Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. held its “All Staff Fun Day” on May 24 at Misericordia University. After a meeting to discuss next year’s benefits with representatives of Geisinger and Creative Benefits, LCHS staff participated in fun activities for the rest of the afternoon to kick off the long holiday weekend.

LCHS Board of Directors President Stacey Kile hosted “Geisinger Games.” Participants spun a wheel and landed on exercises to do for prizes, like squats and jumping jacks.

Staff members played yard games and relaxed in the sunshine. Several employees even volunteered to share their talents by teaching a class, including Cheryl Wallitsch (chunky hand knitting), Angela Dube (crocheting), Kelly Billig (canvas painting), Sunshine Campen (no-bake cooking), Callista Connors (tie dye artistry) and Eva Kennedy (scrapbooking). Mobile Om Massage offered 15-minute massages. The day also included gentle yoga with Jill Price and mindfulness meditation.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Two former Luzerne County Head Start students set to graduate high school and pursue post-secondary education received awards from the Jeff Koppel Memorial Head Start Scholarship Fund in partnership with the Pennsylvania Head Start Association.  

Bara’a Kamal of Kingston and Emily Jacien of West Wyoming were named winners of the fourth and final Jeff Koppel Memorial Scholarship during PHSA’s Annual Membership Meeting on May 22. Established in 2021 to honor Jeff Koppel’s life and valuable contributions to the Head Start community, the scholarship recognizes Head Start graduates with outstanding academic and personal achievements, along with strong leadership and initiative.

Since its inception, the fund has awarded nine scholarships totaling $22,000 to Pennsylvania Head Start alumni. Sharon Koppel, Jeff’s wife and best friend, told the scholarship recipients: “It matters the kind of person you become. Jeff lived a life that mattered. With this scholarship, we hope we can pass on a bit of Jeff’s spirit and legacy to you.”

Both students also received LCHS Alumni Scholarships at the agency’s 59th Anniversary Luncheon on May 13. 

Bara’a, a senior at Wyoming Valley West High School, earned a $3,000 Jeff Koppel Memorial Scholarship. She also received the $2,000 Benco Family Foundation Scholarship from LCHS. Bara’a attended the LCHS Edwardsville Center, where Cindie Zupancic was her teacher. She plans to study mechanical engineering at Wilkes University.  

Bara’a said that as a future Arab woman in STEM, she hopes to challenge herself and societal stereotypes while increasing representation for others like her. Ultimately, she wants to become a voice for young women in marginalized communities. These ambitions, she noted, originated from the foundation of being a Head Start student.  

“This chance introduced my 4-year-old self to academic and social skills, both of which are crucial for success. It assisted in developing my cognitive and emotional abilities as well as fostering creativity and critical thinking,” she said. “Being able to interact with my peers at such an early age allowed for strong socialization principles to be established. My accomplishments throughout primary and secondary school can only be attributed to the smooth transition that was cultivated in Head Start.”   

Bara’a serves as president of the Student Council, co-president of Black Youth in Action and lead representative of the All Over the World Club. She’s also a member and past vice president of the National Honor Society. Bara’a participates in Future Business Leaders of America, where she was a state qualifier by placing fourth in the region for cyber security, and the Wilkes University IEEE Engineering Olympics. She also competed with the Pennsylvania Math League. 

Outside of school, Bara’a stays active in her community as a senior volunteer for the SCHOLARS tutoring program. She’s also participated in the Al-Noor Islamic Academy Girls Youth Group and University of Scranton High School Scholars. Additionally, she works part time at Jo-Ann Fabrics.  

Emily, a senior at Wyoming Area Secondary Center, earned a $2,500 Jeff Koppel Memorial Scholarship. She also received the $1,000 Luzerne County Bar Association Charitable Foundation Scholarship from LCHS. Emily attended the LCHS Pittston New Street Center, where Lynn Meizanis was her teacher. She plans to study architecture at Thomas Jefferson University. During her architecture career, she hopes to incorporate environmental sustainability into her designs and increase the availability of high-quality, yet affordable housing.  

Emily said Head Start provided the foundation for her success in school and in life while preparing her to overcome future challenges. “I believe that the Head Start scholarship will help finance my college education, putting me in a position to make my plans to help others a reality,” she said.  

Emily is a member of the National Honor Society and Drama Club and spends her free time drawing, crocheting, painting and making ceramics. She’s also participated in volleyball and archery. She previously attended Business Exploration Camp and Architecture Camp. Her volunteerism includes helping at the Wyoming Area Children’s Produce Market, donating items to charities and decorating Daley Park in West Wyoming. She also works part time at Gerrity’s Supermarket. 

