Pennsylvania College of Technology’s leadership in suicide prevention and mental health services is featured in a 23-minute interview on The Spark podcast, created by WITF, the largest public TV/radio outlet in the southcentral/capital area of Pennsylvania, covering the Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Hershey, Lebanon, and Carlisle areas and beyond.
Nate Woods Jr., executive director for student wellbeing and inclusive excellence at Penn College, and Gina Bavero, director of Bucknell University’s Counseling and Student Development Center, are interviewed in the episode, focusing on their institutions’ lauded efforts in addressing student mental health.
Penn College and Bucknell are recipients of the PA CARES designation, a recognition from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for campuses that demonstrate a strong commitment to student mental wellness. (PA CARES stands for “Connect, Assess, Respond, Encourage and Support” and reflects a growing movement to embed mental health resources and awareness into campus culture.)
Woods addresses Penn College’s holistic approach to preparing its students for career success in business and industry. He also discusses the student support resources in place on campus and the ways the college also supports its faculty and staff in helping students.
Penn College’s impactful work of promoting student mental health and strengthening suicide-prevention efforts has been recognized since 2015, when the institution was awarded the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Campus Suicide Prevention Grant.
Nate Woods Jr.