PA Cyber Leads Statewide Service Project in Honor of MLK
Students and Families to Mark 30th Anniversary of National Day of Service with Week of 10 Volunteer Events Across PA
January 13, 2025
PA Cyber students, family members, and staff are supporting their communities in the coming days through a united statewide effort to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. They will donate household goods and their time to various organizations, including Emmaus Soup Kitchen, Binky Patrol, Foster Love, and Sweet Cases.
“At PA Cyber we’re committed to providing a dynamic educational experience and delivering innovative teaching in a culture of caring,” said PA Cyber CEO Brian Hayden. “As Dr. King famously said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
“These volunteer opportunities extend lessons beyond the classroom and exemplify that learning is a social activity strengthened through personal and civic engagement,” added Hayden.
The cyber charter school is hosting the following events throughout the state:
- January 15 in Allentown: PA Cyber families and staff will assemble arts and crafts activity bags for patients at the Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital. Supplies are provided by Crayola and PA Cyber.
- January 15 in Pittsburgh (South Side): Participants will prepare sandwiches and assemble brown bag lunches for the Northside Common Shelter. Lunches will be delivered on the same day.
- January 21 in Wilkes-Barre: At Pour Coffee House, PA Cyber families and staff will make scarves for the homeless.
- January 21 in Harrisburg: Families and staff will create no-sew blankets that will be donated to a local shelter.
- January 22 in Tyrone: Families and students will assemble craft kits for children’s programming at the Tyrone-Snyder Public Library.
- January 22 in State College: Families and staff will make blankets and scarves for the Out of the Cold homeless shelter in Centre County.
- January 22 in Greensburg: Participants will make no-sew blankets that will be donated to Binky Patrol. Binky Patrol distributes blankets to children who are in foster care, homeless, or battling chronic and terminal illnesses.
- January 23 in Erie: PA Cyber families and staff will make 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that will be donated to the Emmaus Soup Kitchen.
- January 23 in Philadelphia: Participants will decorate birthday and superhero boxes and fill them with items to help make the children in the care of Foster Love feel special.
- January 23 in Pittsburgh (Warrendale): Families and staff will decorate duffle bags called sweet cases and fill them with comfort items for children in foster care who often carry their belongings in trash bags. The sweet cases provide these children with a heartwarming gift and a more comfortable way to transfer their belongings.
“This service project not only brings our students and families together to give back to our local communities – it also shows them that there is no one right way to give back,” says Mike Bergstrom, representative of PA Cyber’s Erie office. “The variety of volunteer activities that our offices take part in is astounding.”
Added Pittsburgh-South Side office representative Jackie Laffey, “Our students are excited to make a connection that we can foster all year long. They gather regularly and are always willing to get involved through community outreach.”
MEDIA CONTACT
Jennie Harris / jennie.harris@pacyber.org
About PA Cyber
Serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is the most experienced online public school in the Commonwealth. PA Cyber’s online learning environments, personalized instructional methods, and curricula choices connect Pennsylvania students and families with state-certified and highly qualified teachers and rich academic content aligned to state standards. Founded in 2000, PA Cyber is headquartered in Midland (Beaver County) and maintains a network of support offices throughout the state. As a public school, PA Cyber is open for enrollment to any school-age child residing in the Commonwealth. and does not charge tuition to students or families. As a public school, PA Cyber falls under the same funding as your local school district.