2017true/about/community-relations/news/2017www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2017durkinj21489177444060durkinj21489177444060display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Springtrue/about/community-relations/news/2017/Springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2017/Springdurkinj21489177460093durkinj21489177460093display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --light-the-towntrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNeighborWorks of NEPA Partner with University of Scranton for Light the Town!/about/community-relations/news/2017/Spring/light-the-townwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2017/Spring/light-the-towndurkinj21489175697343wrenm21509455211876seo-titlenavYesNeighborWorks of NEPA Partner with University of Scranton for Light the Town!On Saturday, April 22, 2017 NWNEPA staff and University of Scranton volunteers will be installing free, solar-powered exterior security lights throughout the Hill section neighborhood as part of their ongoing project, "Light the Town." These lights will help improve community safety by lighting up dark streets and alleyways at night. To qualify for a solar light, you must own your home, be present during the light installation, and show proof of current homeowners insurance. If you are a renter, but interested, please have the property owner apply. All interested residents must apply by April 5, 2017. To apply, contact Pamela Anslinger and provide your contact information as well as the location on the light. She can be reached at panslinger@nwnepa.org or 570-558-2490. For more information, check out their flyer and waiver./about/community-relations/images/NeighborWorksNEPA1595pmsOrgWOp-e1366898487924.pngdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/NeighborWorksNEPA1595pmsOrgWOp-e1366898487924.pngwww.scranton.eduNeighborWorksNEPA1595pmsOrgWOp-e1366898487924.pngNeighborWorksNEPAlogoNeighborWorksNEPAlogoNeighborWorksNEPAlogo25363500347/Right/2016true1471531083607durkinj22016/about/community-relations/news/2016www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016cohenj21461076101638wrenm21461256716520display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Falltrue1479410962578durkinj2Fall/about/community-relations/news/2016/Fallwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Falldurkinj21479408882616durkinj21479408882616display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Seniorcisetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonBarbara Wagner, D.P.T., director of clinical education in the physical therapy program, and her students can easily rattle off a list of the physical benefits that come from the “Seniorcise” program The University of Scranton’s Physical Therapy Department has created and has run at multiple Scranton-area senior residential communities for 20 years.PT, Exercise-Science Students Pumped Up About Programs in Senior Communities/about/community-relations/news/2016/Fall/Seniorcisewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Fall/Seniorcisedurkinj21479411165726durkinj21479411364766seo-titlenavYesPT, exercise-science students pumped up about programs in senior communitiesBarbara Wagner, D.P.T., director of clinical education in the physical therapy program, and her students can easily rattle off a list of the physical benefits that come from the “Seniorcise” program The University of Scranton’s Physical Therapy Department has created and has run at multiple Scranton-area senior residential communities for 20 years. Ask Michael Landram, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise science, and his students majoring in Exercise Science and Sport about a similar exercise-based service-learning program they established at the Jewish Community Center on Jefferson Avenue, and they can do the same. Increased flexibility, endurance and balance, greater upper-body strength and greater lower-body strength are just a few. The senior citizens who’ve experienced these physical transformations also will list these benefits, but if you watch the videos their student-teachers put together to document their transformative experiences, a few common bonus themes emerge: The programs are fun. They keep us busy. They keep us involved. That’s what the trio of Mary Ann, Ruth and Ethel, residents of Lutherwood, a Diakon Lutheran Senior Housing Community overlooking Lake Scranton, say. They also note a plethora of intangible benefits they’ve received from their relationship with University students through Seniorcise. The program is about “being with people, relaxing and leaving the worries off,” Ruth says. “If we were to do this in our apartments, we wouldn’t have as much fun. When you get to be our age and start losing friends and everything, you need someone to build you up, muscle- and brain-wise.” That dual support is what physical-therapy student Kristina Zarra enjoys most about working with local senior citizens. “It is fulfilling,” she says. “You really get a sense of the residents’ gratitude for your time and expertise.” Physical therapy students have worked at Lutherwood as well as at Amos Towers on Jefferson Avenue; Geneva House, a Presbyterian community on Adams Avenue; and Webster Towers on North Webster Avenue. They’ve also worked with children at a nearby day-care center. Dr. Wagner says the physical therapy students focus on basic exercise outcomes that aren’t always easy for the older population, outcomes such as strength, balance and ambulation, or the ability to walk farther and longer. They visit the local partner sites two times per week, with each group doing similar exercise activities but modifying the plans for the individuals involved. Several of the seniors have been participating in the Seniorcise program for years and miss it when it’s not available. “They love it and wish the students weren’t off for the summer,” Dr. Wagner, director of clinical education in the physical therapy program, says. Sentiments are similar at the JCC, says Dr. Landram, who explains that the exercise program there involves assessment components intended to measure progress over time. When students first show up, they run a battery of tests with the seniors. How well can a senior get out of a chair without using his arms? Can she walk across the room and return? Can he lift groceries or grandchildren? How about put the groceries away on shelves? Then there are the step tests that measure flexibility, endurance and strength. All tests are age-appropriate. “Depending on how they do, we put them into one of two training programs: upper-body-centric or lower-body-centric,” Dr. Landram says, explaining that both groups work on each area of the body but focus on just one. “It’s very much like personal training in a lot of ways,” he says. “Students explain how the program will help, and they coach them.” The JCC program requires graduated time commitments from the students: 10 hours in the sophomore year, 20 in the junior year and 30 in the senior year. The senior students, taking part in what Dr. Landram calls a “capstone experience,” make appointments with the senior citizens, and the programs become more complicated. A major benefit of the overall program, he says, is that it deals with “proactive prevention,” helping seniors achieve successes before they become sick. It also prepares students well for allied-health careers, he says, noting, that general population is aging. “Somewhere around 10,000 people a day are turning 65,” Dr. Landram says, so “students will encounter this group pretty consistently going forward.” Students are also excited to share their success stories from the program. Those stories are “just great,” Dr. Landram says, offering examples such as seniors who could not take the stairs when they first met the students and are “now getting in and out of subways on trips to New York.” Because the seniors improve over time, results are tracked over time, he says, especially because the students cycle in and out. “Every five weeks or so, we retest so we can say to seniors, ‘We can show you some numbers right here,’ ” said Dr. Landram. Training levels also advance over time, Dr. Landram says, with the first level focusing on motor skills and the second on balance. With better balance, seniors are less likely to fall on the ice, for example. Students who have been involved with the JCC program for multiple years can track their own progression as well as the progression of the seniors, with whom they often become close. Maura McGowan, 22, of Scranton, an exercise-science undergrad who is now in the doctor of physical therapy class of 2019, says the program is “really beneficial to our schooling and our careers.” “It was nice to see that every time we went to the JCC they were looking forward to seeing us,” she says. “They would tell us of their little progressions.” The program differs from other service-learning opportunities, she says, because of its hands-on approach. “You definitely see more of an impact.” Like so many of the physical therapy students who visit the various local senior centers, McGowan has found the greatest rewards in personal interactions and the relationships she developed at the JCC./about/community-relations/news/2016/Fall/Seniorcise.pngdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Fall/Seniorcise.pngwww.scranton.eduSeniorcise.png346881500276/Right/Springtrue1479409265850durkinj2Spring/about/community-relations/news/2016/Springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Springcohenj21461254068864wrenm21461256725418display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --EOTCtrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonIn a perfect world, incarceration would be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Those who’ve made mistakes that resulted in a prison term would not only learn from those mistakes, but learn from what others are willing to teach them upon release, and never see the inside of a cell again.University Department Partners with EOTC to Study Prisoner Recidivism/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTCwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTCdurkinj21470925825575wrenm21471876127959seo-titlenavNoUniversity Department Partners with EOTC to Study Prisoner RecidivismIn a perfect world, incarceration would be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Those who’ve made mistakes that resulted in a prison term would not only learn from those mistakes, but learn from what others are willing to teach them upon release, and never see the inside of a cell again. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world, of course, and what others are ready to teach is not always what prisoners are ready to learn. “You can tell a prisoner to do A, B and C, but if they don’t buy into it, it’s not going to mean anything,” said Loreen Wolfer, Ph.D., a University of Scranton professor of sociology and criminal justice. That’s why Dr. Wolfer and students in two of her classes, Research Methods for the Social Sciences and Statistics for the Social Sciences, have teamed up on a multi-year project with the Employment Opportunity & Training Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania to study recidivism intervention at the Lackawanna County Prison. High rates of recidivism, or relapse into criminal behavior, have long been part of a complex problem not only for the criminal-justice system but for those trying to make a meaningful difference. One way to try to combat the problem, according to Dr. Wolfer, is to offer programs that prisoners themselves say they want and therefore might actually use. That’s the basic idea behind the partnership with EOTC, which, in its first year, is in the needs-assessment stage. "EOTC believes that our mission's future depends upon frequent, honest examination of the programs and services we offer in our community through ongoing assessment of clear outcomes that create meaningful, measurable, and sustainable growth opportunities for the individuals, children and families whom we serve," said EOTC Executive Director, Linda Ciampi.    Dr. Wolfer and her students have committed themselves to finding out which types of programs prisoners request and actually might take advantage of once they find themselves back in the outside world. That starts with plain-and-simple asking, which is exactly what the University team is doing in the first year of this project, which can last as long as five years. Preliminary findings, Dr. Wolfer said, are that prisoners’ top concerns as they near release are using drugs and alcohol, reconnecting with family and children and avoiding problematic friends. “But the No. 1 issue,” she said, “is actually finding a job that pays a living wage.” “One of the key classes they want that they are not getting right now is computer skills, which would be directly relevant to finding a job,” Dr.  Wolfer explained. “About two-thirds of the sample want to attend computer classes in prison.” That sample, Dr. Wolfer said, “is pretty big,” with 256 current prisoners having been preliminarily surveyed by the University-EOTC team. “Another big issue is help with drugs and alcohol,” Dr. Wolfer said. Knowing what prisoners want and need, she said, from help with child care to help with relationships, is crucial to knowing what to offer and should be a huge help to EOTC, which seeks to provide meaningful programs that can cut down on recidivism. Relevant, targeted programming is a key goal of EOTC’s Jane Augustine, head of research, Dr. Wolfer said. EOTC simply cannot spend all of its resources offering programs the prisoners themselves have not identified as a need, she said. “Whether the prisoner agrees is going to influence utilization” of any programming, she explained. EOTC will use the University’s information to seek additional funding for its programs and to form relevant partnerships. The University-EOTC relationship is not just about information gathering, however, but about collecting hard data to see if the provided programming actually worked and cut down on recidivism. “Once we find out the needs and they start putting programs in place,” Dr. Wolfer said, “we have a confidential tracking number in place.” That means the project leaders can actually track who has taken advantage of classes and whether they return to prison down the road. Removing barriers to program attendance, then, is a crucial goal of the partnership, as is immersing students in real-world research. Dr. Wolfer’s students are undertaking this project as a means of service learning, she said, and as a final-exam paper. “This is how my students learn to gather research and to assess statistics,” she said. “They know the surveys they wrote and the information they gathered will be used by EOTC,” which is a motivational factor as the students seek to hone their skills for the job market. “We have what we call a sociology advisory board,” Dr. Wolfer explained. The purpose is “to make sure we are giving our students skills in the classroom that will directly translate into job-market skills.” Dr. Wolfer said University professors meet with a board of representatives from local agencies every two or three years to ensure that curricula line up with market needs. “One of the big things people are saying is we need research skills,” Dr. Wolfer said, explaining that both criminal justice and sociology majors need to take a research and a quantitative course. Every year, the research-methods class partners with a government or local agency to do research work. In previous years, the University, which has focused on prisoner statistics for several years, worked with the federal Department of Probation. The students begin their major project in fall, which is when they actually conduct the research, and like to finish in spring, which is when they analyze data, Dr. Wolfer said. Students cannot have direct contact with the prisoners, she noted. Rather, they “instrumentalize” for EOTC, meaning they create the survey, EOTC administers it, and the University analyzes it. One of the key benefits to students is learning what is called the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, or SPSS, Dr. Wolfer said. Dr. Wolfer sees the potential for a long-term relationship with EOTC, but for now is committed to at least the next three to five years. In years two and three, she said, the University team will assess the types of programs EOTC is offering most and who is attending those programs. In years three through five, the team will look at recidivism and relate it to the fears expressed in year one, as well as program attendance or non-attendance that same year./about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTC Prison photo.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTC Prison photo.jpgwww.scranton.eduEOTC Prison photo.jpg29275182134/Right/EndOfTheYearDriveSupportsSparkProgramtrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonEnd Of The Year Drive Supports Spark Program/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EndOfTheYearDriveSupportsSparkProgramwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EndOfTheYearDriveSupportsSparkProgramdurkinj21470929372881salvon21553871274018display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --End Of The Year Drive Supports Spark Program/about/community-relations/news/2016/SPARK2016.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/SPARK2016.jpgwww.scranton.eduSPARK2016.jpgSPARK2016.jpgSPARK2016.jpgSPARK2016.jpg136019780210RightThe University's annual End of the Year Drive, coordinated by Campus’ Ministries' Center for Service and Social Justice, collects all the items that students would normally discard at the end of the academic year.  A team of more than 15 underclassman stayed on campus after finals to collect, sort, and distribute the donations. This year donations were given to area agencies in need such as Friends of the Poor and United Neighborhood Centers, and also sold in a campus rummage sale to support the SPARK mentoring summer program for at-risk youth.No5TrueFalse//about/community-relations/news/2016/EndOfTheYearDrive.