas and ideas for helping our Earth. The Green Team has also built connections within the community, working with the Kellyn Foundation and Farmersville families, to create a large peace garden area for all students and community members to enjoy (spring 2024).
“Liberty Lehigh EWB Project,” – Liberty High School, Kristin Stuby
Description: The Liberty Lehigh EWB Project is a collaboration between Engineers Without Borders at Lehigh University and Liberty students to research, design, and renovate the Solarium at Liberty High School into an aquaponics lab to be used as a learning opportunity for the community. An aquaponic lab will provide classes and clubs at Liberty opportunities to learn about aquaponics and hydroponics, to learn about harvesting and storing fresh herbs and vegetables, and to earn community service hours towards graduation. In addition, university and high school students are hopeful that educational tours of the lab for other BASD schools and community members would increase awareness of and appreciation for fresh grown vegetables in a self-sustaining environment.
“Liberty High School [Food] Pantry,” – Liberty High School, Kristin Vazquez
Description: At Liberty, we’re planning to open a fully functional School [Food] Pantry so that students who are experiencing food insecurity can access food, which is a basic need. The format would be similar to the Backpack Pals model the district had in the past where a backpack would be filled with non-perishable food for students to take home for long weekends. We would also be able to provide food for students in emergency situations, such as being suddenly displaced from their home to due domestic abuse, eviction, parental loss of income, etc.
2022 /2023 Service-Learning Grant Recipients
“Hands Helping Paws,” – East Hills Middle School, Carla Majczan
Description: Students will participate in projects to help the Lehigh County Humane Society with their needs for shelter animals. They will ,ale toys and treats to help out the LCHS feed, praise, and help the animals with enrichment that, in turn helps them not deteriorate in the setting they are in. This project allows students to use their skills from art, family, and consume science classes to help animals in a local shelter.
“ELL Buddies,” – East Hills Middle School, Amanda Dennis
Description: The ELL Buddy program will promote inclusion and belonging for the English Language Learners from East Hills, Governor Wolf, Miller Heights, and Farmersville. Students will be paired to have authentic experiences with a peer who can relate to their culture and experience. Books will be used to create activities too!
“5th Grade Legacy Paw Mural,” – Fountain Hill Elementary School, Rachel Lynn
Description: The fifth grade students will be tasked with creating a new paw print mural for the school. Each paw print toe will incorporate one of the new motto words – learn, lead, imagine, and become.
“Farmersville Goes Green,” – Farmersville Elementary School, Danielle Jackson
Description: Third grade to fifth grade students will work with teachers to lead green activities within the school. The Green Team meets once a month on how to keep the Earth green and clean. The Green Team will now beautify the school by creating school flower gardens for pollination, planting flower pots, caring for wildlife by building and handing bird houses and feeders outside the school, completing a schoolwide project by collecting and reusing paper towels to make bird feeders, and celebrating Earth Day.
2021 /2022 Service-Learning Grant Recipients
“Charger Care Closet,” – East Hills Middle School, Sarah Quay Matyus
Description: The Charger Care Closet (CCC) is a service-learning project geared toward helping the students in need at East Hills Middle School have access to clothing, shoes, school supplies, and hygiene products. It promotes family and community partnerships by giving students and families access to essential items. The CCC has the ability to improve the students’ lives.
2020 /2021 Service-Learning Grant Recipients
“Engineer Girl Society Collaboration with Broughal and East Hills,” – Freedom High School, Grace Dugan
Description: A group of young ladies from Freedom, along with their teacher advisor, is starting the Engineer Girl Society club.They will work with students at Broughal and East Hills as mentors to introduce them to the engineering field and encourage them to consider enrolling in PLTW Engineering courses at Freedom. This grant would cover the club’s start-up expenses for supplies and transportation.
“Students Call for Social Justice Conference,” – Liberty High School, Robin Alonzie
Description: The LHS Lady Leaders and their teacher advisor would like to plan a social justice conference in the spring. It could take place in person or via Zoom. This grant would underwrite the conference expenses.
“My Survival Kit,” – Marvine Elementary, Sonia Strockyj
Description: This kit would provide some tools to help the students, both in school and at home, by helping them to focus on learning and manage their emotions when they are finding it hard to focus.
“William Penn Garden Gnomes,” – William Penn Elementary, Cristy Meyers
Description: The William Penn Garden Gnomes would like to expand their program from 10-15 students to the entire school. The purpose of this program is to teach the students about the importance of recycling. Everyone will be involved in the process with projects throughout the school year.
“Loads of Fun,” – William Penn Elementary, Ashley Schellhaas
Description: William Penn Elementary School has 80% of their students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. As a school community, their goal is to make sure all the students and families have access to food, physical and mental health care and clean clothing. This impacts their attendance throughout the school year. This grant would allow the school to purchase a washer and dryer for a laundry program so students can have clean clothes. The laundry program would be a part of “The Leader in Me” curriculum getting the students involved and helping with doing the laundry.
2019/2020 Service-Learning Grant Recipients
East Hills Middle School, Not so ugly ‘Ugly’ Quilt, Rosemarie A La Barre
Description: Students will design a quilt in their Family and Consumer Science class, to serve a struggling population. Students will then identify a cause within the community that can benefit from the donation of quilts they design and create in class.
East Hills Middle School, The Memory Project, Carla Majczan
Description: The Memory Project’s Global Art Exchange is our new program or younger participants. In this one to one exchange, American elementary and middle school students engage in positive citizen diplomacy by exchanging handmade, heartfelt artwork with kids from counties that are culturally very different from the USA. Currently, we are exchanging artwork with Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria.
Fountain Hill and Donegan Elementary SchoolsArt Studio Postcards, Rachel Lynn and Tiffany Anderson
Description: This project will create a sense of community and encouragement between the South Side elementary schools. Students will work individually following the ‘Teaching for Artistic Behavior” format to develop personal works of art and then share their process and thoughts with students of the neighboring elementary school through postcards.
East Hills Middle School, Read across America Day- Book Buddies, Colleen Richards
Description: This program will provide an opportunity outside of the classroom to help build confidence in reading aloud in another language. Funds will be used to develop a comprehensive world language library.
Freedom High School, ESOL Service Learning Projects, Erin Jordon
Description: Students will manage activities and develop activities for local senior citizens within the local community, with an emphasis on practicing the English language.
Liberty High School, LHS and Backpack Pals, Chad Radler
Description: The Backpack Pals program and the students from the Life Skills Support and STEPS classes at Liberty, will be partnering together for the 2019/2020 School year and beyond to continue to serve needy families within the BASD.
Lincoln Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Traci Millheim
Description: We are planning a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service-learning in January 2020. The day will be divided into several components: Educational readings, a theater troupe presentation on civil rights and social justice, and various service projects.
