Philadelphia teacher seeks help funding fine dining etiquette trip for students
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia-area educator's plan to teach students fine-dining etiquette is in jeopardy after fundraising efforts fell short.
Patrice Lamar-Bey, director of sixth grade at a local middle school, hoped to take her class to the Capitol Grille in Center City for an etiquette lesson on Dec. 17. But so far, she has raised less than $100 of the $3,000 needed for the trip.
"Just asking for simple donations. Like, the economy right now, I get it. Like, everybody's going through their own situations," Lamar-Bey said. "Also, I'm not in the classroom, I am... I do have a bigger role, so I wasn't able to push it out as much as I wanted."
Lamar-Bey organized a similar trip last year for students at Chester Community Charter School. In previous years, she held etiquette lessons in the classroom for her fifth graders - including a 2023 session that went viral.
"So, it's so much more than just learning how to act at a restaurant, or how to eat with the proper fork, because it's an experience," she said. "It gives them a sense of belonging to me. It gives them a sense of, I can get this too. I can earn this too. And I can... and I just belong here, you know? I belong here."
The planned outing remains scheduled for Dec. 17, but Lamar-Bey said fundraising will need to pick up quickly to make it happen.