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/EndOfTheYearDrive.jpgwww.scranton.eduEndOfTheYearDrive.jpg112099412309LeftEach summer at Chapman Lake, students from The University of Scranton and Scranton Prep team up to lead the SPARK Program, a free week-long workshop that focuses on building teamwork and self-esteem for local at-risk youths, and is now in its fifth year. The program, developed by Pat Vaccaro and Danny Marx '09, focuses on at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 16. Scranton student volunteers put their Jesuit ideals into action by teaching SPARKers about self-esteem, friendship, generosity and much more. For most of the children, it is the highlight of their summer, and they each leave Chapman Lake with a larger spark than they came with, ready to pass it on to their peersNo5TrueFalse/Meet George/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/SparkGeorge.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/SparkGeorge.JPGwww.scranton.eduSparkGeorge.JPGSparkGeorge.JPGSparkGeorge.JPG64099360208RightGeorge, a veteran SPARKer, could barely contain his emotions when his peers described him as "funny," "awesome," and "the best person I know," during an exercise on bullying. When George came to SPARK five years ago, his life drastically changed; his small spark has grown into a large, powerful torch consisting of confidence, best friends he calls family, and many memories that will last a lifetime. George has been so empowered by his experience that he plans on applying to The University so that he can go on to lead the retreat as a Scranton student and pass on his torch  to at-risk youths in the Scranton Community.No5TrueFalse/NonenoUofSDPLAtrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of Scranton13,000+ University of Scranton Records Now Available in the Digital Public Library of America/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/UofSDPLAwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/UofSDPLAdurkinj21471353529563salvon21554216068492display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --13,000+ University of Scranton Records Now Available in the Digital Public Library of Americaby Kristen Yarmey, Digital Services Librarian/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/estate_2016-08-11.pngdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/estate_2016-08-11.pngwww.scranton.eduestate_2016-08-11.pngestate_2016-08-11.pngestate_2016-08-11.png98662498467RightThe Digital Public Library of America (http://dp.la) announced this spring that it had grown in its third year to include more than 13 million records. We’re proud that over 13,000 of those records were contributed by the University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library. Launched in 2013, DPLA is a digital platform and network that brings together descriptive information for rare and unique digital materials from more than 1,900 libraries, archives, and museums across the country. It’s a portal to treasures of American cultural heritage, from digitized photographs, films, documents, and objects to born digital ebooks, video, and images. All of these materials are freely available on the web for use by researchers, students, teachers, genealogists, and the general public. We’ve been building digital collections at the University of Scranton since 2008, and nearly all of our materials are already publicly available on our website (http://www.scranton.edu/library/digitalcollections). So why participate in DPLA? DPLA doesn’t host digital materials – they’re all stored and made accessible by contributing institutions like the Weinberg Memorial Library – so it’s still our job to digitize, describe, preserve, and publish digital items. What DPLA does is make these materials discoverable and usable in entirely new and exciting ways. Metadata records (descriptive information) that we send to DPLA are aggregated into a stream of open data that can be used by software developers and others to create new tools or visualizations. Two of our favorites are the DPLA Visual Search Prototype and Culture Collage, which offer more visual interfaces for browsing and sorting through search results. Perhaps most importantly, DPLA allows for unified access, which is important both for 1) users who don’t necessarily know what institution will have the materials they’re looking for and 2) collections that have been physically fragmented across different institutions. An example of the former might be a genealogist looking for information about family members from Scranton. Using DPLA, they can find not only relevant materials in our collections (like our yearbooks and Aquinas issues, which are excellent sources for information about our alumni) but they’ll also stumble across photographs and manuscripts from the Lackawanna Historical Society and Scranton Public Library (via the Lackawanna Valley Digital Archives), periodicals and records from the Pennsylvania State Library, postcards from the Boston Public Library, digitized Scranton history books from HathiTrust, and genealogical books from the Library of Congress. An example of the latter is the Horace G. Healey Collection, an impressive set of 19th century penmanship and calligraphy. Half of the collection is available here on campus in our McHugh Special Collections (as part of our Zaner-Bloser Penmanship Collection), but the other half is at the New York Public Library. In DPLA, images of the artwork are reunited as they are digitized. Our participation in DPLA has been in the works for almost two years. DPLA is unable to accept metadata records directly from individual libraries – there are just too many potential contributors! – so almost all of its data passes through nodes called Service Hubs. Most service hubs are established at a state or regional level, and Pennsylvania didn’t have one when DPLA first launched. Beginning in August 2014, a group of Pennsylvania cultural heritage institutions got together to discuss how best to collaborate on digital collections in the state. After a year of planning, coordination, and tons of work, the PA Digital Partnership (https://padigital.org/) was approved as a DPLA Service Hub in August 2015. On April 13, 2016, data from the PA Digital Partnership went live in DPLA, with over 130,000 records from 19 contributing Pennsylvania institutions. We’re incredibly proud to be part of DPLA and the PA Digital Partnership, and we’re thrilled to see our digital collections become more accessible and discoverable than ever. We hope that you'll visit DPLA to explore the wealth of cultural heritage that the University of Scranton and other Pennsylvania institutions have made available.No5TrueFalse/Nonenostreetsweep2016true1748367960396spinosaj2Street Sweep 2016 beautifies downtown and Hill Section The University of Scranton Student government organized more than 300 students, members of student clubs and organizations, for its semi-annual Street Sweep on Saturday, April 16 to clean up and beautify downtown Scranton and the Hill Section.Street Sweep 2016 beautifies downtown and Hill Section /about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/streetsweep2016www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/streetsweep2016wrenm21461257507035wrenm21461262210268seo-titlenavNoStreet Sweep 2016 beautifies downtown and Hill Section The University of Scranton Student government organized more than 300 students, members of student clubs and organizations, for its semi-annual Street Sweep on Saturday, April 16 to clean up and beautify downtown Scranton and the Hill Section. Sites included Hill neighborhood streets from Madison to Prescott spanning Mulberry to Myrtle, downtown planters, the Nay Aug Park greenhouse and rose garden, William Prescott Elementary’s playground, and the Hill Neighborhood Association’s Clay and Poplar vacant lot project. Collaborating offices and groups included: University of Scranton Office of Clubs and Organizations & Office of Community and Government Relations, Scranton Tomorrow, Penn State Master Gardeners, William Prescott Elementary PTA, the Greenhouse Project and the Hill Neighborhood Association. Left: Julie Schumacher Cohen, Director of Community and Government Relations; Patricia Cummings, Coordinator, clubs, organizations and student government; Maureen Gray, Hill Neighborhood Association member; Christopher Kilner, Student Government President. Right: Emily Brees, Greenhouse Project volunteer; Katherine Allen, clubs intern; Steve Ward, Penn State Master Gardeners; Leslie Collins, Executive Director of Scranton Tomorrow; and Alice Chen-Liaw, Student Government Communications Director. /about/community-relations/news/SteetSweepStudents2016.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/SteetSweepStudents2016.jpgwww.scranton.eduSteetSweepStudents2016.jpg70492300237/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/indexwrenm21461257010016wrenm21461257010016seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/EOTC-backuptrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonIn a perfect world, incarceration would be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Those who’ve made mistakes that resulted in a prison term would not only learn from those mistakes, but learn from what others are willing to teach them upon release, and never see the inside of a cell again.University Department Partners with EOTC to Study Prisoner Recidivism/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTC-backupwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTC-backupwrenm21471876083244salvon21553871299555display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --University Department Partners with EOTC to Study Prisoner Recidivism/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTC Prison photo.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/Spring/EOTC Prison photo.jpgwww.scranton.eduEOTC Prison photo.jpg29275182134RightIn a perfect world, incarceration would be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Those who’ve made mistakes that resulted in a prison term would not only learn from those mistakes, but learn from what others are willing to teach them upon release, and never see the inside of a cell again. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world, of course, and what others are ready to teach is not always what prisoners are ready to learn. “You can tell a prisoner to do A, B and C, but if they don’t buy into it, it’s not going to mean anything,” said Loreen Wolfer, Ph.D., a University of Scranton professor of sociology and criminal justice. That’s why Dr. Wolfer and students in two of her classes, Research Methods for the Social Sciences and Statistics for the Social Sciences, have teamed up on a multi-year project with the Employment Opportunity & Training Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania to study recidivism intervention at the Lackawanna County Prison. High rates of recidivism, or relapse into criminal behavior, have long been part of a complex problem not only for the criminal-justice system but for those trying to make a meaningful difference. One way to try to combat the problem, according to Dr. Wolfer, is to offer programs that prisoners themselves say they want and therefore might actually use. That’s the basic idea behind the partnership with EOTC, which, in its first year, is in the needs-assessment stage. "EOTC believes that our mission's future depends upon frequent, honest examination of the programs and services we offer in our community through ongoing assessment of clear outcomes that create meaningful, measurable, and sustainable growth opportunities for the individuals, children and families whom we serve," said EOTC Executive Director, Linda Ciampi.    Dr. Wolfer and her students have committed themselves to finding out which types of programs prisoners request and actually might take advantage of once they find themselves back in the outside world. That starts with plain-and-simple asking, which is exactly what the University team is doing in the first year of this project, which can last as long as five years. Preliminary findings, Dr. Wolfer said, are that prisoners’ top concerns as they near release are using drugs and alcohol, reconnecting with family and children and avoiding problematic friends. “But the No. 1 issue,” she said, “is actually finding a job that pays a living wage.” “One of the key classes they want that they are not getting right now is computer skills, which would be directly relevant to finding a job,” Dr.  Wolfer explained. “About two-thirds of the sample want to attend computer classes in prison.” That sample, Dr. Wolfer said, “is pretty big,” with 256 current prisoners having been preliminarily surveyed by the University-EOTC team. “Another big issue is help with drugs and alcohol,” Dr. Wolfer said. Knowing what prisoners want and need, she said, from help with child care to help with relationships, is crucial to knowing what to offer and should be a huge help to EOTC, which seeks to provide meaningful programs that can cut down on recidivism. Relevant, targeted programming is a key goal of EOTC’s Jane Augustine, head of research, Dr. Wolfer said. EOTC simply cannot spend all of its resources offering programs the prisoners themselves have not identified as a need, she said. “Whether the prisoner agrees is going to influence utilization” of any programming, she explained. EOTC will use the University’s information to seek additional funding for its programs and to form relevant partnerships. The University-EOTC relationship is not just about information gathering, however, but about collecting hard data to see if the provided programming actually worked and cut down on recidivism. “Once we find out the needs and they start putting programs in place,” Dr. Wolfer said, “we have a confidential tracking number in place.” That means the project leaders can actually track who has taken advantage of classes and whether they return to prison down the road. Removing barriers to program attendance, then, is a crucial goal of the partnership, as is immersing students in real-world research. Dr. Wolfer’s students are undertaking this project as a means of service learning, she said, and as a final-exam paper. “This is how my students learn to gather research and to assess statistics,” she said. “They know the surveys they wrote and the information they gathered will be used by EOTC,” which is a motivational factor as the students seek to hone their skills for the job market. “We have what we call a sociology advisory board,” Dr. Wolfer explained. The purpose is “to make sure we are giving our students skills in the classroom that will directly translate into job-market skills.” Dr. Wolfer said University professors meet with a board of representatives from local agencies every two or three years to ensure that curricula line up with market needs. “One of the big things people are saying is we need research skills,” Dr. Wolfer said, explaining that both criminal justice and sociology majors need to take a research and a quantitative course. Every year, the research-methods class partners with a government or local agency to do research work. In previous years, the University, which has focused on prisoner statistics for several years, worked with the federal Department of Probation. The students begin their major project in fall, which is when they actually conduct the research, and like to finish in spring, which is when they analyze data, Dr. Wolfer said. Students cannot have direct contact with the prisoners, she noted. Rather, they “instrumentalize” for EOTC, meaning they create the survey, EOTC administers it, and the University analyzes it. One of the key benefits to students is learning what is called the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, or SPSS, Dr. Wolfer said. Dr. Wolfer sees the potential for a long-term relationship with EOTC, but for now is committed to at least the next three to five years. In years two and three, she said, the University team will assess the types of programs EOTC is offering most and who is attending those programs. In years three through five, the team will look at recidivism and relate it to the fears expressed in year one, as well as program attendance or non-attendance that same year.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoemployee-volunteertrue1748367960396spinosaj2Faculty and Staff Increase Volunteering Numbers in 2015To give without expecting gain is indeed the greatest payoff of them all. But you don’t have to tell that to the big-hearted volunteers at the University. Faculty and Staff Increase Volunteering Numbers in 2015/about/community-relations/news/2016/employee-volunteerwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/employee-volunteercohenj21461076175474salvon21553871237163display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Faculty and Staff Increase Volunteering Numbers in 2015/about/community-relations/images/ESBA.