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CBL Talks

About CBL Talks

The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) in collaboration with various campus partners, is pleased to offer a "CBL Talks." Launched in the Spring 2021 semester, the goal of these CBL Talks is to provide University students with information and insights into some of the major challenges and opportunities facing the Scranton area and how they can be part of positive change. Each of the CBL Talks is offered as a live session with Q&A during the spring semester, which is also recorded to serve as a resource for CBL courses. For more information please email community@scranton.edu .

Spring 2024 CBL Talks

The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) in collaboration with various campus partners, is pleased to offer a new series of "CBL Talks" in the Spring 2024 semester. This spring's talks will focus on: Health Disparities in Lackawanna County; Scranton Stories: Immigration and Diversity; and Root Causes of Homelessness and Poverty in NEPA. Please see tabs below for more information and registration. 

Each of the CBL Talks will be offered as a live session with Q&A during the spring semester. These sessions will also be recorded to serve as a resource for CBL courses. 

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CBL Talk #1: Health Disparities

Health Disparities in Lackawanna County with Dr. Rachna Saxena and Dr. Sabine Charles, Lackawanna County Department of Health

Thursday, February 22 @ 11:30 AM in The DeNaples Ballroom 

Dr. Saxena and Dr. Charles will highlight their perspectives on the social determinants of health and their impacts on residents of Lackawanna County. Socio-economic factors, environmental issues, and racial disparities affecting communities of color and immigrant and refugee groups will all be discussed.  

Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N6W8PML

CBL Talk #2: Immigration & Diversity

Scranton Stories: Immigration and Diversity with Jenny Gonzalez Monge 

Wednesday, March 6 @ 6 PM in the Moskowitz Theater

This CBL talk will explore diversity and immigration in the Scranton area, including screening interviews from the “Scranton Stories” oral history project and remarks by Jenny Gonzalez Monge, project committee member, an interviewee, and Director of the S.T.A.R.S. after-school pprogram for Latinx youth. Scranton Stories is a collection of 25 video interviews of 33 local residents that share a broad range of experiences and highlight themes of diversity, belonging and community.  

Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NZSWBMJ

CBL Talk #3: Homelessness & Poverty

Root Causes of Homelessness & Poverty in NEPA with Krista Murray, Catherine McAuley Center, and Jessica Wallo, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA 

Thursday, April 18 @ 6 PM in the PNC Auditorium

As community leaders working directly with individuals experiencing challenging situations, Krista Murray, Executive Director, Catherine McAuley Center, and Jessica Wallo, Director of Community Services, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA, will highlight their perspectives on the root causes of homelessness and poverty in NEPA. The speakers will discuss their work and how their organizations are meeting the needs of the community.  

Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NZNLR9G

Past CBL Talks

Below are past CBL Talk recordings and resources that can be utilized in CBL courses. For more information please email community@scranton.edu .

Spring 2023 CBL Talks

The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) in collaboration with various campus partners, is pleased to offer a new series of "CBL Talks" in the Spring 2024 semester. This spring's talks will focus on: Black History and Housing in Scranton; Environmental Health; and the Living Wage Study 2022 Report. Please see tabs below for more information and registration. 

Each of the CBL Talks will be offered as a live session with Q&A during the spring semester. These sessions will also be recorded to serve as a resource for CBL courses. 

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Living Wage Study 2022 Report

Living Wage Study 2022 Report with Julie Schumacher Cohen, The University of Scranton and Meghan Loftus, Friends of the Poor Scranton

Friday, April 14 @ 3 PM in the Moskowitz Theater

This CBL Talk will feature Julie Schumacher Cohen, The University of Scranton and Meghan Loftus, Friends of the Poor Scranton. The presentation will highlight the Living Wage Report 2022, including key findings of the study and its recommendations related to what constitutes a living wage in NEPA and issues related to economic justice, racial disparities, and public policy action through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. Meghan Loftus, university partner and alumna, will discuss the work of Friends of the Poor around the realities of poverty and the need for systemic change. 

Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23LivingWage

This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with The Ellacuría Initiative and the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service. 

