FROM THE NEST | FALL/WINTER 2025 | 17 Zilong Pan, assistant professor of teaching, learning and technology, was on the tour with Sandilos. The two decided to blend their areas of expertise—Pan’s is in educational technology and academics. Born was a research project, ImmersED, featuring Centennial’s ILC. Starting with a small team of undergraduate students through the Lehigh Valley Social Impact Fellowship program, the team expanded, adding two doctoral students, and received a faculty innovation grant that helped move their work forward. The first developed module, focused on the water cycle, integrates mindfulness and yoga with science concepts, using videos captured around the Lehigh Valley with a GoPro camera. The team is collecting teacher feedback before expanding to subjects such as English Language Arts and social studies, and they’re considering other ideas such as astronomy. Expanding use into community schools like those in the Bethlehem Area School District is also possible. ImmersED, using the ILC, is just one example of ways Centennial School partners with and supports research, both at Lehigh and to the outside education community. A number of Centennial faculty members also present their own research at national and international conferences each year, according to Fogt. And currently, there are four staff members at the school who are affiliated faculty members in the College of Education and publish their own research papers. Fogt is currently on four dissertation committees, which is another way the school assists with research. “In the last two years, three doctoral-level students completed their dissertations through data collection here at the school,” Fogt said. “They conducted their studies at the school, so the school itself values research and helps support Lehigh students who are working to complete their degrees. And we work with professors.” Celebrating 60 Years Centennial School was founded during Lehigh’s 100th anniversary, which is how it acquired its name, and began with eight students in the basement of Drown Hall. In just over a year, attendance grew to 66 children. Centennial School was relocated to an industrial park near the Lehigh Valley International Airport more than 30 years ago after calling numerous places home. It began as a more typical K-12 school for children of faculty members but pivoted to work with students with learning challenges and eventually the population it currently serves, students with autism and emotional disturbance. The pivot predates federal legislation supporting students with disabilities, which displayed Lehigh’s forward thinking, something that amazed Fogt. “It’s a pretty dynamic partnership,” said Fogt, who is in her 30th year at Centennial, beginning as a school psychologist and serving as associate director prior to her current position. “It requires a lot of trust on both parts, but it’s worked well for six decades, and it allows us to train exceptionally qualified individuals to work with the students with challenging needs. And it benefits the state in that there are many more well-qualified teachers to enter the profession of special education.” The ILC is another example of that forward thinking that has helped Centennial School meet the needs of its students while also preparing educators. But it’s also the day-to-day impact the school and its educators have on Centennial students that has led to the school’s success and longevity. “Our parents will tell us, ‘You’ve changed our lives,’ because when their child starts to demonstrate success in school, everything else starts to fall in place for a lot of these families,” Fogt said. “They don’t have the conflict at home around the problems that they’re having in school. Students come home from school and they are positive about what has transpired, and they’re not plagued with discussing school discipline issues. … And for many families we start to raise the possibility of different opportunities for their kids.” A Tight-Knit Community The way Centennial School was founded and began to grow helped establish a tight-knit community by nature. But still having that approach and feel 60 years later is something Fogt believes is intentional because of the philosophy of the school itself, which is providing a caring, nurturing and positive learning environment for students who are often marginalized in society. She believes Centennial changes the teachers’ lives as well. The philosophy of the school, along with the training and support, carries over to the teachers, who learn to have productive and positive relationships with their colleagues. Sandilos has noticed the tight-knit community through online courses she teaches for Lehigh’s social, emotional and behavioral wellness certificate. Centennial teachers are often students in her class. Sandilos said she can see how much the teachers learn from teaching at Centennial, and she can sense the positive support structures within the school. She also experienced the school’s tight-knit reputation through her ImmersED research project, and getting to know educators at Centennial. “We really see that, especially when we were getting feedback from teachers on our modules—how well they know their students and how much they care about the instructional content that they provide,” Sandilos said. Additionally, Sandilos said she has witnessed it in the students who do practicum—hands-on learning experiences at Lehigh— through Lehigh’s school psychology program. After her students spend a year at Centennial, she said she sees how committed they are to the school and the mission, and how much they’ve grown as school psychologists. Centennial School’s Immersive Learning Center featuring 360-degree photos and videos allows students to experience the topics they learn. Centennial School’s philosophy is providing a caring, nurturing and positive learning environment for students who are often marginalized in society.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==