Interview with Rosa Carides-Hof: Encouraging Participation
Rosa Carides-Hof Empowers South Bethlehem Community Through Art and Education
Rosa Carides-Hof, the community school coordinator at Donegan Elementary School in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is making a significant impact in the local community. Her role, which is a partnership between the United Way and the Bethlehem Area School District, is to stabilize and empower families to improve the academic success of their children.
Carides-Hof works within Lehigh's Community Services Office and serves as the link among students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and community partners. She coordinates during-the-day programs and services like tutoring, and works with families to identify community resources such as food, clothing, and housing.
Art plays a pivotal role in Carides-Hof's work at Donegan Elementary School. She believes that exposure to the arts has a community healing effect and can be soothing for families. Many students at the school express their emotions through drawing, painting, sculpting, and visiting community galleries. A variety of community partners bring art programs to the school, providing enrichment opportunities such as after-school and family educational programs.
Carides-Hof was recently interviewed for the upcoming our university Art Galleries (LUAG) exhibition. She emphasized the importance of getting involved and knowing one's community to make a positive change. "Don't be afraid," she advises. "Art can play a role in creating change within communities, such as Donegan Elementary School's."
The South Side community of South Bethlehem is rich in diversity and resiliency, but it is often misunderstood. Many families work multiple jobs to make ends meet, which can make it difficult for children to succeed academically. Carides-Hof works closely with all stakeholders to identify and address the needs of students and their families, providing them with the resources they need to thrive.
Carides-Hof's goal is to create a stable and empowered community where families can focus on their children's education and academic success. By building trust and creating change through the Community School model, she is making a difference in the lives of the students and families at Donegan Elementary School.
- Rosa Carides-Hof's work at Donegan Elementary School, with its focus on Arts, fosters personal growth and self-development within the diverse community, aiming to enhance education and promote academic success.
- Donegan Elementary School, being part of a resilient and diverse community in South Bethlehem, benefits from the education-and-self-development programs coordinated by Rosa Carides-Hof, providing resources for the improvement of students' academic success.
- The community partnership between Rosa Carides-Hof, the school, and various art partners highlights the role of Art in fostering diversity and healing, contributing to the overall development of students and the education of the local community.
