The MOSAIC (Making our Society an Inclusive Community) Programs are regular, weekly programs coordinated by student leaders with local Easton community partners.
Volunteers are asked to commit to participating at least once a week. For programs occurring on multiple days, choose the day that works best for you! Open registration takes place within the first three weeks of each semester, but you can reach out to the Landis Center (engage@lafayette.edu) if you learn of a program throughout the year and would like to participate.
Work at the Easton Urban Farm to harvest produce, pull weeds, prepare veggies for the food pantry, and help with other basic farm maintenance tasks. The program works with local food pantries and the Vegetables in the Community program to provide healthy, affordable produce to members of the underserved Easton community.
This weekly program goes to a women and children’s shelter to cook nutritious meals and eat with the members creating connections between students and residents. This program works to increase access to healthy hot meals and get to know residents as we eat together. This contributes to social change by breaking down stereotypes and barriers between Lafayette students and the community as well as awareness of recipes and food products that can be nutritious and healthy!
The Journey Home Arts Program supports women who are at Northampton County Jail and who are re-entering society through creative art-based projects that are helpful to healing and meditation. Lafayette volunteers are able to participate in projects with these women and make meaningful connections. Volunteers can help contribute to social change in Easton by supporting women who are going through the already challenging process of re-entering society.
The Journey Home Book Club involves weekly meetings with women inside Northampton County Jail. Volunteers and the women inside build relationships with each other through the discussion of essays, short stories, and books. The Book Club offers a place for both groups to learn from and support one another, all while creating connections between the College and the Easton community.
Safe Harbor is a homeless shelter down the hill from Lafayette on Bushkill drive. It is a short term center for both men and women, and provides programs and instructions to help people get back on their feet. These are often done through resume building, prayer, budgeting and other life skills. Safe Harbor really helps Easton because it reduces the number of homeless people, and also provides tangible resources and a support system to better incorporate individuals into the Easton community.
Firth Youth Center is based in New Phillipsburg, NJ, a nice 10 minute drive from Lafayette’s campus. Firth loves building a community especially with the Lafayette Volunteers. Firth is a weekly commitment in which you can do a variety of tasks from tutoring, helping with homework, and simply just playing with the kids. In light of the pandemic, we have transitioned into 30 min virtual gaming sessions in which the kids at Firth join us via google meets and we have 3 volunteers lead 10 minutes of the 30 minute sessions. Firth thrives on consistent volunteering so that the kids get to really know who you are and look forward to seeing you each week.
Spring Gardens is a program for children downtown in Easton. Here, volunteers play with children and act as a sort of daycare center for working parents. This contributes to downtown Easton because parents can work, while ensuring their children are being minded, and this is done affordably.
Serve as a positive role model and tutor at an after-school program for middle school children.
SACC is a weekly program that has a focus on tutoring and mentoring young school aged children. The kids come from different schools in the area but it allows parents to have an affordable after school program. This helps contribute to the Easton in two ways, supporting parents but also helping with the development of the students.
Boys and Girls Club Tutoring is a weekly tutoring and mentorship program for school children at the Boys and Girls Club of Easton. Our volunteers offer homework assistance, math and reading tutoring, and help establish effective study habits in a safe and welcoming environment.
Cops ‘n’ Kids is a weekly mentorship program at the Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room at the Easton Area Community Center. Our volunteers work with kids to foster their reading confidence and promote literacy in a fun and supportive environment.
Art 4 the Young @ Heart is a weekly companionship program intended to give students an opportunity to participate in art therapy practices with dementia patients at the Gardens of Easton. Often we spend our time reminiscing, painting nails, playing instruments and more activities intended to brighten everyone’s day. Building these connections between students, residents, and nurses fosters community between Lafayette and the Easton community.
A weekly tutoring program for local Easton area students in order to help students who are struggling with their homework and encourage them to not give up and continue to ask questions when learning. Often students need more help with math so if you are good at math, join us at Mary Meuser Library!
Best Buddies is an international organization that aims to end the social, physical, and economic isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Volunteers with Lafayette’s Best Buddies Chapter engage in group activities and develop one-to-one friendships with individuals with IDD from the greater Easton community, fostering true inclusion of a population that is systematically marginalized.
TIC & SKIP at the Easton Area Community Center is a place to interact and help middle school students through interacting activities and homework sessions. You volunteer every week to assist the programming of the day, ranging from arts & craft to dodgeball. By being apart of the activities, you build a bond with the group of children at the Easton Area Community Children, making their programming meaningful and worthwhile.
Generation Next is a program that aims to support first generation junior and senior students at the Easton Area High School (EAHS). Our volunteers assist EAHS students through creating weekly interactive activities that foster critical thinking and life skills. Through such programming, our volunteers create lasting relationships with the Gen Next students both during the college application process and post graduation as well. Not only does Generation Next aim to empower prospective first generation college students but it also motivates volunteers to form lasting relationships with the Gen Next students.
America Reads*Counts is a federally funded work study program that allows students with FWS to work with Easton children on topics relating to literacy. The program employs approximately 65 tutors and encompasses seven programs at six sites throughout the community. Programs are coordinated by student-leaders and are overseen by the America reads coordinator, Christine Cohen.
The Paxinosa PALS Club is an after school program for students at Paxinosa Elementary who need additional academic support. Tutors assist students in completing homework assignments and help facilitate engaging educational activities that improve literacy, mathematical, and communication skills.
Pre-K Counts at the YMCA fosters learning and imaginative play with children ages 3-5. Tutors will engage in fun activities with the children and help guide their exploration of learning and creativity. This helps develop their social skills and diversifies their interactions with a broader range of people.
Cheston Cougar Learning Club (CCLC) is an afterschool program held at Cheston Elementary school where tutors assist students with homework help and aid in improving math and reading skills. Tutors also focus on mentorship to help build confidence in students and teach the power of meaningful connections.
Tutors act as mentors in study sessions by encouraging students to engage in learning. Tutors assist teachers in both during and after school programs to foster academic success. Tutors support students in developing hard and soft skills through various leadership and group activities.