Skateboard Art on Display in Penn College Gallery

July 23, 2010 - 12:36 p.m.

The Gallery at Penn College, on the third floor of Madigan Library, hosts “ Full Deck ,” a traveling exhibit of skateboard art on loan from the West Coast, through Sept. 22. An opening reception for the exhibit – an extraordinary medley of eye-popping color, unique self-expression and pungent social commentary – was held Thursday, July 22. Summer hours at the gallery – in effect through July 31 – are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Regular hours, which resume Aug. 1, are 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 2-8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. All exhibits are free and open to the public. The gallery will close Aug. 7 for commencement and Sept. 4-5 for Labor Day. For more, visit the PCToday photo gallery.

Grant to Help Penn College Deliver Marcellus Shale Training

July 22, 2010 - 5:00 p.m.

Federal grant funding totaling nearly $5 million will enable Penn College to serve as one of two regional hubs coordinating the delivery of job recruitment, training and placement services for the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry across several states. The college and Westmoreland County Community College will lead a consortium of colleges and training organizations tasked with training qualified workers in 69 counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The $4.964 million community-based job training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration – the largest awarded nationally for this federal funding opportunity – will allow for the creation of Marcellus ShaleNET, a comprehensive recruitment, training, placement and retention strategy for jobs in the gas industry.

Sovereign Bank Boosts Library Holdings in Two Curricular Areas

July 20, 2010 - 1:54 p.m.

A grant from Sovereign Bank will allow establishment of two new permanent book collections in Penn College’s Madigan Library. The $2,500 grant, through the Sovereign Bank Foundation, will support new collections in childhood development and in arts and media programming. In addition to supplementing curriculum for students in related School of Integrated Studies majors, both collections will be available to the general public during regular library hours. “We are so grateful for this support to help us meet the teaching and learning needs of our faculty and students,” said Lisette N. Ormsbee, library director. “At the same time, Sovereign Bank’s generosity allows us to expand the library’s reach to the local community with books on game-based learning, home schooling, creative teaching, arts education, animation, storytelling and much more.

College Team Members Grateful for Goal-Topping 'Relay' Effort

July 14, 2010 - 10:59 a.m.

The Penn College Relay for Life team thanks everyone who helped to make this year’s event so successful. The response was tremendous: With the college community's help, the team raised $5,407, which surpassed its $5,000 goal! The Penn College family provided raffle prizes, bought raffle tickets totaling $1,800, purchased luminaria, donated to Dress Down day and contributed money. Someone even made cupcakes decorated with beautiful pink ribbons to sell at the event. The 17 members of this year’s team send a huge "Thank you" to all who assisted them. They look forward to next year’s event, encourage colleagues to send them ideas for next year, and hope more will join the team as they walk, walk, walk to defeat the disease that has touched so many lives at Penn College.

Madigan Library Initiates Memberships for High School Students

July 12, 2010 - 3:04 p.m.

Expanding on its educational opportunities for faculty, staff, students and adult residents of surrounding communities, Penn College’s Madigan Library has begun offering nominally priced memberships to a previously underserved population: high schoolers. Students between the ages of 15 and 18 – whether attending high school classes in person, online or at home – are encouraged to visit in person or  on the Web, or contact the main circulation desk (570-327-4523) to learn more. Memberships are $5 each, free to affiliated high school students.

Children's 'Water Day' Soothes Summer Scorcher

July 7, 2010 - 11:27 a.m.

As temperatures near 100 degrees, youngsters and staff at Penn College's Children’s Learning Center know that "Water Day" is a great way to beat the heat first thing in the morning. Children douse work-study student, Kattie I. Heisey, an early childhood education major from Richfield, with a cool (and no-doubt-refreshing) bucket of water Wednesday.
Photo by Jessica M. Milheim, Birds' group leader, Children's Learning Center

College President Featured in 'Business Woman' Magazine

July 6, 2010 - 5:16 p.m.

The campus and community connections of Davie Jane Gilmour, Penn College president, are recounted in the latest edition of Business Woman magazine. A PDF copy of the two-page cover story, accented with color photographs. follows:

[View PDF file]

Grant to Fund Installation of Turbine for Renewable Energy Major

June 30, 2010 - 5:19 p.m.

Students in Penn College’s new renewable energy technologies major soon will benefit from a highly visible instructional tool: a 10-kilowatt wind turbine to be erected this fall near the college’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center south of Williamsport. A $96,425 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a subcontract from a larger award to The Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, will fund installation of the “small wind” turbine atop a 60- to 100-foot tower along Route 15 near Allenwood.

Medical Assistant Class to Begin in September

June 30, 2010 - 3:37 p.m.

The next medical assistant class offered by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Penn College is scheduled to begin in September. The medical assistant program consists of classroom and laboratory instruction to prepare participants to perform general administrative, receptionist and basic clinical procedures in doctor’s offices, clinics, medical facilities and human-service agencies. Medical assistants primarily work in outpatient settings, keeping offices and clinics running smoothly.

College Named One of Nation’s Top Associate-Degree Producers

June 28, 2010 - 5:07 p.m.

Penn College is ranked as one of the nation’s top producers of associate degrees in an annual listing compiled by Community College Week, an independent source of in-depth information for and about two-year college programs. The college ranks as high as second in the nation for specific areas of study, earning a second-place ranking in the category of Engineering Technologies/Technicians, third place in Precision Production, and ninth place in Natural Resources & Conservation. Other categories in which Penn College appears are Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies (18); Agriculture, Agricultural Operations & Related Sciences (46); and All Disciplines – Non-Minority (79). Nearly 54 percent of students at Penn College are enrolled in associate-degree or certificate programs.