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/ESBA.jpgwww.scranton.eduESBA.jpg46306225169RightTo give without expecting gain is indeed the greatest payoff of them all. But you don’t have to tell that to the big-hearted volunteers at the University. Each year, the University’s Office of Community Relations surveys faculty, staff, and administrators to measure volunteer engagement, from the number of hours they devoted to others to the types of causes they typically commit themselves to. In the 2015 Community Engagement Survey, 88 percent of 116 respondents reported volunteering, up 6 percent from 2014 survey results. Some gave their time to religious organizations, school-related concerns, and children’s causes, while others dedicated themselves to health issues, sports, PTAs, and civic duties. Their time commitments are generous, too, offering a number of volunteer hours each month to the causes they are passionate about, as well as creating opportunities for their students to help communities beyond campus. Their commitment to community embodies the Jesuit values the University stands for, especially justice for all. Among so many, here are just four members of the University community who exemplify these values because of their true, lasting commitment to volunteer service: Kimberly A. Pavlick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, has created many paths for her students to become involved in the community beyond campus. In one project, students wrote the life stories of seniors at active adult centers; in another, her newswriting students worked closely with United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania. “I have been using engagement projects in my classrooms for about seven years. I find that having the students immerse themselves in their adopted city makes them better residents of Scranton,” Dr. Pavlick said. Dr. Pavlick is also actively involved with her parish, Our Lady of the Snows in Clarks Summit. She serves as a Eucharistic Minister and heads up the instant bingo booth at church events. Dr. Pavlick said she and her husband, Ken, believe in “serving our community because that's what we are called to do.” Marie E. Karam, Director, Language Learning Center, has brought her passion for language learning and helping others find their voice to places near and far. In local communities throughout Scranton, she has created numerous opportunities for immigrants to learn English so they can navigate their new home and combat the challenges they encounter. Internationally, after visiting El Salvador, she committed herself to improving education there. She started a scholarship program that, with the support of University faculty and staff, has funded the education of hundreds of students from kindergarten through college. Her journey in service to immigrants of the United States began 25 years ago when she was asked to be a Spanish translator for an emergency situation at a local hospital: A woman from Mexico was about to have her first baby. “From the moment the father handed me that baby boy, I realized I had become an ‘adopted family member’ of the immigrant community,” Karam said. “I'm grateful that I have shared and continue to share their personal journey as their ‘maestra’ and advocate for their many struggles throughout these many years.” Tricia O'Rourke Cummings, Center for Student Engagement, Program Coordinator: Clubs and Organizations, found her footing in Northeast Pennsylvania because of her commitment to volunteering. Fresh from Philadelphia, she first volunteered for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Twenty five years later, you can find her, her husband, and her daughters serving food to the poor at the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen in Scranton. “I started volunteering there a couple of years ago, at first every now and then,” Cummings said. Now and then eventually turned into Tuesday afternoons. Among other volunteer commitments, once a month Cummings cleans her parish church, Our Lady of the Snows, and prepares and hands out meals for homeless men staying at Camp Orchard Hill in Dallas. “We really talk about being men and women for others,” she said of the University’s Jesuit ideals. “It’s important to give back. I’ve been given so much, I want to give back.” Dale Giuliani, Department of English and Theatre faculty, knows that the key to happiness is not just about making money or being successful. Helping others has brought untold happiness to her life. “I grew up in the 60s. I’m one of these ancient people,” she said with a laugh, “that has it ingrained in us about giving back to others.” She has brought joy to the hearts of local veterans at her church, Asbury United Methodist Church, where she plays piano for them at Veterans Day programs, as well as at other charity events at the church and elsewhere. She offered a bit of advice to would-be volunteers: “Volunteering can be a lot of fun if you let people know where your talents lie.” No5TrueFalse//Right Public Relations Student Correspondent Laura Bonawits '11 is a communication major from Plymouth, Pa. No5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features 2016News Features/about/community-relations/news/2016/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2016/indexwrenm21461256816985yadavn21638571969293seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/2015true1439997044830cohenj22015/about/community-relations/news/2015www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015klienk21421768306781wrenm21461256696476display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Springtrue1439997026719cohenj2Spring/about/community-relations/news/2015/Springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Springklienk21421768323537wrenm21461256705663display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --low-visiontrue1748367960396spinosaj2A view toward independence: Pro bono services at low-vision clinic meant to preserve patient autonomyThe pro bono services offered at the clinic will help patients with low vision “use their remaining vision to stay independent,” Dr. Nastasi says.A view toward independence: Pro bono services at low-vision clinic meant to preserve patient autonomy/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/low-visionwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/low-visioncohenj21448033385926cohenj21448982435466seo-titlenavNoA view toward independence: Pro bono services at low-vision clinic meant to preserve patient autonomyMake a fist and bring it to the bridge of your nose. Now try to watch television or read a newspaper or view something on your computer screen. It's very difficult to see around that big, blank, fist-created space in the middle, isn't it?  Julie Ann Nastasi, ScD, OTD, faculty specialist in the University's Occupational Therapy Department, says this exercise helps students understand the challenges people with low vision face. In the fist-making example, the experience mimics age-related macular degeneration. Other conditions that create low vision are diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. No matter its cause, patients are deemed to have low vision if their “best corrected” vision is 20/80 or worse. Best corrected means there's no longer recourse to a better prescription for eyeglasses. To get an idea of what 20/80 vision is, imagine the giant E on the very top of your eye doctor's chart. It represents 20/200; 20/80 hovers somewhere just below it. Although people with low vision are not blind, daily tasks become quite difficult for them. However, with therapy and an adapted environment, there is no reason they cannot remain independent. Dr.  Nastasi and her occupational therapy students have begun offering services at the University's Leahy Clinic designed to ensure that independence. A patient needs a prescription for occupational therapy and must be uninsured or under-insured to access the Leahy Clinic services. The pro bono services offered at the clinic will help patients with low vision “use their remaining vision to stay independent,” Dr. Nastasi says. “Think about it. Ninety percent of what we do each day, from reading a prescription to paying bills, is processed through vision. With PRL (preferred retinal locus) training, people with macular degeneration can be taught to use other parts of their eye. We teach them to look to the left, look to the right, move that spot out of the way.” In addition to therapy, patients can be taught to use adapted devices to compensate for impaired vision. For example, raised dots on machine dials can be used to help a person feel how to turn it on or off. There are playing cards featuring very large numbers. “The point of the low-vision clinic is to find out what's important to the patient and then help them find adaptations that will allow them to continue those activities,” Dr. Nastasi says. Dr. Nastasi just began offering the Leahy Clinic services in October. She hopes to grow the program to about four hours each week and will include University OT students in the program. OT student and clinic volunteer, Christina Gavalas says, “Vision is such a central part of everyday functioning –  it’s so rewarding knowing that we get to help people in need who might otherwise go without services. It means a lot that Dr. Nastasi has faith in us as future clinicians and wants to further our education by letting us observe and participate in her low-vision clinic.” Referrals for the low-vision clinic have come from local optometrist and Scranton alumna, Nicole Beckish, OD. Dr. Nastasi also refers patients out, including to the Lackawanna Blind Association, where she and her graduate students regularly volunteer. Dr. Nastasi's volunteer work for Lackawanna Blind Association focuses on helping people who are completely blind concentrate on using their other senses to maintain independence. “These volunteer services at our Sensory Development Activity Program exemplify the meaning of a true partnership with The University of Scranton students and a social service agency working together for the betterment of the blind and visually impaired in our community,” said Mary Lou Wascavich, executive director of the Lackawanna Blind Association. [Photo Caption: Dr. Julie Nastasi looks on as Lackawanna Blind Association clients display Fourth of July wreaths they created during the association's Sensory Development program.]/about/community-relations/images/Juliefourthofjulywreaths.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Juliefourthofjulywreaths.jpgwww.scranton.eduJuliefourthofjulywreaths.jpgLow-Vision Clinic Fourth of July Wreaths Low-Vision Clinic Fourth of July Wreaths 90424399225/Right/non-traditional-programstrue1748367960396spinosaj2University Truly an Institution for All AgesThrough programs such as High School Scholars, the Schemel Forum, and Senior Citizen Auditing, the intellectual stimulation of the University is made available to non-matriculating students of all ages. University Truly an Institution for All Ages/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/non-traditional-programswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/non-traditional-programscohenj21439921499778cohenj21439997072873seo-titlenavNoUniversity Truly an Institution for All AgesIf your image of a college classroom still includes seats largely filled by those between the ages of 18 and 22, fresh out of high school or eager to begin first “real jobs,” you might want to pay a visit to the University of Scranton these days. Through programs such as High School Scholars, the Schemel Forum, and Senior Citizen Auditing, the intellectual stimulation of the University is made available to non-matriculating students of all ages.   Set foot in a lecture hall and you might find yourself in the company of a 17-year-old high-school senior – or a 60-plus-year-old, self-professed “real senior.” That’s how Renate Fine of Scranton, whose age is top-secret, even to some of her closest friends, describes herself. The German immigrant with several decades under the belt is also “active and curious.” Fine is particularly curious when it comes to the field of philosophy. Her interest has led her to enroll in class after class at the University, and sometimes it doesn’t matter if she knows exactly what she’s about to study. This fall, for example, she’s looking forward to a Phenomenology course taught by Andrew LaZella, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy, but don’t ask her to explain what that is. She can tell you, however, that, based on the course description, she expects to learn about things that are “extraordinary, eventful and wonderful.” Fine used two of those same words to describe the University program that allows her to audit courses that have available seats for free as a senior citizen, an opportunity she has taken advantage of every fall and spring for the past 10 years. Fine also takes advantage of the University’s Schemel Forum, attending the evening sessions of the educational initiative designed to provide intellectual and cultural exploration for all ages. The Schemel Forum also offers lectures and a world affairs luncheon series, as well as field trips to places of interest. Fine, who completed a business degree in Germany and a teaching degree in New York, from the New School for Social Research, before continuing her studies in anthropology, sees the range of University offerings as a way to keep the mind sharp. “It’s my intellectual stimulation,” she said. “You need that even more as you get older.” Dr. Stanley Rose would agree. The 85-year-old resident of The Hideout, a planned residential community at Lake Ariel in Wayne County, laughs as he explains his reason for enrolling in classes at the University for the past two decades, also through the same free educational auditing program for seniors. The retired dentist remembers saying to his wife, Marjorie: “You know, I think I’ll take a course and see if the old cerebral cortex is still working.” All it took was one course, “and I was hooked,” he said. “One led to the next and the next and the next.” Rose took his first classes for credit – that option is available at a reduced tuition rate for senior citizens – and earned good grades. “I decided I proved my point – that the brain was still active – and that I’d rather read whenever I want and no longer take exams,” he said. Now he’s happy just to take in the knowledge without the extra studying and finds himself encouraged by the younger students around him. “I find the students very interesting, especially at the higher levels, where they are the best, brightest and most dedicated,” he said, remembering having enrolled in a recent biology class “where one after another announced acceptance into medical school.” Along with his biology classes, Rose has enrolled in sociology, law and philosophy courses as well, singing the praises of everything he’s tried. “It’s been a marvelous, enriching experience,” he said. The same has been said of another program the University offers for nontraditional learners: the High School Scholars Program. That program, while not tuition-free as the senior-enrollment program is, allows local high school students who have completed their sophomore or junior year with a minimum 3.3 grade point average to take deeply discounted courses that will count toward their undergraduate work at the University. An arm of the High School Scholars Program is the Dual Enrollment Program, open to local students who have completed their junior year with a minimum GPA of 3.3. Those students can earn high school and college credits simultaneously. Dual Enrollment is part of a broader high school reform effort, titled “Project 720,” that former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell initiated in 2005. The title comes from the number of days a high school student spends in school over four years, and the aim is to provide a more rigorous academic experience. To hear Shawn Nee, a guidance counselor in the Old Forge School District tell it, that program offers students a revelatory experience as well as a way to defray oncoming college expenses. Nee said the Old Forge School District has been sending qualified seniors to the University for such classes for 10 years now. “Most of our high school kids feel very challenged by the courses,” he said. “The experience has really opened their eyes to the rigor of a college education.” The students take English and history courses at the University, Nee said, and are excused from those classes at Old Forge but earn both high school and college credits upon successful completion at the University. “It’s been a great, great experience because our students have been among real college students and returned more prepared for their undergraduate educations,” he said. Other participating local schools are Dunmore, Forest City, Lakeland, Mountain View, Riverside, Scranton and Valley View high schools. Funding criteria are determined by the individual schools and can include some tuition assistance. Nee noted that 18 Old Forge students were eligible last year, and in a given year anywhere from 10 to 20 will participate. He sees the relationship not only continuing but growing. His enthusiasm level for the high school programs matches Fine’s and Rose’s zeal for their continued participation in the senior auditing program and through Schemel Forum offerings. “I’m going to keep going to the University as long as they’ll have me,” Rose said. /about/community-relations/images/2015/hs-scholars-banner.