Human Services & Restorative Justice Articles

Pennsylvania College of Technology recently wrapped up Restorative Justice Week, which aimed to highlight the importance of understanding the expansive impact of crime on a community and the most effective response for both the offender and the victim.

As part of Restorative Justice Week, Nov. 16-22, Human Services & Restorative Justice Club members and first-year students of the program will accept “Food4Fines.” Students will be stationed in the lobbies of the Hager Lifelong Education Center and Klump Academic Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday to collect food donations in exchange for Penn College parking tickets.

Can you survive a month in poverty? That was the key question at a recent Community Action Poverty Simulation explored by Penn College students in various majors in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences and School of Business, Arts & Sciences. Poverty simulations have been held at the college since Spring 2019, but the Spring 2025 event was the first to cast a wider net of cross-curricular collaboration.

Over 65 Penn College students engaged with 16 employers at the Human Services & Restorative Justice Internship and Job Expo. “Engaging with employers early and often helps students gain a clearer understanding of career possibilities and build meaningful professional connections," said Elizabeth E. Winder, associate professor of human services & restorative justice.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s human services & restorative justice major recently observed Restorative Justice Week, an annual international celebration designed to raise awareness of the transformative impact of restorative justice and honor its practitioners and participants. This year’s theme was “The promise of restorative justice in a polarizing world.”

Supporting Pennsylvania College of Technology’s mission to equip future leaders with real-world experience, faculty members led students in exploring new parts of that world through six 2024 Global Experience classes. In Europe, students explored the origin and future of objects of their study, and in Latin America, they used their budding skills to serve others. Around 135 students participated in the classes.

Several students in Penn College’s human services & restorative justice major provided volunteer support recently to the Union County Giving Closet. The Penn College team pitched in to bag clothing, toys, books and other items donated following the Common Threads Consignment Sale. The items will help the Union County Giving Closet support local families in need.

The Introduction to Corrections (HSJ 215) class at Penn College recently received a real-world glimpse into the corrections system, courtesy of Allyson Davenport, a drug and alcohol treatment specialist II at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy. Specifically, Davenport shared information on the facility's Therapeutic Community.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences Diversity Taskforce, in collaboration with Nate Woods Jr., special assistant to the president for inclusion transformation, recently hosted a “Lunch & Learn” to explore LGBTQ+ issues in health care.

The second annual Night of Empowerment drew an enthusiastic crowd of more than 150 community members to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Klump Academic Center Auditorium. Hosted by the Williamsport Representation Council, the recent gathering offered opportunities for networking and inspiring discussions.