Georgette Salameh Center: Students and Visitors center

The Georgette Salameh Students & Visitors Center

Bethlehem University believes that facilities are an integral part of the educational experiences for the students and can largely influence it for the better. Despite the vitality of educational services that BU provides to thousands of students on campus, it lacks an essential facility dedicated to its students: to their learning, recreation, physical and mental well-being, local community engagement, and international exchange.

BU seeks to cover this gap in its facilities and largely improve the students’ experience, as well as disability and gender inclusion on its campus by the construction of the Georgette Salameh Students & Visitors Center.

The Georgette Salameh Student Center would be the first of its kind at BU and the first to be designed for the purpose of ensuring the inclusion of all students based on gender equality and empowerment, Disability, and physical and mental health well-being. The Student Center Building will include:

  • Student learning & recreation area
  • Fully accessible areas and services for students with disability
  • Adequate sports and fitness area for its 3,450 students and 400 faculty & staff, including female students facilities
  • A 150-seat lecture theater
  • A visitor’s reception center for thousands of visitors who visit the University and engage with the University’s students
  • A rooftop terrace that will flow into the existing Cafeteria and Education Buildings
  • A parking garage.

The Students & Visitors Center

Provides a social hub where students can join a club or society – spending time with peers of the same interests, doing something they enjoy, like chess club, debate club, poetry club, among others- which elevates their moods and creates a sense of community and friendship.

Provides a modern student-friendly physical space for the daily gathering and recreation of students, which is proven to be a good method to decrease anxiety and stress among youth.

Provides a venue where students can practice their hobbies and engage in activities that they are fond of on a daily basis.

Provides the space for vastly improved sports and fitness areas with adequate equipment, which promotes a healthy lifestyle and is proven to improve mental health among youth.

Ensures female equality, inclusion and empowerment by providing adequate gym and fitness space that meets their privacy needs, and considers cultural sensitivity, which will encourage them to engage in physical activities and sport teams.  This is very important given that female student compose up to 78% of the student population at BU.

Provides a large theater where students can train and host events, which gives them a voice in expressing themselves and their identities. This will include music, debate clubs, theatre drama and plays, and artistic shows.

Provides the programs and space where the youth empowerment and leadership take place, which helps in systemizing such programs and encourages more youth to join them and acquire skills for life.

BU Student Center Beyond the Classroom

3,200,000
Total Cost
1061116.2
Funds needed
2,138,883.8
Funds Raised

By donating for BU’s first Student Center, you will:

  • Help students get the very first area dedicated to their own needs where they can meet, study, recreate, interact, learn and engage in exchange.
  • Help students get their first adequate sport and fitness area, including students with disability, and promote the empowerment, engagement, and wellness of our students (78% of whom are female) through sports.
  • Promote the understanding between the people of Palestine and other countries by providing a permanent suitable venue where our students can meet and interact with visitors from around the globe.

We have already raised $1 Million for the building, another $1 Million is needed to start and complete its construction.

Help us match the donation!

Make a difference!