Donating to BCS

To continue to offer multi-age, experiential education for the whole child, Bethlehem Children’s School relies on our community’s generosity. Your support goes to furthering our mission of inspiring a life-long love of learning while developing a deep connection to self, others, and the world. 

BCS is dependent on the generous support of our families and community to continue providing the programs we all love. Every year, we must raise at least $100,000 of additional funding to balance our annual budget.

pTo continue to offer multi-age, experiential education for the whole child, Bethlehem Children’s School relies on our community’s generosity. Your support goes to furthering our mission of inspiring a life-long love of learning while developing a deep connection to self, others, and the world. Furthermore, your commitment to a recurring monthly gift provides a consistent stream of support that provides stability throughout the school year.

Your donations to the BCS Annual Fund will allow us to continue to provide a unique educational experience in our region by providing the support we need to retain our enthusiastic and talented staff, maintain the campus and facilities in which our students can thrive, and operate as an independent school, with deep roots that enable us to withstand the occasional storm. 

This year, we have made progress on several projects such as:

1. Playground Upgrades: The much-loved former play structure has been removed, and the climbing dome moved into the main play area where students are joyfully embracing the additional space for creative play | Status: Live

2. Forest Rehabilitation Project: In the last ten years we have lost dozens of large, mature ash trees throughout our campus, particularly in our main forested area. The once lush and shaded groves have been decimated by the emerald ash borer, and the area needs intervention both to curb the opportunistic invasive plants that have begun to take over and also to plant and protect new native trees in support of the local ecosystem. Using input, materials, and support from Pine Hollow Arboretum and Capital Region Partnership for Invasive Species Management (CR-PRISM), we’re working to rehabilitate our forest by tackling invasives, clearing out fallen ash trees, and planting new native trees and shrubs to help the area thrive.  BCS students are learning firsthand about invasive species management and forest stewardship, thanks to grants from The Bethlehem Garden Club and the Eastern NY Chapter of the Air & Waste Management Association | Status: In Progress

Once Annual Fund needs are met, additional funds will be directed to ambitious projects that will transform and modernize BCS, such as:

1. Facilities Upgrades: BCS plans to make several upgrades to our school facilities (roof and wall insulation, door and window replacements, heat pumps for yurts, and roof seal coating) that will make the school more comfortable year-round, lower its heating and cooling costs, and reduce its environmental impact | Status: Awaiting Grant Award Notification

2. Natural Playground: BCS is imagineering a one-of-a-kind “natural playground” that promises to engage our students like never before while transforming our schoolyard with mountains, slides, rock climbs and other natural features that will help them discover and learn about nature while they play | Status: Pursuing Grading Permit

To donate to the Annual Fund, please select an option below!

We are so excited to share an opportunity to make a lasting impact on our community and the lives of students. Bethlehem Children’s School is embarking on a project to reimagine our campus and create new nature-based play and outdoor learning spaces, and we invite you to be a part of our journey.

To bring this vision to life, we are offering a special way for you to contribute: by purchasing personalized Leaves and Acorns on our Giving Tree and helping the project grow. These Leaves and Acorns will be displayed on our outdoor Giving Tree sign to show the generous contributions of BCS community members who helped kick off this new initiative!

To donate to The Giving Tree, select an option below!

1. Venmo

Click through to our Venmo page (@BethlehemChildrensSchool, confirmation digits -3631), and instantly make a donation using a bank account, credit card, or your Venmo balance.

2. PayPal

Click on the donate button to instantly make a donation using a bank account, credit card, or your PayPal balance

3. Cash or Check

Make checks payable to “Bethlehem Children’s School,” and mail them to:

Bethlehem Children’s School
12 Fisher Boulevard
Slingerlands, NY 12054

4. Through Your Employer

You may be able to give through your employer. Workplace campaigns such as United Way or America’s Charities offer the option of payroll deduction, and even a company match. If you enter “Bethlehem Children’s School” as your charity, along with the 501(c)(3) number 14-1780414, your generosity will benefit our school.

5. Help Grow Our Library

Did you know that we’re growing a library? We have lots of amazing books already that we can’t wait to share with our students! Our library wishlist is here, if you’d like to purchase a title to add to our shelves. You can email Nicole (nicole@bethlehemchildrensschool.org) to add an inscription.

If you have you donations of classroom equipment to share, or have the time and skills to help better our school by volunteering, we gratefully accept in-kind donations, too. Please drop us a line—518-478-0224, or admin@bethlehemchildrensschool.org—to make arrangements.

We hope you will join us in supporting our students’ important discoveries—this year and for many years to come. We wish you happiness, wellness, and muddy boots, galore!