Lehigh Valley:

The financial commitment which is required to graduate from college increases every year. These increases often have the most dramatic impact on students who have never seen a relative or friend attend college and enjoy success. They do not understand the opportunities waiting for them and cannot strive for goals they cannot see.

Kutztown University is dedicated to providing the support which these students need to succeed in college and become productive members of our society. The focus of the Special Projects Fund is to generate financial support for the Academic Alliance. The Academic Alliance, a partnership between Kutztown University and the Allentown School District, is committed to identifying at-risk students early and providing them with the skills, experiences, and encouragement to attend college and enjoy success.

Through the four ASD middle schools, 100 students from 6th through 8th grades will be identified by teachers and guidance counselors as being at-risk, but having the potential to succeed in college. At the conclusion of their participation in the middle school program, ten top freshmen will be selected from the pool of 100 middle grade students for more intensive and comprehensive services while enrolled in high school. A maximum of 40 students -- ten for each class -- will be enrolled in the high school component of the program. These students will have demonstrated a clear intent to finish high school and enroll in college. They will be assessed for their motivation and commitment to learning.

The services these students began in middle school will be continued through their high school years. Additionally, the students will participate in

• Saturday Learning Academy, a series of classes and counseling sessions held on the KU campus which will prepare the students for the challenges of higher education

• Summer Residential Program, an opportunity for the Academic Alliance students to live on campus and participate in college preparatory classes

• Summer Bridge Program, an opportunity for the Academic Alliance students graduating from high school to take two college courses and receive individualized counseling and tutoring.

The goal of the 2005 Special Projects Fund is to raise a total of $7,000. These funds will be used to purchase a laptop computer for each of the ten Academic Alliance students graduating from high school and entering college in 2006. The students will receive all of the training required for them to use these computers in the pursuit of their academic goals.

Kutztown:

The business district of Kutztown is developing into a Mecca for retailing in the area of creative arts. While located just next to the borough’s Main Street, the legions of Kutztown University artists have never had a place where their artwork could be displayed and sold.

The focus of the Special Projects Fund is to support the development of a “Co-op Art Gallery”, a cooperative venture between Kutztown University and the Kutztown Community Partnership. This creative new enterprise will be located in the borough of Kutztown and will offer a gallery for the display and sale of artwork produced by Kutztown University students and faculty. The availability of the Gallery for the artists of KU will provide the motivation necessary for the production of commercially attractive artwork. The Gallery will also offer a location for workshops and lectures. The university will be further involved by providing the management of the Gallery by College of Visual and Performing Arts students as a practical educational experience.

The financial goal of the 2005 Special Projects Fund is to generate a total of $9,000 from Kutztown area businesses. These funds will be used to cover the first year of rent of the Gallery’s storefront location as well as the funds necessary to renovate the façade of the facility in cooperation with the borough’s Main Street improvement initiative. The final result will be a component of the economic development of the borough of Kutztown as well as a practical opportunity for the education of Kutztown University students.

Reading:

Community leaders in Reading have identified the need to offer an extensive variety of educational opportunities from a single, accessible location within the city. This would enable the residents of Reading to benefit from educational services ranging from basic education to nursing and business administration.

The focus of the 2005 Special Projects Fund is to generate support for the Langan Allied Health Center, a creative new University project in Reading. The Langan Allied Health Center, located at the former Community General Hospital, is a cooperative venture of Kutztown University, the Reading Area Community College, St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Hispanic Center. At this location, Kutztown University will be offering its MBA program, nursing education and programs to support academic readiness and excellence. In addition, the Langan Allied Health Center will become the location of the KU Small Business Development Center office and training facility in the Reading area.

The courses and programs which will be offered by Kutztown University at the Langan Allied Health Center will require the creation and management of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. The most vital of these requirements is the development of “smart classrooms”. The components of these facilities include computers, projectors, document cameras, internet networking and the necessary equipment for connection and projection of images.

The goal of the 2005 Reading Division Special Projects Fund is to raise $12,000 to fund the purchase of all of the equipment and hardware required for a “smart classroom”.