About the Presenters

Headshot of Julie Schumacher Cohen, Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Affairs.

Julie Schumacher Cohen is the Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement & Government Affairs and Chair of the Community-Based Learning Board at The University of Scranton. She focuses on forging university-community partnerships and fostering civic engagement with special projects related to economic insecurity, refugee solidarity and political dialogue. She is the Project Director for the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Julie has worked for a variety of non-profit organizations in the areas of community and government relations and peace and social justice. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political studies and English literature from Gordon College, an MPA at Villanova University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science at Temple University.  

 

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Meghan Loftus is the President & CEO of Friends of the Poor, a nonprofit agency in Scranton sponsored by the Congregation of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), which seeks to ease the burden of living in poverty and enhance the quality of life for all who live in low- to moderate-income communities. While earning her Bachelor’s at The University of Scranton, Loftus studied women and development in Rwanda in 2011 and rural Mexico in 2012.  Upon returning, she joined Marywood University as a researcher and data analyst while she completed her Master's of Public Administration. Her passion for service and addressing extreme poverty has guided the expansion of services offered by the Friends of the Poor to meet community needs including emergency assistance in the form of food, clothing, household items, furniture, utility assistance, and transportation to medical appointments.  Loftus currently serves as the chair of the Lackawanna County Housing Coalition and on the executive committee for the Lackawanna County Food Policy Council, and sits on several other committees addressing emergent community needs. 

 

Black History and Housing in Scranton

Black History and Housing in Scranton with Glynis Johns

Thursday, Feb. 9 @ 6 PM in the Moskowitz Theater

In the event, Ms. Glynis Johns, CEO and Founder of the Black Scranton Project, a local history and heritage initiative, discussed the Black history of Adams Avenue in the downtown Scranton area where a predominantly African American neighborhood existed prior to redevelopment in the 1970’s. This CBL Talk explored themes around Blackness, housing, racial discrimination, and affordability that remain relevant today.

Request a recording of this event by emailing community@scranton.edu

This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations and the Multicultural Center. It is also part of the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project supported by the NEH and in collaboration with the Black Scranton Project and other community partners.

About the Presenter
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Glynis Johns is the founder and CEO of Black Scranton Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, local heritage initiative, and public history venture dedicated to archiving and celebrating the Black history of Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Glynis dedicates much of her time studying 19th and 20th century African American history. A native Scrantonian, local historian, sociologist, artist, documentarian, and advocate; Glynis research focuses primarily on Scranton to piece together narratives of the black community. She received her BA and MA in sociology at St. John’s University. 

Environmental Health

Environmental Health with Tonyehn Verkitus and Tammy Murphy, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania

Thursday, March 23 @ 11:45 AM in The DeNaples Center Ballroom

Environmental factors such as air and water quality are one of many determinants of our health and well-being. These and other environmental factors can lead to disease and health disparities in the places where people live, work, learn and play. Join us for a discussion on how existing environmental disparities in communities exposed to a combination of poor environmental quality and social inequities lead to more sickness and disease than you see in wealthier, less polluted communities.

For a recording of this event, please email community@scranton.edu

This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations and the Office of Sustainability and the Environmental Studies Concentration. This event is also a part of the University's 2023 Earth Month events.

About the Presenters

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Tonyehn Verkitus is the Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania. Her work in the nonprofit world has mostly centered on health and food though she also spent many years training organizations and communities on fundraising and telling their mission-based stories. 

 

 

 

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Tammy Murphy, M.A.,LL.M., is the Advocacy Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility - Pennsylvania. She has worked as an educator, a special health projects assistant, a volunteer, an advocate, a program director, an executive director, a medical outreach coordinator and a consultant. Above all else, she is passionate about justice and the intersection of law and social movements. She has a B.A. in English and Secondary Education from LaSalle University; an M.A. with honors in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University; an LL.M. with distinction in Dispute Resolution from the University of London's School of Oriential and African Studies; and a Certificat in Diplomacy and Public Policy from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization. 