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2015/hs-scholars-banner.jpgwww.scranton.eduhs-scholars-banner.jpg30594250148/Right/Classroom Projectstrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonSeveral spring semester classroom projects for area nonprofit and community organizations have placed students directly in the local community and resulted in a “win-win” for all involved. Professors have motivated and engaged students.Classroom Projects for Area Nonprofits Benefit More Than the Client/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/Classroom Projectswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/Classroom Projectsklienk21432907960578cohenj21433785893715seo-titlenavYesClassroom Projects for Area Nonprofits Benefit More Than the ClientSeveral spring semester classroom projects for area nonprofit and community organizations have placed students directly in the local community and resulted in a “win-win” for all involved. Professors have motivated and engaged students. Local organizations receive learned expertise. Students gain resume-building, real-world experience. And, area residents benefit from improved programming and communication from area organizations. Among the community projects used in courses during the spring semester at the University were a multimedia communication presentation focused on local history for an advanced journalism course, an advertising campaign project for a museum for an advertising class, and a marketing project for an orchestra for a consumer behavior class. These courses highlight just some of the many classes at the University that include a community project component. News Reporting (COMM 320) Students in the News Reporting course taught by Kimberly Pavlick, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication, were required to produce a multi-media pieces that look at the history of West Scranton, profile of a member of United Neighborhood Center’s West Side Active Adult Community Center, and address a subject discussed by the active adult in his or her profile interview. The students’ course work involved learning and using multi-media technology, writing and historical research. The students’ multimedia presentations, “Sharing Life Stories of West Scranton,” was premiered at a community event in May. “The students loved it. They became engaged in the project as they began to meet the participants from the active adult center,” said Dr. Pavlick, who also noted that the older adults “connected with and embraced” the students. “They liked knowing that the students were interested in their stories,” she said. Laura Fay, a senior from Thornton, said she not only learned how to conduct an interview and report a story – but also how to determine the “best platform to use for the piece.” She produced a video interview and blog about a West Scranton resident, as well as slide show with a voice recording focusing on the “religious roots” of West Scranton. Fay also thought the project was “special in the sense that it put us (students) out in the community. We had to talk to people outside of the University.” Fay noted that she thought the local focus of course was also unique in that it required students to learn specifically about the history of West Scranton, unlike many other courses that take a more global perspective with projects. The class-based activity is part of a broader Scranton Neighborhood Park Collaborative project, of which The University of Scranton is a member, that is using the humanities as part of a process to revitalize city parks, beginning with West Scranton. The collaborative project is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, the Federal-State Partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Advertising COMM 225 Students in the Advertising course taught by Stacy Smulowitz, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication, were assigned the task of creating an advertising campaign to increase visitors to Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton. The semester-long group project incorporated conducting primary consumer research via focus groups, surveys and observations. The research was completed by each of the groups, however the results were shared and used by all the students in the course. According to Dr. Smulowitz the research was intended to provide the basis for creating a comprehensive advertising campaign for the museum. The campaigns included SWOT analysis, setting campaign objectives, messaging, creative, media planning, scheduling and budgeting, and suggestions for monitoring and measuring results. At the end of the semester, the students presented their plans to Chester Kulesa, historic site administrator for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. He saw many benefits from the students’ efforts. “First, the project is like putting light through a prism. It provides a different perspective – different and fresh opinions –  on what we do,” said Kulesa. “It also brings in expertise that I don’t have. This is research that I would not have done.” “We are very fortunate to have recourses in our community – such as the colleges and universities - that we can take advantage of to improve our organizations and allow us to better fulfill our missions,” said Kulesa. Kulesa also said the plans presented offer some “real opportunity for implementation” that he will discuss with his staff. One campaign presented by University juniors Amelia Cheikhali of Bethpage, New York, Elizabeth Hamm of Brooklyn, New York, and Karen Mennella of Mahwah, New Jersey, chose as its theme “Dig Down” – a phrase that works well with the museum’s coal mine theme and supports the students’ research that discovered consumers would view the attraction favorably once they become more aware of the venue and its offerings. In other words, once they “dig down” into the information. Consumer Behavior – MKT 362 Abhijit Roy, Ph.D., professor of management, marketing and entrepreneurship, gave students in his Consumer Behavior course a choice of projects for which they were to develop marketing proposals. Among the choices was a “real life” project to attract millennials to NEPA Philharmonic concerts. The marketing proposals were to be based on primary and secondary research gathered by the students. At the end of the semester, students selecting the project for the orchestra presented their plans to Patricia Arvonio, director of administration for the NEPA Philharmonic. The proposal presented by University juniors Susan Kitcho of Avoca, Cory McPherson of Chester, New Jersey, and Dana Netel of Monroe, New York, suggested targeting students attending college at campuses in Scranton. Their proposal also recommended the use of social media and YouTube postings, among other promotions, to increase awareness of the concerts for this target audience. The three students agreed the idea of helping out a local organization appealed to them. “There was added pressure from doing a ‘real-life’ project, but it was good stress,” said Kitcho. “It’s motivating to know that someone will be in the room listening to your plan,” said Netel. None of the students chose the project to “build a resume,” but they did realize merit of being able to say they worked on a “real” project for a “real” organization. Chester Kulesa, historic site administrator for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, listens to an adverting campaign pitch from Amelia Cheikhali as part of a class taught by Stacy Smulowitz, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication. From left, University Students Susan Kitcho, Cory McPherson and Dana Netel present their marketing proposal for the NEPA Philharmonic as part of a consumer behavior class taught by Abhijit Roy, Ph.D., professor of management, marketing and entrepreneurship. From left, University students Karen Mennella, Elizabeth Hamm and Amelia Cheikhali present their advertising campaign proposal for Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton./about/community-relations/images/2015/West Side Senior Center.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2015/West Side Senior Center.JPGwww.scranton.eduWest Side Senior Center.JPG55393250187/Right/Servicetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of Scranton“You are the someone else.” Those were the simple words of advice University Broadcast Communications Technician Pete Sakowski had for fellow faculty and staff members who might be considering carving out off-the-clock time, either on or off campus, for service commitments.Ignatian Spirit Prompts Faculty and Staff to Share Time, Talent With Community/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/Servicewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/Serviceklienk21429189867921wrenm21429880446410seo-titlenavYesIgnatian spirit prompts faculty and staff to share time, talent with community“You are the someone else.” Those were the simple words of advice University Broadcast Communications Technician Pete Sakowski had for fellow faculty and staff members who might be considering carving out off-the-clock time, either on or off campus, for service commitments. Sakowski is one of several University employees who have made volunteerism a significant part of their life’s work. He and others on campus of similar mind and spirit most often cite not only personal interest but a commitment to public service, a personal alignment with the University’s mission and religious beliefs as the reason they do what they do. Each year the Office of Community Relations collects information on volunteerism through its Community Service Input Form, a tool used to track and report on this work. The most recent data showed that many faculty and staff perform 10 to 15 hours of service activities per month. Many also provide free instruction and training within the community or speak to community groups. ● ● ● Here are just a few examples of University employees who offer their time and talent to better the community: Shuhua Fan, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, operates the Scranton Chinese School, a weekend language school. As principal and member of the school’s board of directors, Fan is in charge of general operations, including recruiting students and teachers and reserving classrooms for its six classes. She also hosts activities, such as a Chinese New Year Festival, a spring picnic and a Halloween party, and finds locations for those celebrations. Occasional community outreach on behalf of the school is also part of Fan’s role, as is interacting with families and advising them on Chinese culture, language or travel or offering recommendations on private language tutors. Cultural diversity is important to Fan, which is why she spends so much time at the Scranton Chinese School. She also seeks to create an opportunity for all families in Northeastern Pennsylvania to learn the Chinese language. ● ● ● Riaz Hussain, Ph.D., an associate professor of economics and finance, is one of several university faculty and staff members who put their religious beliefs into practical action by volunteering at their places of worship or affiliated religious organizations. Hussain volunteers at the Scranton Area Ministerium, serving as treasurer, the Islamic Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, serving as trustee and the Hill Neighborhood Association, serving as treasurer. He also interacts with the community by providing educational talks on Islam for various school, social or religious groups and conducts Friday services at the Campus Mosque, where he is the imam, or worship leader. “I feel very blessed to work for an institution that encourages volunteering,” he said. ● ● ● Mary Densevich, a transfer credit analyst and records specialist in the Registrar’s office, also volunteers with a religious organization, The Little Sisters of the Poor, as well as a number of community-service clubs, such as Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary, at the St. Francis Soup Kitchen and for various campus events. She also works on behalf of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute. Densevich is a member of the Association Jeanne Jugan, a volunteer organization named after the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Saint Jeanne Jugan. The association unites the Little Sisters, more than 2,000 lay volunteers across the world and the elderly poor. “I do anything the Sisters need,” Densevich said, which means anything from working with and caring directly for those housed at the Holy Family Residence in Scranton to organizing events for them. For the Cancer Institute, Densevich serves on the committee for Survivors Day and as a committee member, co-chair and campus team captain for C.A.S.U.A.L. Day, which stands for Colon cancer Awareness Saves Unlimited Adult Lives. C.A.S.U.A.L. Day works to promote early detection of colorectal cancer, and Survivors Day celebrates all cancer survivors, caregivers, health-care professionals and individuals touched by cancer. Densevich, a member of the University’s Wellness Committee,  caught the volunteering bug early and never lost it. “My parents demonstrated and encouraged volunteering throughout my life,” she said. ● ● ● Pete Sakowski, a member of the Maintenance/Trades/Technical/Police staff, usually puts in at least 20 hours per month as a first responder, working on behalf of community safety. Sakowski works with the Dorrance Township Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management Agency, as well as the East Penn Technical Search and Rescue, the Luzerne/Carbon Counties Emergency Management Agency, the Montage Ski Patrol, the American Safety & Health Institute, Emergency Medical Services of Northeastern Pennsylvania and various other safety and rescue groups. He also is involved with the campus Staff Senate and works on various University committees. Saving lives is Sakowski’s lifeblood. He is an Emergency Medical Technician, a rescue technician and rope rescue instructor/trainer, and he provides CPR and first-aid instruction to community groups and other first responders. He also provides radiological and hazmat support at the county level and offers demonstration and instruction to various scouting and 4H groups. Though he encourages others to “get involved,” saying “you are the someone else,” he’ll also humbly note he’s not really sure what motivates him to put himself in harm’s way, offering that perhaps it’s the “adrenaline rush.” But one thing is certain: “It keeps me out of trouble,” he jokes. ● ● ●/about/community-relations/images/staff-service.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/staff-service.jpgwww.scranton.edustaff-service.jpg10203250166/Right/Carnegietrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonThe Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has awarded The University of Scranton its highly respected 2015 Community Engagement Classification. The University is among just 361 colleges in the nation, and one of only 24 colleges in Pennsylvania, to earn this prestigious classification. The classification will stand for 10 years.University Receives National Recognition for Community Engagement and Service/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/Carnegiewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/Carnegieklienk21421768544265klienk21421768820592seo-titlenavYesUniversity Receives National Recognition for Community Engagement and ServiceThe Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has awarded The University of Scranton its highly respected 2015 Community Engagement Classification. The University is among just 361 colleges in the nation, and one of only 24 colleges in Pennsylvania, to earn this prestigious classification. The classification will stand for 10 years. Through an extensive voluntary application process, the Carnegie Foundation recognized universities with documented success in curricular engagement and outreach and partnership with community organizations. In a letter informing the University of its classification status, the Carnegie Foundation praised the University’s application for documenting “… excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” University of Scranton President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., congratulated and thanked members of the campus community for their “deep and abiding commitment to serving others that is recognized and celebrated through this achievement” in an announcement to the campus about the recognition. “We are inspired by the life and teachings of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, who challenges us to ‘love and serve in all things,’” said Father Quinn. The University’s commitment to community engagement is well documented through individual volunteer service hours logged by students, faculty and staff, as well as through hundreds of projects involving service-learning, scholarship, research and other initiatives. Students participate in community engagement through service-learning courses, service programs, volunteer activities, downtown revitalization engagement events and student club projects. Examples of long-established partnerships with the University and community organizations include its 28-year partnership with the United Way of Lackawanna and Luzerne County to offer the Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program; its six-year partnership with the Lackawanna County Medical Society and other organizations to offer the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured; and its 18-year partnership with 14 local school districts and parochial elementary schools to offer the University of Success program. The University also launched several more recent programs that include the University’s four-year partnership with Lackawanna County District Court to offer the Shoplifter Intervention Program and its two-year partnership with the Scranton School District to offer the SMART Mentoring Program, among others. The University’s Center for Service and Social Justice, which is the point of contact for student volunteer activities and the region’s 120 non-profit agencies, has initiated more than 10 new programs in the last six years. New initiatives include the Youth Employment Series for 16 to 21 year-olds that focuses on career goals, the Big Friends/Little Friends cooperative after-school tutoring program, and the Christmas Day Community Breakfast to help those in need. Student involvement in international service programs has doubled in recent years, increasing from five international trips with 51 participants in 2008-09 academic year, to 11 international trips with 113 participants in the 2012-13 academic year. Those served by programs offered by the University and community partners have also increased. The Leahy Clinic, for example, has seen patient visits increase from 840 in 2008 to 1,679 in 2012. Expressing an institutional commitment to service, the University’s Kania School of Management (KSOM), Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) articulate specific goals for activities that support engagement with local, regional and world communities by the University as an entity, as well as for engagement opportunities for faculty, staff and students. At the University, 130 for-credit courses include a service-learning component, with 1,694 students participating in these classes taught by 86 faculty members. Fifteen (54 percent) of its academic departments have a service-learning requirement. One hundred percent of PCPS courses identify service-learning outcomes in their syllabi. Several academic programs have also incorporated community engagement into their curriculum. For example, the Business Leadership Honors Program, one of the University’s programs of excellence, integrated the senior year project to serve as a consulting opportunity with regional not-for-profit organizations. Over recent years, the students have worked with the regional Employment Opportunity and Training Center, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the city’s Nay Aug Park Greenhouse Project.   