Education students at Westminster College transformed classroom learning into meaningful community action this semester by organizing a food drive to support students and families served by Wilmington Area School District’s (WASD) Paws Pantry.

As part of the course—EDU 450: Teaching in Areas of High Need—students explored how poverty creates barriers to learning and examined ways educators can help disrupt those barriers. Building on those lessons, the nine students in the course designed and carried out a food drive focused on supporting local families during the winter holiday season.

Donations were collected at Joseph’s Marketplace in New Castle, Pa., where students organized multiple collection days following Thanksgiving to help replenish the pantry’s supplies and prepare for increased needs leading into Christmas. Working in three small groups, students coordinated donation times and managed the collection effort independently.

The food drive resulted in four large boxes of canned goods and more than $100 in donations, which WASD Paws Pantry can use to meet its most pressing needs. The pantry serves students and families across the Wilmington Area School District and is open to anyone in the district in need of assistance.

“There is always a need to help others, and by supplying basic necessities, it can make a huge difference in societal gaps and take away the burden and worry of food and toiletries,” said Dr. Claire Fauzey ’08, assistant professor of education. “No students should have to worry about whether there is enough food at home. Learning can’t take place when basic needs aren’t met. I hope students continue projects like this on their own.”

While EDU 450 has included community-based projects in past years, Fauzey said this year’s focus on a food drive was intentional, offering students an experience they could replicate in their future schools and communities.

The project reflects the School of Education’s emphasis on preparing future educators to support the whole child.

“Teaching isn’t always about test scores,” Fauzey said. “It’s about empathy and understanding the real-world situations some students may face. By learning about poverty and responding through service, our students are developing the skills and awareness needed to become better educators in high-need settings.”

For more information, please contact Fauzey at fauzeycl@westminster.edu.

To learn more about Westminster’s School of Education, please visit www.westminster.edu/education.

Katie Gray Kelley ’11, left, and therapy dog Willie collect donations for the WASD Paws Pantry from Westminster College students Megan Darno of Beaver Falls, Pa., center, and Olivia Rich of New Castle, Pa. 

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