Spring 2022 CBL Talk

This spring, the Office of Community-Based Learning will offer an encore of its "CBL Talks" offerings with a community-based learning talk focusing on youth in Scranton on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7 pm. There will also be a new "CBL Walk" on Friday, Apr. 22 at 3 pm, offering University of Scranton students an opportunity to explore the West Scranton neighborhood of our city. 

Spring 2022 CBL Talk: Youth in Scranton

This spring's CBL Talk took place on Wednesday, February 16 at 7 pm in the Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. This CBL Talk featured community leaders from the Scranton School District and NEPA Youth Shelter who work with K-12 youth in the local area. They discussed the programs they run and the challenges, hopes and dreams of the youth they encounter along the way. The city’s youth population represents the diversity of the community, faces poverty at a high rate, has endured the pandemic as children, and are posed to inherit a world with many difficulties, including global climate change. This talk will align with the Jesuit universal apostolic preference “Journey with Youth” in which Superior General, Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., has called on all of us to “accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future”.

The recording of this CBL Talk is available for CBL faculty and students. Please email cbl@scranton.edu

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Sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations, the Center for Service and Social Justice, and the Jesuit Center

About The Presenters

Mina M Ardestani, Principal, McNichols Plaza Elementary and Founder, Presence from PrisonMina Ardestani is a proud mother, an administrator, and founder of a local non-profit organization. She is serving her fourth year as principal of McNichols Plaza Elementary School in Scranton, PA bringing almost 15 years experience as a classroom educator and administrator. Mina is a lifelong learner with a passion for education at all levels. She received her Bachelor of Art in Spanish from Temple University, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Kings College, and a Master of Science in School Leadership from Marywood University. She is currently completing her Superintendent Certification and is a doctoral candidate at Delaware Valley University. In addition to her role as an instructional leader within Scranton, she has been serving the children of Lackawanna County since 2016 through her non-profit, Presence from Prison. By distributing gifts to children from their incarcerated parents during the holidays, her goal is to give children solace knowing that although their parents are absent, they are still present in their lives. Mina is a Scranton resident committed to serving and supporting the children of our community by providing a safe and welcoming environment where students can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

 

Maureen Maher-Gray, Executive Director & Founder, NEPA Youth Shelter Maureen Maher-Gray is a proud graduate of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington (GO ZAGS!) so she has been rooted in social justice for many years. Her history includes working with students at St. Aloysius Grade School and Gonzaga Prep to model the principles of St. Ignatius. When Maureen moved to Pennsylvania in 2009, she worked with a variety of issue organizations like Moms Demand Action (gun violence prevention) and Equality Pennsylvania (LGBT civil rights). These experiences, particularly meeting youth affected by these issues, inspired her to create her own nonprofit. She is the Executive Director and Founder of the NEPA Youth Shelter dedicated to serving low-income, at-risk teens, including LGBTQIA teens. She is also the ED of the Rapid Rehousing Program for homeless teens ages 18-21, providing resources and support to teens so they can finish high school.  


 

Spring 2021 CBL Talks

The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) in collaboration with various campus partners, is pleased to offer a series of "CBL Talks" in the Spring 2021 semester. The goal of these CBL Talks is to provide University students with information and insights into some of the major challenges and opportunities facing the Scranton area and how they can be part of positive change. 

Each of the CBL Talks will be offered as a live session with Q&A during the spring semester. These session will also be recorded to serve as a resource for CBL courses. For more information please email community@scranton.edu .

Spring 2021 CBL Talks Flyer

Immigration Inclusion

Immigration Inclusion with Alejandra Marroquin and Jenny Gonzalez, Chairs of Scranton’s Immigrant Inclusion Committee

Monday, April 12 @ 7 PM

An examination of the recent waves of immigration from Latin American nations that continue to cultivate diversity in the city of Scranton and highlight the challenges and promise of the American immigration experience. Speakers are the chairs of Scranton’s immigrant Inclusion Committee, Alejandra Marroquin and Jenny Gonzalez, who have worked to address bias in our community and advocate for greater inclusion. 

