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Whitehall High students secure $1,000 TeenWorks grant to equip Gockley sensory room
Summary
Three Whitehall High School students, supported by special education staff, won a $1,000 TeenWorks grant from the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley to buy sensory tools to repair and expand an elementary sensory room at Gockley Elementary.
Students and staff from Whitehall High School told the Board of School Directors on May 19 that they received a $1,000 grant from the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s TeenWorks program to buy new sensory equipment for Gockley Elementary’s sensory room.
Tenth-grader Anya Bugetsky, who described herself as a student on the autism spectrum, said three high-school students worked with district staff to prepare the grant application and presentation to TeenWorks’ board. “The TeamWorks Board discussed and approved a $1,000 grant to the school to help purchase new sensory materials to further equip the sensory room at Gockley,” she said during the meeting.
Planned purchases: students and staff listed items intended for the room, including tactile floor mats, a small trampoline, a weighted shoulder wrap, a body sock, sensory bins and other weighted or tactile items. Presenters said some current equipment is broken and considered unsafe for younger children.
Why it matters: sensory rooms are intended to help students with sensory regulation needs take private, supervised breaks to self-regulate in a safe space. Presenters said repairing and restocking the room will support students who become overwhelmed during class time and may reduce behavioral incidents.
Next steps: the TeenWorks committee requested a small gold plaque recognizing the donation to be placed near the sensory room. District staff and student presenters said they will coordinate purchasing and placement of the equipment and plaque.
