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Bethlehem Opportunities Unlimited

About Bethlehem Opportunities Unlimited

Bethlehem Opportunities Unlimited (BOU) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes prevention education and safe, healthy activities for the youth in our community. Our ongoing purpose is to prevent drug and alcohol use and other risky behaviors among young people residing in the Town of Bethlehem or attending school in the Bethlehem Central School District. To help meet these goals, BOU awards grants for a wide variety of initiatives targeting students, parents, younger children and the community. BOU also collaborates with other organizations such as Student Senate and Bethlehem Parks and Recreation to promote healthy youth development. To learn more about BOU or join our Board, please contact the BOU Board (boubethlehem@gmail.com). Donations can be made by check payable to “BOU” and mailed to BOU, PO Box 492, Delmar NY 12054. BOU is a 501(c) (3) organization.

List of Events

  • Talking with Your Teen – Thursday, December 6, 2018
    BCHS Cafeteria, start at 6:30 p.m.
  • Life After BC – Thursday, January 3, 2019
    BCHS Room G-100, starting at 6 p.m.
  • 7th Annual Community Spelling Bee – Tuesday, March 5, 2019
    (Snow date: Tuesday, March 6)
    BCHS Cafeteria and LMC, starting at 6:30 p.m.

BOU Talking With Your Teen informationTalking with Your Teen: Clearing the Fog – Thursday, December 6

Bethlehem Opportunities Unlimited (BOU) is pleased to invite you to join them for an important program on teen use of marijuana and electronic cigarettes, including vaping and “Juuling.”

When: Thursday, December 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Bethlehem Central High School cafeteria

Who is it for?  Parents and guardians, along with students in grades 6 to 12

What will I learn? The program will explore teen use and risks of marijuana, which is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S. by teens as well as adults.  There will also be a discussion on electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, which are now the most popular form of nicotine use among middle and high school students. In fact, more teens use these products today than smoke cigarettes.

Packaged to look like USB thumb drives, pens, sticks of gum or erasers, e-cigarettes are available in candy, fruit and alcohol flavors, making them very attractive to teens and adolescents. And, e-cigarettes can also be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs in the form of a liquid extract.

Featured speakers include: Dr. Dennis McKenna, emergency room physician at Albany Medical Center Hospital; First Sergeant Tracy Mance, Albany County Sheriff’s Office and director of the Choices program; and a young, recovering substance abuser who is working to help teens make better choices.

The program will conclude with a Question & Answer session, and a variety of organizations will be on hand to provide material on these topics.

Resources: The American Lung Association has several resources for parents to learn more about vaping, including health consequences, risks of secondhand emissions, and kids and e-cigarettes. You can view or download those resources here.

Grants & Activities

Anyone can apply for grant funding. Most applications are developed by parent organizations, collaborations of District staff, or community groups. Grant application forms can be obtained by clicking below. Submit completed grant applications to bougrants@gmail.com. Applications are reviewed by the BOU Board for consistency with goals, cost-effectiveness, and available alternative funding.

Below are grants that were awarded in the 2014-2015 school year:

  • BC Physical Education Dept. Color Dash 5K
  • BCMS Costume Ball
  • Bethlehem Youth Court Training
  • BCHS Girls Night Out
  • BC Kids Vote Too
  • 5th Grade “Survivor” Day at Town Park
  • Bethlehem Senior Celebration

two yellow note padsSupporting BOU, “Memo to School” Pads for Sale

“Memo to School Pads” are for sale for $3 in the main offices of all BC schools or at any BOU event. Individual donations, fundraising events and these sales benefit the BOU’s youth activities and prevention education programs.