Allentown, Pa., March 3, 2020—The Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently received a $50,000 grant from the PPL Foundation. The grant will support The Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation which provides funding primarily to the Allentown School District to support the Allentown Learning Dome, located at Louis E. Dieruff High School. The fund also supports STEM projects in the Allentown School District (ASD).
“The grant from the PPL Foundation will fortify the Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, enabling the fund to support the ongoing maintenance, sustainability, and programming of the Allentown Learning Dome,” said Bernie Story, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We thank the PPL Foundation for this $50,000 grant which builds upon previous contributions from the Community Foundation, and local businesses, led by Lee Butz of Alvin H. Butz, Inc., whose support made the Learning Dome possible by providing for new equipment and needed renovations. Their contributions along with the state funding secured by state Senator Pat Browne will help support the Learning Dome well into the future.”
The Learning Dome is open to all of ASD’s 17,000 students and is used for not only astronomy, but also for subjects such as ecology, environmental science, geology, biology and anatomy. The Dome can display a three-dimensional universe that allows students to explore stars and galaxies. Using various software, teachers can take students on a journey through different layers of Earth, teach about meteorology, and explore the inside of the human body.
The PPL Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. This year, the PPL Foundation received more than 100 applications during this highly competitive grant cycle. The Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation was one of 13 organizations to be selected for a grant.
“We are continuously inspired by the caring, commitment and creativity of the many nonprofit organizations such as the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation who make a lasting difference in our communities, and this year’s grant recipients are no exception. We’re proud to support their efforts,” said Ryan Hill, PPL Foundation president.
About the PPL Foundation
Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation promotes the development of sustainable communities and supports children’s success from cradle to career. The PPL Foundation contributes more than $3 million annually to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.pplcares.com.
About Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
For more than five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who know and navigate the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter. The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit: www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.