The Carnegie Foundation initiated the classification in 2006 with just 76 institutions making the listing. The University first earned the classification in 2008, when the foundation recognized just 119 universities in the nation for success in Curricular Engagement; Outreach and Partnership; or both. In addition, 121 institutions earned the classification in 2010. This is first time, colleges earning classification in 2006 and 2008 could apply to re-establish their classification until 2025. The University is among just 240 colleges in the nation, to earn this prestigious classification in 2015./about/community-relations/images/2015/carnegie-seal.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2015/carnegie-seal.jpgwww.scranton.educarnegie-seal.jpg43320249249/Right/tradingplacestrue1748367960396spinosaj2Trading Places Opens Students' Eyes to Poverty During Brutal Week of WinterTrading Places Opens Students' Eyes to Poverty During Brutal Week of Winter/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/tradingplaceswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/tradingplacesklienk21422997213613cohenj21423160644089seo-titlenavYesTrading Places Opens Students' Eyes to Poverty During Brutal Week of WinterThe winter storm Juno walloped several states with heavy snow, high winds and coastal flooding – and provided a strong dose of the reality of being homeless to University of Scranton students who returned from semester break early to participate in an intense, week-long poverty simulation. Sixteen students began the first day and night of the program called Trading Places by sleeping outside the DeNaples Center. That is least until the cardboard shelters the students erected gave way and project leader Patricia Vaccaro, director of the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice, gave in, allowing her charges to spend the overnight hours on the upper floor of the DeNaples Student Center, an experience that still proved educational. “Our cardboard was soaked. Our tarps collapsed,” said sophomore accounting major Megan Calascibetta, of Hampton, New Jersey. Once inside, she quickly fell asleep under a table in the student center while the lights remained on, as they might in a shelter. And their experience was just beginning. “We woke up in the morning, and there was three inches of snow,” said freshman occupational-therapy major Bridget Fasciani of Long Island, New York. In other words, perfect conditions under which to be sent back to the streets from with a “scavenger list” of items to accomplish – such as using public transportation to pick up job applications and visiting the welfare office and public library, where another reality hit. “We realized you need a library card,” said Nicholas Lock, a sophomore counseling and human services major from Galeton. “A homeless person might not have identification and therefore might not be able to get a library card.” Or even something to carry around what few possessions they might have. “We were actually denied a plastic bag,” Calascibetta said, describing how students visited local stores and were told they could not have a bag unless a purchase was made.  They also hunted for places to stay warm and eat, such as St. Peter’s Cathedral on Wyoming Avenue, where they attended Mass, and the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen on Penn Avenue, where they ate. On Tuesday, shopping on an extremely tight budget became another eye-opening experience. The students were sent to Redner’s Warehouse Market in Scranton with $1 apiece to buy lunch. That dollar is roughly the amount of money welfare recipients have to spend per person per meal. The students pooled their money to have $11 to buy food to share, purchasing store-brand peanut butter, jelly, two bunches of bananas and a bag of carrots. The students had 29 cents to spare and many more talking points to discuss back on campus. Was the larger jar of peanut butter a better value than the smaller even though the price was steeper? Were the choices made healthy? Vaccaro asked about the decision to buy white bread, which Zack Tamimi, a sophomore political science major from Clarks Summit, explained. Whole-wheat bread was “a lot more expensive,” he said. Trading Places is the brainchild of Vaccaro who developed the program and offered the program for the first time after a University student – Nick Longobardi of Floral Park, New York – asked if something could be done for students during the last week of winter break. In addition to the simulation exercises, the program also included reflection and service. The students cooked meals for Scranton’s Community Intervention Center on Wednesday and revisited the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen, this time as volunteer servers, on Thursday. View media stories about the initiative here: WBRE TV WNEP TV Scranton Times Tribune Scranton Times Tribune, Chris Kelly Opinion/about/community-relations/images/2015/PovertyPhoto.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2015/PovertyPhoto.JPGwww.scranton.eduPovertyPhoto.JPG50298250186/Right/competitionstrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonCommunity Relations/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/competitionswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/competitionsklienk21422997890798salvon21553870701418display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Academic Competitions Planned for Middle and High School Students/about/community-relations/images/2015/KanePhoto.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2015/KanePhoto.JPGwww.scranton.eduKanePhoto.JPG39206250166RightThe University of Scranton will host several academic competitions for area middle school and high school this spring. The competitions are the Brain Bee for neuroscience, the Stock Market Game, an Earth Day essay competition and art contest, a Computer Science Programming Contest, the Kane Competition for physics and engineering, and the Integration Bee for mathematics. On Saturday, Feb. 7, the University’s Neuroscience Program will host the 16th annual Northeast PA Brain Bee for high school students in grades 9 through 12. The competition begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Loyola Science Center. The competition encourages high school students to study the brain and how it relates to intelligence, memory, emotions, movements, aging and other factors. The winner of the Northeast PA Brain Bee will be invited to participate in the National Brain Bee, which will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, this spring. For more information about the Brain Bee, contact Robert Waldeck, Ph.D., program director and associate professor of biology, at 570-941-4324 or robert.waldeck@scranton.edu. The University offers a Stock Market Game competition for students in grades four through 12 each spring (and fall) semester. The Stock Market Game, a program of EconomicsPennsylvania, is a ten-week simulation during which students invest an imaginary $100,000 by buying stocks listed on the major securities exchanges. Students learn how financial markets operate and hone their mathematics and decision-making skills. For more information about the Stock Market Game, contact Edward Scahill, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and finance, at edward.scahill@scranton.edu or 570-941-4187.  On Wednesday, April 15, the University will host its annual Kane Competition The daylong contest tests high school students’ knowledge of physics and engineering through a series of hands-on games and challenges. Students compete individually and as part of a team. The competition can help participants prepare for Advanced Placement tests. It This year’s theme, “Music, Waves and Oscillations” will include a “concert” with participants collaborating to play a song on oversized electric guitar. The competition will be held in the Byron Recreation Complex and pre-registration is required. For additional information, contact Nancy Laffey at 570-941-7509 or nancy.laffey@scranton.edu. On Friday, April 17, the annual Computer Programming Contest will be held in the Loyola Science Center. Hosted by the Computing Sciences Department, the four-hour competition for high school students will involve using programming languages to solve six computer-programming problems. Immediately following the competition, an awards banquet will recognize the first-, second- and third-place teams. For additional information about the Computer Programming Contest, contact Robert McCloskey, Ph.D., assistant professor of computing sciences, at 570-941-7774 or Robert.mccloskey@scranton.edu. On Monday, April 20, the annual Math Integration Bee will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Mcllhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The competition, which is hosted by the Mathematics Department, includes both college and high school divisions. The competition can help high school students improve their skills for Advanced Placement mathematics tests. The Bee is offered free of charge. For more information, contact Stacey Muir, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, at 570-941-6580 or stacey.muir@scranton.edu. The University of Scranton and Pennsylvania American Water will sponsor an art contest for students in grades four to six, and an essay contest for students in grades seven to 12. Submissions are due Friday, April 10, for the art contest and Tuesday, April 7, for the essay contest. Essay contest winners will be announced at an Evening of Environmental Science, which will take place on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Loyola Science Center. The event, which is open to the general public as well as contest participants and their families, will include University student-run interactive science experiments, displays and astronomy observation, as well as the exhibit of art and essay contest submissions. For additional information about the Earth Day art and essay contest, visit http://www.scranton.edu/sustainability/index.shtml or call 570-941-7520. The contests are in addition to educational programs offered through the University’s theatre program, art gallery and performance music program, as well as educational tours of the Loyola Science Center and other enrichment programs. For more information about the University’s educational program for elementary, middle and high school students, visit http://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/k-12.shtml.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/Spring/indexwrenm21461256969685wrenm21461256969685seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/school-bonanza-2015true1748367960396spinosaj2Class of 2019 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenClass of 2019 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children on Sunday August 23 from 2-4 p.m. on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.Class of 2019 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children/about/community-relations/news/2015/school-bonanza-2015www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/school-bonanza-2015cohenj21439827923221cohenj21439828965193seo-titlenavNoClass of 2019 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenMembers of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2019, together with community partners, will help area children and their families prepare for the upcoming school year with a Back to School Bonanza from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square (N. Washington Avenue side). The fun-filled community fair, geared for children from 3 to 12 years old, will include family-oriented activities, educational games and prizes, refreshments and more! Come and enjoy math, science and reading activities, face-painting, a bouncy house, crafts, coloring, story time, lawn games - there's something for everyone! The fair is open to the public, free of charge. Reservations are not required, although children must be accompanied by an adult. The event will be cancelled if there is heavy rain. For additional information, contact 570-941-4419 or community@scranton.edu. For event updates or to share the event with friends, visit the Facebook page. The Back to School Bonanza is hosted by the University’s Center for Student Engagement, Campus Ministries/Center for Service and Social Justice, Office of Community Relations, and Jesuit Center in partnership with community partners: Lackawanna County, La Festa italiana, Pediatrics of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Scranton School District, State Representative Kevin Haggerty, State Representative Marty Flynn and NEPAMOM.com. Special Thanks to our Vendor Sponsors & Partners: Aetna Better Health, AquaBall!, Aramark, Commonwealth Health Ambulance, Elm Park United Methodist Church, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Grace & F. Dennis Dawgert, M.D., Everhart Museum, Greenhouse Project, Highlights for Children, Hildebrandt Learning Centers, Idle Hour Lanes, Inc., Lackawanna County Library System, Lackawanna Heritage Valley, Maternal and Family Health Services, McDonald’s (1200 Wyoming Avenue), Scranton Fire Department, Scranton Latin Festival, Scranton Police Department, Steamtown National Historic Site, The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties Success by Six, Wayne Bank./about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgwww.scranton.educommunity-fair-logow.jpg12280200110/Right/firsttrue1748367960396spinosaj2FIRST Arrivals of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2019 Volunteer at Area Nonprofit OrganizationsFIRST Arrivals of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2019 Volunteer at Area Nonprofit OrganizationsFIRST Arrivals of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2019 Volunteer at Area Nonprofit Organizations/about/community-relations/news/2015/firstwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/firstcohenj21439995921263cohenj21440170756271seo-titlenavNoFIRST Arrivals of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2019 Volunteer at Area Nonprofit OrganizationsForty-one students from The University of Scranton’s class of 2019 arrived before the start of fall semester classes in order to volunteer at area nonprofit organizations. These students are participants of FIRST (Freshmen Involved in Reflective Service Together), a service immersion program now in its 13th year at Scranton. FIRST participant and incoming freshman neuroscience major Vinny Murali from Kingston fully intends to volunteer while at the University. “This is a way for me to find out about some of the volunteer opportunities in the Scranton area,” he said. Murali and other FIRST participants will volunteer at the United Neighborhood Center’s Belleview Center, the Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania, St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, the Friends of the Poor Warehouse, and The Greenhouse on Arthur Avenue from Tuesday, Aug. 21, through Friday, Aug. 24. Each evening the students will meet as a group at the University’s Retreat Center at Chapman Lake to reflect on themes of social justice and spirituality. The incoming students – who have already volunteered extensively during their high school careers – will now join a University community that has earned national accolades for its commitment to service. According to Pat Vaccaro, director of The Office of Campus Ministries/Center for Service and Social Justice at the University, more than 2,850 University students volunteer annually through numerous programs offered by nonprofit organizations locally, nationally and internationally, as well as though service programs organized through her office at the University. Scranton is among just 361 colleges in America to achieve Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University was also named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Many of the FIRST participants will also volunteer with their classmates on Sunday, Aug. 23, for the Back to School Bonanza. The event is offered free of charge to area children and their families from 2 to 4 p.m. at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. It includes include face-painting, music, crafts, refreshments, prizes and other family-oriented activities and educational games. It is part of the University’s Fall Welcome activities for its Class of 2019. FIRST participants won’t have long to rest after all this service . . . their first day of classes begins on Monday. View WBRE Story Digital image: FIRST participant Anna Terry (right), a nursing major from New Milford, Connecticut, and Elyssa Lamarca, 8, a soon-to-be third grade student from Scranton, show off their origami artwork at the United Neighborhood Center’s Belleview Center. Terry was among 41 incoming University of Scranton students participating in FIRST (Freshmen Involved in Reflective Service Together), a service immersion program./about/community-relations/news/2015/FIRST2015.