Lehigh University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Lehigh is partnering with the Bethlehem Area School Distict in an Elementary and a Middle School as a lead partner in a Community School initiative. Lehigh employs 1-2 individuals at each school to manage after-school enrichment programs in collaboration with the academic programs. Parental programs (ESL, financial basics, computer classed, etc.) are also sponsored. Both schools are located in a low income area where 90% of students are on a free or reduced-cost lunch program. Lehigh students volunteer thousands of hours annually for such activities as: tutoring, mentoring, homework clubs, enrichment programs, physical activities with the students at these schools. Activities are overseen by our Center for the Development of Urban Educational Leaders in our College of Ed.

Lehigh University funds several partnerships through the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation. The Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ)- a series of tax credit incentives to support start up companies investing in SouthSide Bethlehem. The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) was established in 2004 and is now in its 13th year of operation. The KIZ has had a profound impact on innovation and entrepreneurship in Bethlehem by offering critical financial resources and assistance to early-stage startup companies. To date, the KIZ has invested over $7 million dollars in 90 companies since the program’s inception. website: http://www.southsidebethlehemkiz.com/ The SouthSide Ambassadors- The ambassadors pick up litter, remove graffiti, empty trash receptacles and remove weeds to keep the downtown clean. Safety patrols work directly with the local police to serve as a highly visible presence throughout strategic areas of the district. All of our SouthSide ambassadors provide energetic and personal hospitality to visitors with friendly greetings, directions, recommendations and assistance. website: http://blockbyblock.com/program/southside-bethlehem The SouthSide Arts District- The SouthSide Arts District (SSAD) is a downtown revitalization program that works to improve economic conditions for businesses and institutions located in the core business district of south Bethlehem, PA. Following the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Main Street Four Point Approach”®, SSAD staff and volunteers are focused on the four points of Organization,Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality. The SSAD organization focuses its efforts in the core commercial business district (depicted in the map below as the “SSAD Main Street Program Area”) within the larger SouthSide Arts District. The SSAD revitalization program was formally organized in 2015 as an initiative of the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO), joining several other similarly organized programs including Bethlehem’s Keystone Innovation Zone, Pi: Partnership for Innovation business incubator, and the SouthSide Ambassadors program. Initial seed funding for the staffing, administration, and implementation of the program was provided primarily by Lehigh University, whose current funding commitment runs through the end of 2018. website: http://www.southsideartsdistrict.com/

Vision: The vision for our Fowler Community Wellness Center is to break the cycle of poverty by working closely with our partners to co-locate services and offer programs that get more resources into the hands of our community members as they continue their journey to self-sufficiency. It is located in the Hispanic Center. See upload for a complete description of the programming