Archived Community Fellows And Projects - 2015-2016

Samantha Polansky St. Luke’s University Health Network, Community Health Department Samantha worked on data collection, analysis, and writing for the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) reports for each of St. Luke's hospital campuses. She integrated primary data from focus group interviews and community surveys, and conducted secondary data analyses in order to create seven cohesive reports outlining the health needs faced by the communities each hospital serves. Samantha even developed a CHNA implementation guide, designed to streamline the assessment process in the next cycle.	Kate Cavazza Renew Lehigh Valley (RenewLV) Kate worked for Renew Lehigh Valley (RenewLV), an advocacy organization committed to bringing Smart Growth principles to the Lehigh Valley. While diving into all facets of local government and politics, she worked on promoting the organization's goals of farmland preservation, food sustainability, smart transportation, and education and awareness. She was also involved in large-scale event planning, social media expansion, website development, and community organizing.
Kristen Schmidt Family Connection of Easton, Inc. Housed in Easton’s Paxinosa Elementary School “Community School” office, Kristen developed outreach protocols, volunteer information and training manuals, and designed a volunteer training and contact database. She also recruited volunteers for the school's special events.	Catherine McClellan Bethlehem Area School District and the Bethlehem Area Education Foundation As a Community Fellow, Catherine assisted the district in their social media outreach, public relations, and media coverage of events throughout the school year. She was also a project manager for key fundraising events aimed at raising money to support innovative educational projects within the Bethlehem Area School District. Additionally, she wrote a series of columns on district initiatives for local publications, and worked on improving district communication and transparency with the greater Bethlehem community.
Erika Ashman Safe Harbor Easton Erika worked for Safe Harbor Easton, a transitional homeless center which provides case management, employment services, and recovery resources for residents. She developed a community garden program at the shelter. To support this, she researched grant opportunities as well as the therapeutic benefits of gardening, and developed partnerships with Easton’s West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, and Penn State Master Gardeners. Erika also worked on volunteer recruitment and developing content for the Safe Harbor Facebook page.