This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations, the Center for Service and Social Justice, and the Latin American Studies Program

About The Presenters

Jenny Gonzalez is a Licensed Social Worker. She obtained her MSW from Marywood University in 2019. She works Full-time for Community Justice Project on civil and immigrants rights matters. She also works part-time for Marywood University as the Co-Director of the STARS (Student Together Achieving Remarkable Success) program targeting 7-12th grade Latinx youth and their families in NEPA to provide them tutoring, mentoring, and college and career readiness information and resources. 

Alejandra Marroquin, a native of Guatemala, has been living in the United States over twenty years. She is the Adult Behavioral Health Coordinator for Lackawanna County, where she works with mental health providers.  For fifteen years, she has worked in the non-profit sector serving low-income families and working closely with the Latino Community in Lackawanna County. Alejandra’s passions are working on issues of diversity and inclusion and access to mental health services. She has worked at Friendship House in the children’s behavioral health department and was the Hispanic Outreach Coordinator at Catholic Social Services. Alejandra holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Penn State and is a social work alumna from Marywood University.

Event Flyer

Economic Insecurity Amidst a Pandemic

Economic Insecurity Amidst a Pandemic with Lisa Durkin, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA and Meghan Loftus, Friends of the Poor

Tuesday, March 16 @ 7 PM

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Scranton already had a high number of individuals and families below a “living wage.” Now combined with the nationwide economic downturn and resulting closures, the people of the city face even greater challenges. This presentation will identify the contributing factors and impact of economic insecurity in Scranton. Speakers are Lisa Durkin, CEO of United Neighborhood Centers and Meghan Loftus, CEO and President, Friends of the Poor Scranton. 

This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations and the Center for Service and Social Justice

About The Presenters:

Lisa Durkin, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Neighborhood Centers and United Neighborhood Community Development Corporation                                                                                          Ms. Durkin began her career at UNC in 1998 as a Housing Counselor and in 2007 was promoted to Director of Community Services where she supervised over 20 crisis intervention programs serving the needs of low income families and individuals. In 2010 she became Chief Operating Officer and developed an Education Department and Community Health Department within the agency. She has been actively involved in community initiatives including the Housing Coalition of Lackawanna County, Women in Philanthropy, Penn State Scranton advisory board and various groups and committees addressing community needs.

Meghan Loftus, President & CEO, Friends of the Poor, Friends of the Poor Scranton                                          In this role Ms. Loftus works to advance the Friends of the Poor’s mission to ease the burden of living in poverty and enhance the quality of life for economically disadvantaged communities. Ms. Loftus earned her Bachelor’s degree at The University of Scranton and her Master’s of Public Administration from Marywood University.  Ms. Loftus’s passion for service and addressing extreme poverty has guided the expansion of services offered by the Friends of the Poor, especially its pandemic response to address food insecurity. Loftus currently serves as the chair of the Lackawanna County Housing Coalition and on the executive committee for the Lackawanna County Food Policy Council and sits on several other committees addressing emergent community needs.

Event Flyer

Black Scranton Then and Now

Black Scranton Then and Now with Glynis Johns, M.A.

Tuesday, February 23 @ 7 PM

Glynis Johns, M.A., the Black Scranton Project founder and CEO, provides an overview of the Black history then  and now in the City of Scranton. Ms. Johns will present on her own original research into the longstanding roots of the Black community in the city of Scranton, highlight notable figures, and look ahead to the future of Black Scranton. 

This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning with the Black Student Union, the Cross Cultural Centers, the Office of Community Relations, and the Center for Service and Social Justice in collaboration with the Black Scranton Project.

About the Presenter

Glynis Johns, M.A., is the founder of Black Scranton Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, local heritage initiative, and public history venture dedicated to archiving and celebrating African American history of Scranton and NEPA. Glynis received her BA and MA in sociology at St. John’s University and is also a first-year doctoral student studying 19th and 20th century African American history at Rutgers University. A native Scrantonian, local historian, sociologist, artist, documentarian, and advocate; Glynis spends a lot of time researching Scranton in attempt to piece together narratives ofthe black community. She is proud to shift local perspectives on culture, inclusion, representation, and history. For Glynis, passions and projects are indistinguishable from each other.

Event Flyer

 

 

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