K-12 Events Articles

Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week held its fourth and final summer session at Pennsylvania College of Technology July 28 to Aug. 2. More than 300 young high school juniors and seniors attended the engaging event, the signature program of the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education. The youth leadership gathering provides a hands-on, practical way for students to immerse themselves in the world of business and gain a sense of their entrepreneurial talents.

Nineteen middle and high school educators from throughout the state received a free education in cybersecurity, courtesy of the recent GenCyber Camp conducted by Pennsylvania College of Technology. Supported by the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation, the goal of the GenCyber program is to build a strong cybersecurity workforce by igniting interest in the field at the secondary level. The teachers learned actionable cybersecurity concepts to share in their classrooms this fall.

Thirty high school students discovered career possibilities connected to science, technology, engineering and math during the recent hands-on Tinker Camp at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Supported by grants from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the Gene Haas Foundation and EQT Corp., the three-day camp introduced students to engineering design, manufacturing, polymer engineering, 3D printing and welding.

This summer’s second week of My Tomorrow camp (July 8-12) rolled out a range of hands-on explorations for middle-schoolers. Sponsored by the Soars Family, Penn College’s interactive day camp engages students entering grades 6-8 in a variety of educational pathways sure to lead to promising tomorrows. Add in fun, food and friendship, and it’s an ideal combination for career considerations.

Seven secondary school teachers representing different regions of the state became students of STEM during a recent weeklong externship at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Supported by a PAsmart grant, STEM Careers Re-Imagined: An Industry and Education Collaborative, the program engaged educators in activities rooted in science, math and engineering and supplied them with resources for future classroom use.

The first week of Penn College’s My Tomorrow camp, guiding middle-school students in a wide range of career-related activities, was held June 24-28. The week successfully spotlighted careers in engineering, business, arts and health sciences. In addition to its focus on professional pathways, the popular offering engaged youngsters in a variety of interactive activities and friendship-forming fun.

WNEP-TV’s Mackenzie Aucker reported on the final day of STEM Careers Re-Imagined, a hands-on externship for secondary school teachers throughout the state. The recent weeklong camp at Penn College engaged the teachers in STEM activities that they can duplicate in their own classrooms this fall. Auker’s story focused on the mini-cars the teachers produced with 3D printers.

The Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Program facilitated by Pennsylvania College of Technology continues to experience increased enrollment and engagement. Its most recent cohort featured 124 high school juniors and seniors from 21 public and private schools across the commonwealth. The longest-running registered pre-apprenticeship program in Pennsylvania, AMP enrollment numbers have doubled over the past two years.

WNEP-TV’s Mackenzie Aucker visited campus to produce a story on Penn College hosting STEMFest, a celebration of engineering and technical careers for middle school students and educators. Auker visited several of the STEMFest sessions, including robotics, civil engineering technology and engineering design.

More than 275 middle school students and teachers, representing 13 schools in 10 counties, visited campus as part of STEMFest, a celebration of engineering and technical careers. Students rotated through STEM-centered, hands-on workshops led by Penn College faculty and staff. Activities ranged from programming robots to creating electrical circuits to constructing popsicle stick bridges.