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Soft hues of purple and blue surround Luzerne County Head Start children as they take off their shoes and walk on the padded floor of a new sensory room at the Beekman Street Center in Wilkes-Barre. When the classroom feels overwhelming, it’s there to help students calm down.

From there, the children can unwind in a compression “canoe” that feels like a hug, busy their hands and minds with a sensory toy, or quietly read a book with their teacher about the emotions they’re feeling. The safe, calming environment is meant to help children with self-regulation and relaxation so they can be prepared to learn and interact with others.

As a response to the heightened social-emotional needs of young children, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Head Start Heroes team of Leadership Northeast Core Class of 2024 collaborated with Luzerne County Head Start to give students a way to cope. Last Friday, they celebrated the completion of the agency’s first-ever sensory room with a ribbon cutting.

Head Start Heroes included Chelsey Coslett, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC); Michele Duris, Step by Step, Inc.; Amy Hoyt, Building Blocks Learning Center; AJ Jump, F.M. Kirby Center; Chris Mayerski, Wilkes University; Jaclyn Reisser, Mobiniti; and Rebecca Thomas, Empower. 

“Seeing the room in its completeness today is extremely emotional, but even more emotional than that was seeing the kids go in it for the first time,” Coslett told the local media. 

Head Start Heroes completed the sensory room for the Community Impact Project component of their Leadership experience. They hosted the Tunes for Tots benefit concert at River Street Jazz Cafe in April to fundraise for the project and invited supporters to make monetary donations or purchase items for the sensory room directly from an Amazon Wish List.

Along with consulting Luzerne County Head Start leadership and staff, the team visited sensory rooms at Beyond Behavior and Mohegan Sun Arena for expertise and inspiration. Once the team hit their fundraising goal, they painted the room, put down the flooring, designed the layout and finally, set up the sensory items. 

The sensory room will benefit all children at the Beekman Street Center for years to come, especially those with high needs. Beekman Street is the agency’s largest center, and its sensory room will serve as a model for other sites. Luzerne County Head Start staff will receive training on how to best utilize the sensory room. 

“Words really cannot express the impact this experience has had on us and how much we’ve enjoyed the whole entire process,” Hoyt told the crowd at the ribbon cutting. “When our team initially met, we knew we wanted to create an impact on the community that would last, and what better way than to invest in children and impact not just today’s children, but hopefully generations to come.” 

Others in attendance included representatives from the offices of Senator Bob Casey, Representative Matt Cartwright, and Senator Marty Flynn, Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, officials from the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce and community members. Senator Flynn’s office presented Luzerne County Head Start and Leadership Northeast with a certificate of recognition from the Senate of Pennsylvania.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) held its 59th Anniversary Luncheon on May 13 to celebrate its longstanding commitment to enhancing the quality of life for low-income children and their families. Along with recognizing its staff for milestone years of service, LCHS awarded college scholarships to former Head Start students and honored its community partners. Geisinger was this year’s exclusive Diamond-level sponsor.

Now in its 38th year, the LCHS Alumni Scholarship Program – funded by businesses, organizations and individuals in the community – honors the achievements of former Head Start preschool students set to graduate from high school and continue their education. LCHS awarded $22,000 in scholarships this year to 16 seniors from seven school districts in Luzerne and Wyoming counties, bringing the total to $355,450 since the program’s inception. This year’s scholarship recipients were:

• Heidi Knoss, Tunkhannock Area High School, $5,000 Fran Williams Memorial Scholarship. 
• Bara’a Kamal, Wyoming Valley West High School, $2,000 Benco Family Foundation Scholarship.
• Isabel Vazquez, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $1,500 Eugene Hogan Memorial Scholarship.
• Lucy Obrzut, Wyoming Area High School, $1,500 Tomalis-Gatusky Family Scholarship.
• Jacinda Miller, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $1,000 Tomalis-Gatusky Family Scholarship.
• Ibraheem Latifou, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $1,000 PNC Bank Scholarship.
• Tina-Pearl Nghotambo, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $1,000 Navient Community Fund Scholarship.
• Katelyn Tereska, Lake-Lehman High School, $1,000 George R. Evans Memorial Scholarship.
• Joseph Souder, Wyoming Valley West High School, $1,000 Mary & Tom Sewatsky Family Scholarship.
• Marie Popielarz, Dallas High School, $1,000 LCHS Board of Directors Lena Taylor Memorial Scholarship.
• Emily Jacien, Wyoming Area High School, $1,000 Luzerne County Bar Association Charitable Foundation Scholarship.
• Ivy Visneski, Northwest Area High School, $1,000 Church of Christ Uniting Scholarship.
• Shirley Samanta Bermejo-Calle, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $1,000 Friends of Head Start Scholarship.
• Julitza Cazares Gaspar, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $500 LCHS Policy Council Claudia O’Boyle Memorial Scholarship and $500 Delaney Family Scholarship.
• Michelle Muñoz-Cordero, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $500 Coombs Family Memorial Scholarship, $250 Pittston Tomato Festival Committee Scholarship, and $250 Benco Family Foundation Scholarship.
• Jadon Tlatenchi, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, $500 Cross Valley Federal Credit Union Scholarship and $500 Travis Black Scholarship.