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/FIRST2015.jpgwww.scranton.eduFIRST2015.jpg50416250187/Right/neighbornighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Neighbor Night at Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall The University's Office of Community Relations is inviting Scranton area residents, including in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown, to a fall Neighbor Night on Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m.Neighbor Night at Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall /about/community-relations/news/2015/neighbornightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/neighbornightcohenj21443578744784yadavn21638571933695display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Neighbor Night at Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall/about/community-relations/images/2014/Leahy-Hall-After.jpegdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/Leahy-Hall-After.jpegwww.scranton.eduLeahy-Hall-After.jpegLeahy-Hall-After.jpeg73376300199RightThe University's Office of Community Relations is inviting Scranton area residents, including in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown, to a fall Neighbor Night on Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m. This special Neighbor Night is an opportunity for residents to visit the new Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall on  the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Linden Street. Neighbors will have a chance to hear about the latest University events and news, including brief remarks by Dean Debra Pellegrino of the Panuska College of Professional Studies housed in Leahy Hall. An optional tour of the facility will be provided, including the YWCA history exhibit on the first level. Light refreshments will be served.  Please RSVP to community@scranton.edu or 570-941-4419. No5TrueFalse/Nonenocity-archivetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Bringing Scranton’s History into the 21st Century and to the WorldBringing Scranton’s History into the 21st Century and to the WorldBringing Scranton’s History into the 21st Century and to the World/about/community-relations/news/2015/city-archivewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/city-archivecohenj21448033481011cohenj21449160485174seo-titlenavNoBringing Scranton’s History into the 21st Century and to the WorldOnce upon a time, if a modern-day Scrantonian wanted to learn about something that happened in the city a hundred years ago, he or she would have had to put in time and labor at the local library. Remember sifting through miles of microfilm, carefully winding and rewinding reels? Such an antiquated, analog world has now become highly digitized, making instant information more accessible than ever. Kristen Yarmey, University of Scranton associate professor and digital services librarian at the Weinberg Memorial Library, wanted to celebrate that fact – along with the city of Scranton’s 150th anniversary this year – by pulling the past farther into the future in a cutting-edge way that would put the University of Scranton in the limelight of the library world. Knowing the city sesquicentennial was approaching, Yarmey explained, several historically minded individuals and groups – representing the Scranton Public Library, the Weinberg Memorial Library, the University’s History Department, the Lackawanna Historical Society, and the Royals Historical Society (student history club)– put their heads together during the summer. “We wanted to do something special, some kind of digital-history project,” she said. From that meeting of minds, the first-of-its-kind, prototype-style Scanathon, which took place Oct. 24 and 25 at the Weinberg Memorial Library, was born. The intent? In a nutshell, to engage in the ongoing, monumental process of digitizing local history by scanning a trove of significant papers. Adam Pratt, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at the University and moderator of the Royals Historical Society, credits Yarmey for “her idea, organization and energy that got the ball rolling” on what ultimately proved a successful, replicable, cross-disciplinary project poised to put the public in closer-than-ever contact with history, specifically that of city patriarchs the Scranton family. Enter The Scranton Family Papers, what Yarmey calls “a really huge collection” housed at the Lackawanna Historical Society. It spans the years 1850 to 1917 and includes 19 bound volumes and over 9,000 letters, written by George W. Scranton, Joseph Hand Scranton and William Walker Scranton. To scan and digitize all of these would be an insurmountable task in a weekend, so Yarmey and crew – 30 student volunteers and seven staff members from the University, Scranton Public Library and Lackawanna Historical Society – began with a meaningful but manageable batch. “We decided to start with the first two volumes: George W’s letters from 1850-1854,” Yarmey said, noting that much of the content is business correspondence. The volumes were loaned from the Historical Society to the Weinberg Memorial Library for the Scanathon. “This was a really important time in the city of Scranton,” she said, explaining that all the railroads were under way and, because industry was ramping up, labor issues were cropping up. The period thoughts put to paper by the city’s founding fathers are accordingly rich and revealing. Dr. Pratt said they also are captivating if for the simple reason that people “wrote and spoke in a way we do not anymore.” “It’s always amazing, when you read anything from the 19th century, how eloquent they were,” he said, noting the letters also are fascinatingly different for each family member. Some of the Scrantons were “so into the railroads, coal or labor disputes,” Dr. Pratt said, while “others were just normal people interested in family life.” At the first Scanathon, students also created metadata, or descriptive information, for the George W. Scranton letters, Yarmey said. “Whenever you scan something, you want to know who wrote this, who it was to, what date it was written, what was the letter about,” she explained. Students will create spreadsheets to match up everything scanned, and the Weinberg Memorial Library will work with the Scranton Public Library to make everything available to the public. Yarmey is quick to point out the intrinsic value of the efforts for students. “Digitization has changed the field of history,” she said. “It’s a really hands-on opportunity for students to try out some new skills.”Yarmey said the volunteers successfully digitized both volumes of George W. Scranton’s letters as well as more than 300 pages of loose Scranton family correspondence. “Overall, we created 1,608 digitized images (over 20 GB), which will now be processed and prepared for publication in the Internet Archive and the Lackawanna Valley Digital Archives,” she said. Those archives are a searchable database of digitized materials hosted by the Scranton Public Library. The digitized volumes are already live on Internet Archive (Volume 1, Volume 2). Dr. Pratt puts it simply: “They make Scranton history accessible all over the globe. We’re bringing Scranton to the rest of the world.” A successful first effort, maps the territory for future efforts. The partners are considering the possibility of a second, larger Scananthon this spring, in which the public will be invited to bring in all manner of documents and photographs for digitization. [Photo Caption: Student and faculty volunteers used the Library's Scribe Station to digitize the George W. Scranton letters.] /about/community-relations/images/Scanathon3-2.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Scanathon3-2.jpgwww.scranton.eduScanathon3-2.jpgscanathon 26316266200/Right/thanksgiving-drivetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Students, Faculty and Staff Provide Thanksgiving Food DriveStudents, Faculty and Staff Provide Thanksgiving Food DriveStudents, Faculty and Staff Provide Thanksgiving Food Drive/about/community-relations/news/2015/thanksgiving-drivewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/thanksgiving-drivecohenj21448986958595cohenj21448990549903seo-titlenavNoStudents, Faculty and Staff Provide Thanksgiving Food DriveThe University of Scranton Campus Ministries' Center for Service & Social Justice sponsored its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive on Sunday November 22, dedicated to providing Scranton families with a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. This year, students, faculty and staff filled 200 baskets, with a turkey, vegetables, pumpkin pie, and all other essentials needed to create a wonderful meal and gave them directly to those in need at Valley View Housing Development in South Scranton.  The past success of the Thanksgiving Food Drive has been the result of the University community's generosity. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, over 100 students, staff and faculty volunteered to help package and personally distribute the baskets made possible through your financial contributions. This compassion and selflessness reflects the University;s Jesuit mission of service of faith and the promotion of justice.  View WNEP Story here./about/community-relations/images/thanksgiving-food-drive-2015.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/thanksgiving-food-drive-2015.jpgwww.scranton.eduthanksgiving-food-drive-2015.jpgthanksgiving-food-drive-2015.jpg56274200266/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features 2015News Features/about/community-relations/news/2015/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2015/indexwrenm21461256804343yadavn21638571893149seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/2014true2014/about/community-relations/news/2014www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014klienk21389121431068wrenm21396638338506display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Falltrue1417548059135klienk2Fall/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fallwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fallklienk21412865664059wrenm21461256941559display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Big Friends Little Friendstrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonEach week, 40 to 45 students from The University of Scranton and Marywood University participate in a cooperative program called Big Friends/Little Friends which ensures that disadvantaged pupils from Scranton-area elementary schools get at least two days per week on which they do not return from school to empty houses or perhaps empty refrigerators.Big Friends/Little Friends Give Children the Chance to shine and Learn/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/Big Friends Little Friendswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/Big Friends Little Friendsklienk21417547950998cohenj21417555137463seo-titlenavYesBig Friends/Little Friends Give Children the Chance to shine and LearnIn and around the play area of the Valley View Terrace housing complex in South Scranton, Monday and Thursday afternoons after school and before dinner can get a bit noisy and chaotic. Not that that’s a bad thing. In one corner of the mottled asphalt on a recent Monday, a jump-rope contest was well under way, with 65 successive hops without stepping on the rope becoming the record to beat and at least three new competitors clamoring for the chance to prove their prowess and top that figure. Two University of Scranton students twirling the ropes and counting the beats out loud somehow managed to maintain order. As might be expected wherever any large group of school-age children congregates for some fun and games after a day spent in the classroom, a little chaos occasionally manifests itself. But here, under the supervision of an on-staff teacher and a contingent of college-age and community volunteers, who represent The University of Scranton, Marywood University and the Friends of the Poor organization, every disruption also becomes a distinct teachable moment. Sometimes the children even turn into the teachers. “One hand,” said Matthew Walsh, 12, a South Scranton Intermediate School sixth-grader, to the quartet of spirited teammates half his size as he snagged the equivalent of a 30-yard pass in his fingertips, patted one wide-eyed friend on the head and got the game back on course. Carolyn Huff, a sophomore occupational-therapy major at the University of Scranton, explains further. It’s during these hours, when homework help, a meal and some group recreational time are offered in and around Valley View’s community center, she said, that these children get what they crave most. “We just pay attention to them,” she said, explaining the student volunteers’ job is “just to be there for them.” Each week, 40 to 45 students from the University and Marywood volunteer at Valley View, said Patricia Vaccaro, director of the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice – a number that helps match students and pupils one on one. The students are part of a cooperative program called Big Friends/Little Friends, now in its third year, which ensures that disadvantaged pupils from Scranton-area elementary schools, most in kindergarten through fifth grade at McNichols Plaza, get at least two days per week on which they do not return from school to empty houses or perhaps empty refrigerators. A late-afternoon meal is provided courtesy of the Weinberg Food Bank and homework help and supervised recreational activity courtesy of the student volunteers from Scranton and Marywood. The program in its current incarnation is funded by a grant, written cooperatively by the University and Marywood. The grant pays for a teacher, Elizabeth Cooney, 32, who is a University of Scranton graduate and second grade teacher at John G. Whittier Elementary in Scranton. The program also is run in conjunction with the Friends of the Poor agency under the tutelage of Sister Ann Walsh, of the Immaculate Heart of Mary order. On a recent Monday when a reporter visited the program, seemingly every youngster jostled for air-time have his or her story told. Courtney Montian White II, 10, described himself as the “smartest person in his science class.” Ma-re Hill-Lovett, 9, announced she loves getting help with her homework from the University students as much as she loves poems. Adriana Cardona, 11, a student at McNichols Plaza Elementary, who even asked to write her own statement in a reporter’s notebook: “I am very helpful. … I am very brave and courageous. One day I hope to become a teacher or a cheerleader. I want everybody to never give up on your dreams. Pursue them and never let anybody say that you can’t be whatever you can be! …” “They do not shy away from the spotlight,” Cooney said, shaking her head and smiling. “Not one of them.”/about/community-relations/images/2014/BFLF2.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/BFLF2.JPGwww.scranton.eduBFLF2.JPG64305250194/Right/center-for-rehab-educationtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonThe University’s center for rehabilitation education will have a significant economic impact on the region, according to a new report completed by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance.Report Highlights Economic Impact of New Center for Rehabilitation Education/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/center-for-rehab-educationwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/center-for-rehab-educationklienk21412783990557cohenj21413477611296seo-titlenavYesReport Highlights Economic Impact of New Center for Rehabilitation EducationThe University’s center for rehabilitation education will have a significant economic impact on the region, according to a new report completed by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance. The report provides an overview of the impact made as a result of the construction and engineering expenses related to the building and its operation. The NEPA Alliance uses IMPLAN,, or Impact Analysis for Planning, a software package that was developed by the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Forest Service Land Management Planning Unit in Fort Collins, Colorado. The model determines estimated direct, indirect (supplier) and induced (household spending) impacts in terms of the number of jobs, personal income and output, or economic activity. Some of the key highlights of the data, based on construction and engineering expenses include: Output or economic activity: $87.7 million Labor income: $36.1 million Value added: $44.5 million $6.6 million in federal taxes and an estimated $3.1 million in state and local taxes Employment: 322 jobs in 2013, 657 jobs in 2014 and 504 jobs in 2015. To view the full report click here./about/community-relations/images/2014/project-photo.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/project-photo.jpgwww.scranton.eduproject-photo.jpg35790250138/Right/neighbornighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Neighbor Night at the Houlihan McLean CenterNeighbor Night at the Houlihan McLean Center/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/neighbornightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/neighbornightcohenj21412972398207salvon21554214008621display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Neighbor Night at the Houlihan McLean Center/about/community-relations/images/2014/LHS.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/LHS.jpgwww.scranton.eduLHS.jpg51349249193RightThe University's Office of Community Relations is inviting Scranton residents, including in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown, to a fall Neighbor Night on Wednesday, October 22 at 7 p.m.The presentation, discussion and reception will take place at the Houlihan McLean Center located at the corner of Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Neighbor Night will give neighbors a chance to hear about University activities, ask questions to University leadership in the areas of Community Relations, Student Affairs and University Police, and enjoy light refreshments. Please RSVP to community@scranton.edu or 570-941-4419 or visit the Facebook Event page.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoshopscrantontrue1748367960396spinosaj2Campaign Encourages Students to ‘Shop Scranton, Shop Local’Campaign Encourages Students to ‘Shop Scranton, Shop Local’/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/shopscrantonwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/shopscrantoncohenj21417024117362salvon21554214906417display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Campaign Encourages Students to ‘Shop Scranton, Shop Local’/about/community-relations/images/Slide12.