Bright Stars of Bethlehem is thrilled to announce that we've been awarded a $1 million grant from USAID/ASHA to build a state-of-the-art Hospitality Educational Center at Dar al-Kalima University on the campus in Bethlehem, Palestine. The new capital project will feature an architecturally unique restaurant that will showcase a 360-degree view of the Holy Land, in addition to an educational kitchen with four spacious cooking stations.
This grant is the single largest grant awarded to BSB to date. We're excited to partner with USAID/ASHA and the Dar al-Kalima Friendship Association in Germany on this project to empower the next generation of creative leaders in Palestine.
An exhilarating aspect of Dar al-Kalima (DAK), the first and only multi-level degree-granting university of arts and culture in all of Palestine, is its ongoing extension of entrepreneurial preparation. Currently, the focus is directed on the construction of a new Hospitality Educational Center (HEC), offering education in culinary arts and sustainable cultural tourism. The Center will eclipse 10,000 square feet, use green energy, and include a professional kitchen and training restaurant, so students gain firsthand experience in the hospitality industry. The HEC will be built atop one of the highest mountains in Bethlehem and become a landmark in the city. This flagship project is a critical expansion of DAK’s curriculum and amplification of partnerships within the hospitality/tourism private sector. Tourism is one of the primary industries in Palestine, and the Bethlehem region accounts for 64% of that business. The HEC will equip its graduates with the skills and competencies needed to play a much larger part in that arena--possibly through employment at one of the twelve hotels and seven restaurants with which DAK has forged partnerships. The HEC also promises to lead to the establishment of new entrepreneurial endeavors in the sector, contributing to the growth of the local economy. The new Hospitality center will prepare Palestinian students for greater economic stability for themselves and their community.
This two-year construction project is estimated to cost $1.4 million+ and is therefore a major focus of Bright Stars of Bethlehem (BSB), the fund development arm of DAK in the United States. Grants are being sought through American governmental organizations that fund educational projects abroad as well as gifts from individual and corporate donors.
