The Northampton Promise - Broaden Student Access
A college education has never been more important. And it has never been more expensive. Northampton works hard to keep tuition down. We are proud to be the most affordable college in Pennsylvania, but more than 50% of our students would not be able to attend without financial aid.
Federal and state aid helps, but falls short of covering expenses such as transportation, food and housing. Students are forced to make tough choices. Some take on second or even third jobs. Others cut back course loads or try to go without books. Still others give up and drop out, seeing no way to continue.
Sometimes as little as $500 - $1000 can make the difference. Funds raised for the "Northampton Promise" will close the financial gap for students for whom a college education is out of reach, forever changing the trajectory of their lives. The "Northampton Promise" is at the heart of the Transforming Lives campaign.
The Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
While the United States is one of the most innovative countries in the world, new business formation has declined significantly since the Great Recession. The nation needs more entrepreneurial talent, and so does the Lehigh Valley.
One of the most exciting features of the unique mixed-use center that Northampton has created at the Fowler Family Southside Center is the "Fab Lab" - a nationally recognized model for fab labs, maker spaces and innovation centers. Busy day and night, the lab is a place where students and members of the community can utilize new and old technologies to design new products and improve existing ones with guidance from master craftsmen and successful entrepreneurs.
The Transforming Lives campaign will enable Northampton to expand the Fab Lab into a full-fledged Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Center will not replicate other organizations devoted to incubating new businesses. Instead it will focus on incubating entrepreneurs-people with the desire and determination not just to "get a job," but to create jobs.
In becoming the educational and social hub for new and established entrepreneurs and by providing creative problem-solvers for existing employers, the Center will reflect the tradition of innovation and risk-taking that has long been part of "The Northampton Way."
Expanding Learning Beyond the Classroom
Not all learning occurs in the classroom. Northampton excels in marrying theory and practice. Clinical rotations, internships, service learning projects and study abroad all help students develop the skills and competencies needed for real-world success.
Unfortunately, with other bills to pay, many students cannot afford to undertake internships or to study abroad even over semester breaks.
The Transforming Lives campaign will provide stipends and scholarships that will enable more students to take advantage of opportunities for experiential learning. It will also fund the construction of a "Living Laboratory" in a section of campus known as the "East 40" where NCC students, schoolchildren and members of the community can learn how to make our local food supply healthy and sustainable.
Bethlehem Campaign Committee Members
The Transforming Lives capital campaign is led by dedicated patrons of the college whose commitment to its students and their success is unmatched. Members of the Bethlehem campaign committee include:
Honorary Chairs
Andy & Carolyn Daub
John & Jane Malloy
Chris '77 & Diane Martin
Bill & Denise Spence
Working Chairs
Steve & Jeanne Follett
Bruce '77 & Judy Palmer
Chuck '77 & Wendy '14 Stehly
Committee Members
Mark Erickson
John Eureyecko
Arif Fazil
Dennis Feeley '73
Curt Hoyak
Eric Luftig
Mike Molewski
Rick Principato
Andrea Weismiller '01
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