Heidi Knoss: Fran Williams Memorial Scholarship

Bara’a Kamal: Benco Family Foundation Scholarship

Isabel Vazquez: Eugene Hogan Memorial Scholarship

Lucy Obrzut: Tomalis-Gatusky Family Scholarship

Jacinda Miller: Tomalis-Gatusky Family Scholarship

Tina-Pearl Nghotambo: Navient Community Fund Scholarship

Joseph Souder: Mary & Tom Sewatsky Family Scholarship

Emily Jacien: Luzerne County Bar Association Charitable Foundation Scholarship

Ivy Visneski: Church of Christ Uniting Scholarship

Shirley Samanta Bermejo-Calle: Friends of Head Start Scholarship

Julitza Cazares Gaspar: LCHS Policy Council Claudia O’Boyle Scholarship and Delaney Family Scholarship

Michelle Muñoz-Cordero: Coombs Family Memorial Scholarship, Pittston Tomato Festival Committee Scholarship and Benco Family Foundation Scholarship

Jadon Tlatenchi: Cross Valley Federal Credit Union Scholarship and Travis Black Scholarship

Scholarship students with their sponsors at this year’s luncheon.

LCHS established the Outstanding Community Partner Award 40 years ago to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the agency. Since then, more than 120 businesses, organizations and individuals have been named Outstanding Community Partners based on nominations from LCHS employees. This year, the agency honored three Outstanding Community Partners:   

• Sergeant James Sheridan, Wilkes-Barre City Police Department 
• UGI Utilities, Inc. & UGI Energy Services 
• Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley 

LCHS Family Engagement Specialist Kati Autolitano presents the Outstanding Community Partner Award to Sergeant James Sheridan, Wilkes-Barre City Police Department.

LCHS Back Mountain staff present the Outstanding Community Partner Award to UGI Utilities, Inc. and UGI Energy Services. Pictured from left: LCHS Family Worker Emily Kyllonen; Ann Blaskiewicz, UGI Utilities, Inc.; Mary Ann Wadzin, UGI Energy Services; and LCHS Teacher Jodi Cunningham.

LCHS IT Tech Support Jesse Simon presents the Outstanding Community Partner Award to Chavah Granovetter, representing the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley.

Additionally, LCHS gave special recognition to Luzerne County Community College President Thomas P. Leary, who will soon retire from LCCC after 50 years of service. LCHS operates four preschool classrooms between LCCC’s campuses in Nanticoke and Hazleton, and President Leary’s support of the Head Start mission has been instrumental in this partnership.  

LCHS Assistant Executive Director Beth White received the Bold Leadership Award. This award acknowledges and celebrates exemplary leadership that has a significant impact on the children, families, and staff at LCHS. It recognizes those who demonstrate initiative, serve as outstanding role models, and inspire others to work collaboratively and creatively, while serving as a champion for the children and families LCHS serves.

LCHS Executive Director Lynn Evans Biga presents a special gift to Luzerne County Community College President Thomas P. Leary.

LCHS Executive Director Lynn Evans Biga, left, presents the Bold Leadership Award to LCHS Assistant Executive Director Beth White.

LCHS also recognized 40 staff members, Foster Grandparents, bus drivers/monitors and board members for milestone years of service to the agency. This year’s honorees were: 

Priscila Andrade

Crystal Avalos-Hendrickson

Kelly Bartron

Jane Chakiris

Angela Dube

Giselle Cotto

Lourdes Duverge

Jamie Lee Feliciano

Deanna Lange

Eneida Lugo Cardona

Jeimy Quezada

Irma Rosado

Stacey Sturdevant

Deborah Tavaglione

Dana Weidman

Maria Urena De Santos

Rosalie Winiewicz

Colleen Baird

Kate Borton

Deborah Buchanan

Melissa Janick

Karen Laidacker

Cheryl Wallitsch

Tanya DeWolfe

Victoria Lucas

Madeleyne O’Brien

Christina Shovlin

Keira Radginski

Aimee Schneider

Dana Weidman and Aimee Schneider, daughter and mother celebrating 5 and 25 years, respectively.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

All photos by Katerina Que Photography