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Slide12.jpgwww.scranton.eduSlide12.jpg1511231758RightThis holiday season, University of Scranton students are once again being encouraged to “Shop Scranton, Shop Local.” Through this annual campaign, coordinated by the Office of Community Relations together with campus and community partners, students can take advantage of special discounts and holiday events in downtown Scranton. New this year, the University organized an Instagram photo contest, together with Scranton Tomorrow, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and ScrantonMade, to help create a buzz about shopping downtown and buying local throughout the holiday season. The contest runs through January 1, 2015 and students, along with members of the public, can upload a photo of their favorite business or event with #shopScranton for the chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the downtown business of their choice. A downtown “Shop Hop” for students is planned for Dec. 5-6 to coincide with First Friday, the County Tree Lighting ceremony and the second annual Holiday on the Square event. Participating stores and vendors will be providing a 15% or other special discounts during those two days where students can find unique gifts to take home for their loved ones. The Shop Scranton, Shop Local initiative is designed to showcase the variety of downtown shopping offerings, including men and women’s apparel, unique jewelry and accessories, fragrances, home décor items, chocolates, eco-friendly soaps, and much more. University students enrolled in a communication course recently catalogued the diverse offerings of the downtown in a project utilizing Twitter and Storify. Retail stores and vendors participating in the Shop Hop include: Amendolaro, Bella Faccias, Burlap & Bourbon, Comics on the Green, Duffy Accessories, Freedlove, Lavish Body+Home, Modish, New Laundry, Note Fragrances, Over the Moon, Pierre’s Fine Clothing & Accessories, ScrantonMade at Holiday on the Square, The Post Home and Body, The Mall at Steamtown (participating stores only). Throughout December, the Office of Community Relations’ Facebook page is highlighting Scranton events and specials offered by participating retail shops.  Shop Scranton, Shop Local is a project of the Office of Community Relations in collaboration with: the Center for Student Engagement, The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, The Office of Sustainability, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Scranton Chapter, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce & Metro Action and Scranton Tomorrow/Main Street Scranton. The media partner is: The Aquinas. For more information about Shop Scranton, Shop Local, visit www.scranton.edu/shoplocal.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Fall/indexwrenm21461256911991wrenm21461256911991seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/Springtrue1402601049042klienk2Spring/about/community-relations/news/2014/Springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Springklienk21389121473317wrenm21396638346228display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --lhva1true1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonHands-on projects are a mainstay in Dr. Kim Daniloski’s Marketing Research course, but this spring, students in her classes were charged with designing and executing qualitative and quantitative studies for real clients. Students Put Market Research to Work for Lackawanna Heritage Valley Projects/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/lhva1www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/lhva1klienk21402603253125cohenj21402925331749seo-titlenavYesStudents Put Market Research to Work for Lackawanna Heritage Valley Projects Hands-on projects have always been a mainstay for Dr. Kim Daniloski, Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Kania School of Management, so when Lackawanna Heritage Valley (LHV) approached her with the idea of using local projects as the source of topics for her Marketing Research course, she jumped at the opportunity. This spring, students in Daniloski's classes were charged with designing and executing qualitative and quantitative studies for clients who are the University's neighbors and partners. Linda Mlodzienski CPA, LHV Director of Operations and adjunct professor in the Kania School, worked with Daniloski to design research projects related to three live study subjects: Scranton’s Iron Furnaces, the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, and Scranton’s Half Marathon. Early in the spring semester, Linda and other representatives from LHV, together with leaders of the three projects, presented their research needs to Dr. Daniloski’s students, who then submitted their preferences. Amanda Sonzogni, Marketing and Entrepreneurship major and Business Club president, who had run her first half marathon two years ago, immediately knew she wanted to help the organizers of the Scranton Half Marathon evaluate the success of their inaugural race. Sonzogni and her team created qualitative and quantitative studies designed to address the needs of their client. They interviewed runners at several locations and sent questionnaires, assessing participants’ satisfaction with pre-race events as well as race-day elements like water stations and the course itself. “Professor Daniloski encouraged us to focus on what the client needed, which for the Half Marathon was to figure out what they would need to change for the next year,” Sonzogni said. Sonzogni said she and her team were motivated to work hard because they knew their work mattered, and they were happy to deliver significant findings from their studies to their client at the end of the semester presentations. Similarly, Maggie Bannon, a Marketing major and Clarks Summit native, felt that she and her team were inspired by the real-world implications of their project. Bannon chose to study the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and its visitors. She and her team were tasked with discovering who is using the trail and how. They conducted surveys of visitors at trail heads, talked with customers at the Scranton Running Company, and even polled University of Scranton students. “It was interesting,” Bannon said. “We found out that a lot of Scranton kids had never heard about it, but 88% were definitely interested in using the trail after we told them about it, because the trail is a nice flat run.” Bannon admitted that she had never heard about the trail despite growing up in the area but has since used it and taken friends there. Based on their findings, she and her team were able to make some recommendations to their client. “We suggested some events that would bring more people to the trail. For instance, a 5K followed by a dance or a barbecue at the trail head.” Chris Cacioppo, a Marketing and Electronic Commerce major, felt inspired by the passion of Michele Dempsey, President of dxDempsey, a Scranton architecture firm working on bringing new life to the Iron Furnaces. “[Michele] really wants to change the city. This is cool because somebody really cared about what we were doing.” Cacioppo and his team surveyed both University students and locals and found the vast majority would like to see a bar and a restaurant at the Iron Furnaces. But Cacioppo noted this information was easy to determine using a questionnaire but was not as helpful as what he and his team found from their one-on-one interviews of locals and University students. “From our qualitative study we also found that they want these things, but [the Iron Furnaces] needs to have something that brings everybody together. The city has bars, restaurants, all those things,” he said. “This needs to stand out.” Owen Worozbyt, Director of Community Engagement for LHV, was pleased with the students’ findings and reported that a lot of the research was valuable to his organization and to the committees responsible for the three initiatives. But the relationship had benefits for all parties, according to Worozbyt. “This collaboration gave a lot of students the opportunity to learn more about their own backyard,” Worozbyt said. Dr. Daniloski also viewed the assignment as mutually beneficial. Students who participated were able to practice the research methods she teaches and prove their aptitude to future employers, all the while serving the greater Scranton community.  “I think it was great to be able to engage in a service learning type of project,” Dr. Daniloski noted. “It really does connect with the Jesuit mission of the school. I was so happy that LHV were able to be our client.”/about/community-relations/images/2014/trail.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/trail.jpgwww.scranton.edutrail.jpg18377150141/Right/economic-impacttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonAs a Catholic and Jesuit institution, The University of Scranton is committed to helping to address community needs and views the well-being of the University and the City of Scranton as intertwined. New Economic and Community Impact Report/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/economic-impactwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/economic-impactklienk21396534925567klienk21396535629435seo-titlenavYesNew Economic and Community Impact ReportAs a Catholic and Jesuit institution, The University of Scranton is committed to helping to address community needs and views the well-being of the University and the City of Scranton as intertwined.  From an educational and cultural asset to an economic engine, job creator, and partner with businesses, the University seeks to be a good neighbor in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  According to a recent report, the University had a $270,112,367 regional economic impact in 2012-2013 and $5.3 billion since 1980. New Economic and Community Impact Report/about/community-relations/images/2014/econ-impact1.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/econ-impact1.jpgwww.scranton.eduecon-impact1.jpg11691150211/Right/survey-highlighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Article/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/survey-highlightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/survey-highlightklienk21395343103708cohenj21396752599794seo-titlenavYesUniversity Employees Embody the Ignatian Spirit Part of the University of Scranton’s mission is to be men and women for others. That philosophy is reflected in the community service performed by many staff and faculty throughout our campus. Each year the Office of Community Relations collects information on volunteerism through its Community Service Input Form. It is a tool that is used to track and report on this work. “It celebrates what they are doing,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, director of community and government relations. In 2013, nearly 60 faculty and staff completed the survey. The data showed that faculty and staff perform an average of 7 hours of service activities per month. They worked with 63 different organizations. 36% of respondents serve on a community Board of Directors or Committee. 32% provided free instruction, training, advising or spoke to the community; 17% taught a service learning course; 13% conducted community-based research; 29% helped coordinate a community program. Their top reasons for participating in service included: (1) personal interest (79%), (2) religious belief (38%) and (3) Jesuit mission (34%), indicating that the University of Scranton’s Catholic and Jesuit character and mission are a key motivating factor in how faculty and staff engage with the community.  Here are just a few examples of the time and talent being offered by University employees: Supervisor of Electrical/Mechanical Trades is Longtime Steward of the Environment   Timothy Barrrett has been interested in environmental issues since his teenage years. For the past 15 years, he has been a volunteer with the Lackawanna River Corridor Association. Mr. Barrett, supervisor of electrical/mechanical trades at the University, coordinates river site cleanups and serves on the LRCA board and its executive and fundraising committees. He joined the group after his retirement from a 20-year Navy career and subsequent return to Scranton. Of his early days with the LRCA, he says: “I enjoyed the work and received a feeling of great reward upon accomplishing each task.” Over the past 25 years, the LRCA has taken the river “from what was once known as a dumping ground for industrial waste and sewage to now a cleaner, better and safer place for recreation, trophy trout fishing and casual enjoyment,” he says. Financial Aid Staff Member Helps Within Her Community and Her Profession In her 35 years in the financial aid field, Margaret F. Hynosky has always made time for service work connected to her community and her job. As the University’s Associate Director of Financial Aid, she volunteers at high school financial aid nights to explain the process to families.  She also is a senator in the Staff Senate, a member of various Senate committees and is active in state professional organizations. “Volunteering within my profession and at work helps me share what I know to help others,” she says. Mrs. Hynosky also volunteers at the annual Christmas Day Breakfast and outside of work, with Ballet Theatre of Scranton and Mary, Mother of God Parish. “One of the reasons I volunteer is to give back to the community and help make it stronger and more welcoming,” she says. “When we help others, we get to know ourselves and others better. Hopefully this will help us in knowing God a little better and bring us closer to Him.” Associate Athletic Director Devotes Himself to Youth Sports For most of his adult life Stephen L. Klingman has given much of his time to youth sports. He has been on the Abington Youth Soccer League board for 30 years, with duties like recruiting and training coaches and maintaining fields. He is also involved with Abington Travel Soccer and Abington Youth Baseball, a commitment in which he spends several hours a week cutting grass and various baseball fields.    “My motivation is simple,” says Mr. Klingman, the University’s associate athletic director. “I love coaching various sports and working with all levels of athletes. I truly enjoy working with the young athletes to get them started in the right direction.” He believes his service ties in with the University’s mission. “Obviously part of the mission of the University is to serve others. Our University population, whether it be students, staff or faculty, truly care about helping others.” Associate Professor of Nursing Supports Women Through Service Patricia L. Wright’s work in the nursing field serves her well in her volunteerism. An associate professor of nursing, she is the founder of Pushing On: Support for Moms, a local support group for women who have experienced a pregnancy loss. Dr. Wright also sits on the board of the Domestic Violence Center, which supports victims of domestic violence. She also volunteers at a free clinic for the uninsured and within her church. “Serving others is part of my faith tradition, and it is my way of putting my beliefs into action,” she says. “I try to consider the skills I have been given and use them in ways that are helpful to others.” Dr. Wright says her service work relates closely to the University’s social justice mission. “My service promotes the dignity of women who are poorly supported after pregnancy loss or are escaping from violent circumstances. My work in the free clinic supports the preferential treatment of the poor and promotes social justice.” Academic Advisor Inspired by Mother Theresa For the past four years Philip Yevics has been a volunteer with the Prison Ministry at Lackawanna County Prison. Every week he visits inmates there, which he views as “a weekly opportunity to encounter Christ with an authenticity and intensity that I only rarely experience elsewhere.” “Visiting the prison has become an important part of my own spiritual life,” says Mr. Yevics, an academic advisor in the College of Graduate and Continuing Education, and an adjunct instructor of theology and religious studies. His work at the prison stems from an event nearly 40 years ago, when he heard Mother Theresa speak. “She spoke of her own community’s decision to serve those who were most neglected by society,” he recalls. “She also challenged all of her audience to look for such opportunities for service in their own communities.” Mr. Yevics is also deeply involved with the Byzantine Catholic Church, particularly as a cantor and Bible study leader. He has also made a service trip to El Salvador and is involved with the National Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministry and the Lackawanna County Task Force on Re-entry.  //Right/Kane 2014true1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonArea middle school and high school students can test their science, physics, math, art and writing skills at several academic competitions scheduled this spring at The University of Scranton. Competitions include the Brain Bee for neuroscience, Women’s History Month Essay competition, Earth Day essay competition and art contest, Stock Market Game, Computer Science Programming Contest, Kane Competition for physics and engineering, and the Integration Bee for mathematics.University Hosts Competitions for MIddle School, High School Students/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/Kane 2014www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/Kane 2014klienk21392151251797klienk21392740698697seo-titlenavYesUniversity Hosts Competitions for Middle School, High School StudentsArea middle school and high school students can test their science, physics, math, art and writing skills at several academic competitions scheduled this spring at The University of Scranton. Competitions include the Brain Bee for neuroscience, Women’s History Month Essay competition, Earth Day essay competition and art contest, Stock Market Game, Computer Science Programming Contest, Kane Competition for physics and engineering, and the Integration Bee for mathematics. The contests are in addition to educational programs offered through the University’s theatre program, art gallery (including a free Girls' Self-Portrait workshop on March 4) and performance music program, as well as educational tours of the Loyola Science Center and other enrichment programs. The University offers a Stock Market Game competition for students in grades four through 12 each spring and fall semester. The Stock Market Game is a ten-week simulation during which students invest an imaginary $100,000 by buying stocks listed on the major securities exchanges. Students learn how financial markets operate and hone their mathematics and decision making skills. For more information contact Edward Scahill, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and finance, at Edward.scahill@scranton.edu or 570-941-4187.  Lackawanna County students from grades seven to 12 are eligible to enter Women’s History Month Essay Contest, sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the University’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center. By March 1, students entering the contest are required to write about how they are inspired by one or several American women in history. On Wednesday, March 26, the Women’s History Month Essay Celebration will begin at 7 p.m. in the DeNaples Center. The event will celebrate those who submitted work to the Women’s History Month Essay Contest. For information, contact Justine Johnson, Director, Jane Kopas Women's Center at 570-941-6194. On Friday, March 28, the annual Computer Programming Contest will be held in the Loyola Science Center. Hosted by the Computing Sciences Department, the four-hour competition for high school students will involve using programming languages to solve six computer-programming problems. Immediately following the competition, an awards banquet will recognize the first-, second- and third-place teams. Pre-registration is required. To register online, visit  http://www.cs.uofs.edu/~contest/Registration/. For additional information, contact Robert McCloskey, Ph.D., assistant professor of computing sciences, at 570-941-7774 or Robert.mccloskey@scranton.edu. On Thursday, April 3, the University will host its annual Kane Competition, which begins at 8:30 a.m. The contest tests high school students’ knowledge of physics and engineering through a series of hands-on games and challenges. It also serves as preparation for Advanced Placement tests. This year’s theme, “Invention Island,” plays off of the “Survivor” TV show. Challenges include designing and calibrating both a food catching device and an aqueduct. Challenges will test students on their knowledge of mechanics, waves, optics, electromagnetism and circuits. Students compete individually and as part of a team. The competition will be held in the Byron Recreation Complex and pre-registration is required. For additional information, contact Nancy Laffey at 570-941-7509 or Nancy.laffey@scranton.edu. The University of Scranton and Pennsylvania American Water will sponsor an art contest for students in grades four to six, and an essay contest for students in grades seven to 12. Submissions are due March 28. From Tuesday, April 22, to Thursday, April 24, art and essay contest submissions will be on display in the Loyola Science Center. On Thursday, April 24, beginning at 7 p.m., the University’s Sustainability Club will host an Evening of Environmental Science for participants, their families and the general public. The event will include University student-run interactive science experiments, displays, astronomy observation, as well as the exhibit of The University of Scranton/Pennsylvania American Water Art and  Essay Contest submissions. For additional information, visit http://www.scranton.edu/sustainability/index.shtml or call 570-941-7520. On Wednesday, April 30, the annual Math Integration Bee will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Mcllhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The competition, which is hosted by the Mathematics Department, includes a college and high school division. The competition can help students improve their skills for Advanced Placement mathematics tests. The bee is offered free of charge. For more information, contact Stacey Muir, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, at 570-941-6580 or Stacey.muir@scranton.edu. On Feb. 8, the University’s Neuroscience Program hosted the annual Northeast Pennsylvania Brain Bee in the Loyola Science Center. Daniel A. Shaykevich, Pocono Mountain East High School, came in first place. Jonna Ann Boyda, Riverside Junior Senior High School, placed second and ​Brittany Thomas, Wyoming Area High School, came in third place. Visit our K-12 Activities/School Partnerships Page/about/community-relations/images/2014/k-12.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/k-12.jpgwww.scranton.eduk-12.jpg571533250167/Right/SJLAtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonHonors Course Project Focuses on Two Families in Need /about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/SJLAwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/SJLAklienk21392217654830klienk21392237736207seo-titlenavYesHonors Course Project Focuses on Two Families in Need Hanging drapes. Scrubbing, sweeping and dusting. Stocking cupboards with groceries. Not the typical tasks you would expect in a college honors course. Nevertheless, these were just a few of the deeds done last semester by 40 students in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program (SJLA) in an effort to help two local families in need. Thirty-four juniors and six seniors were part of Ryan Maher S.J.’s class, “The Jesuit Magis,” an interdisciplinary SJLA course that explores the role the concept has played in Jesuit history, with particular focus on its implications for Jesuit education, among other things. The students completed the tasks in apartment makeovers for the two families, in collaboration with the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice. Sister Ann Walsh, I.H.M., director of Friends of the Poor, selected the families from a West Scranton housing development based on their particular need. The families were single mothers, one with 4 children ranging in age from 19 to six months, and the other with 3 children under the age of 5. After learning of the specific needs of the families from Sr. Ann, the students raised approximately $1,500 and solicited donations of clothes, furniture and cleaning products from friends and family. With the funds they raised, the group purchased a washer and dryer, bedding, curtains and groceries. Finally, on a Saturday in November, they spent hours at the two apartments to do the improvements. “Our students don’t always know the conditions of how people live. This gives them a sense of how the world is,” said Patricia Vaccaro, director of the Center of Service and Social Justice. “At the University, we expect them to give back to their communities. It’s an important component of the ‘Magis’ class – going the extra mile, using your gifts and talents, to help other people. It is an eye-opening experience for them.” “Every student involved put in an unbelievable amount of effort,” said Emily N. O’Connor, a junior psychology and philosophy major from Sherman, Conn., and member of the SJLA Honors Program. “In one of the apartments about half the students, including myself, spent the entire day cleaning the floors and walls, vacuuming, washing dishes and organizing each room. The family also needed beds, curtains for bare windows and other accessories, all of which we provided and helped install. The other apartment lacked furniture and home furnishings, so many students helped set up supplies and other accessories that we brought.” Students also washed all the clothes and linens in each house.  Many of the students also took part in the fundraising efforts, which included a benefit concert with performances by students and faculty members, a T-shirt sale and a Quizzo night. It is not just the families who benefited, said Fr. Maher. The students got just as much out of the project. “They find that in going out and being of service, something feels profoundly right. We grew enormously from this.” Catherine Thurston, a junior biology and philosophy major, described the common ground she found with the families. “The first thing you saw when you walked in was pictures of their kids. You could tell how much they love their kids as much as my parents love me.” “The biggest thing for me was going and meeting these people and being part of their lives,” she added. Ms. O’Connor noted that as she cleaned one of the apartments, one of the children, a little girl, was glued to her side for the entire day. “Seeing how cheerful and kind each child was despite the less-than-ideal living situation they were in really opened my eyes to how optimistic children can be.” The student volunteers got to know each family, and some returned to the apartments weeks later with food and gifts for Christmas, Ms. Vaccaro said. “Each student was deeply involved in the experience,” Ms. O’Connor said. “I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to help with the program.” /about/community-relations/images/2014/service-photo.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/service-photo.jpgwww.scranton.eduservice-photo.jpg31713200235/Right/Downtown-planterstrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonThe University of Scranton, together with community partners Scranton Tomorrow and Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County, won the Pennsylvania American Water's "Community Investment Challenge" including $1,000 to help beautify downtown Scranton. Downtown Beautification Project Wins/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/Downtown-planterswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/Downtown-plantersklienk21389121596477klienk21390486984112seo-titlenavYesDowntown Beautification Project WinsThe University of Scranton, together with community partners Scranton Tomorrow and Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County, won the Pennsylvania American Water’s “Community Investment Challenge,” a contest where voters use the company’s Facebook page to determine grant awards given to support environmental projects and community improvement programs. Seventeen organizations from across the commonwealth entered projects in the month-long contest. The University entered its Downtown Scranton Spring Planter Beautification Project, which is planned for the spring of 2014 as part of the Jesuit school’s annual Street Sweep, and conducted in collaboration with community partners. The Downtown Scranton Spring Planter Beautification Project came in first place and was awarded a $1,000 grant from Pennsylvania American Water. The grant will support project that includes cleaning up debris and planting flowers and bushes throughout the planters in Scranton’s downtown area. The University’s Office of Community Relations and student government is partnering with Scranton Tomorrow and Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County to extend its annual spring “Street Sweep” neighborhood clean-up event into downtown Scranton. “We are excited and honored to earn first place in Pennsylvania American Water’s Community Investment Challenge,” said Julie Cohen, director of community and government relations at the University. “This grant will make a significant impact in helping to beautify downtown Scranton, thanks to Pennsylvania American Water’s generosity and the support of our Facebook community.” According to Pennsylvania American Water, eligible projects fell into one of four categories: Water and the Environment, Water and Healthy Living, Environmental Education or Community Sustainability; and must take place within Pennsylvania American Water’s service areas in 2014. “We are very pleased with how the contest engaged a broad range of civic, non-profit and environmental groups, who rallied and mobilized their social media networks to earn support for their local projects,” said Pennsylvania American Water Director of Communications and External Affairs Terry M. Maenza. “While we congratulate the winners, we also applaud the other entries for the innovative projects and terrific work they are doing in their communities.” Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest water utility in the state, serving approximately 2.2 million people./about/community-relations/images/2013/ComRelPlanters_Grant1.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/ComRelPlanters_Grant1.jpgwww.scranton.eduComRelPlanters_Grant1.jpg37338248166/Right/neighbornighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonCommunity Relations/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/neighbornightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/neighbornightklienk21393962627931salvon21554213831865display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Neighbor Night in Collaboration with Lackawanna Historical Society/about/community-relations/images/2014/LHS.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2014/LHS.jpgwww.scranton.eduLHS.jpg51349249193RightThe University's Office of Community Relations, in collaboration with the Lackawanna Historical Society, is inviting Scranton residents, including in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown, to spring Neighbor Night.The presentation, discussion and reception will take place at the Caitlin House, located at 232 Monroe Ave. An optional tour of the House will be provided following the presentation. Neighbor Night will include a greeting from our friends at the Lackawanna Historical Society and will give neighbors a chance to hear about University activities, ask questions to University leadership in the areas of Community Relations, Student Affairs and University Police, and enjoy light refreshments. Please RSVP to community@scranton.edu or 570-941-4419 or visit the Facebook Event page.No5TrueFalse/NonenoSurveytrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonCommunity Relations/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/Surveywww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/Surveyklienk21402600499186salvon21554215144157display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Survey Shows Increase in Students’ Downtown Engagement/RightThe Office of Community Relations has proven that knowing means going, downtown, that is. The University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative, comprised of events designed to familiarize students with shopping and dining venues, including a Downtown Scavenger Hunt and Downtown Nite, as well as discounts for students and special promotions, has led to a marked increase in student awareness and patronage of the myriad businesses just steps from the campus. Findings from a recent student survey conducted by the Office of Community Relations were presented May 2 at a meeting on campus, attended by downtown business owners, as well as representatives of city, county, and state government offices. The Downtown Engagement Initiative, an effort made possible through partnerships with Scranton Tomorrow and the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, was shown to have increased students’ familiarity with downtown businesses. Since the last survey was conducted in 2011, more students are going to downtown to retail shops, restaurants and entertainment activities.  The initiative has been particularly successful in increasing awareness among students of major community events such as First Friday. Awareness of that event has increased 39% among freshmen since 2011. More importantly, 39% of freshmen from 2014 patronized First Friday, versus 22% of their 2011 counterparts, a 17% increase.  According to Julie Schumacher Cohen, Director of Community and Government Relations, these large increases, together with consistent across-the-board gains in student familiarity with and patronage of downtown businesses, “validate that this engagement initiative is a long-term process and show that you have to educate the new students.” “We really flow right into the downtown, and we think the data shows that there’s been a shift in the campus culture of how [students] view the downtown,” Cohen remarked. Local business owners have seen evidence that the Initiative is working. According to Joshua Mast, owner of Posh at the Scranton Club, a restaurant on North Washington Avenue, there have been increases in the number of students coming to the restaurant for lunch or dinner. Family weekends, holidays, and Commencement weekend have also brought more University-related guests to Posh. “Our reservations for this year’s graduation were also higher than last year,” Mast said. John and Lara Alexiou, owners of Steamtown Hot Yoga on North Washington Avenue, were also present at the May 2nd meeting and are glad to be located so close to campus. Since their move from their Moosic Street location, they have seen drastic increases in students practicing at their studio. John Alexiou, whose business offers daily hot yoga practice as well as international yoga retreats, sees that the Downtown Initiative aligns with the business practices he learned from one of his master yoga teachers. “As long as the businesses are focused on helping one another, the community prospers,” Alexiou said. In addition to events designed to get students downtown, service opportunities like the Back to School Bonanza and the Downtown Planters project have helped to link the campus and the business community. Also successful has been the Royal Card Downtown program, which has been in a pilot phase. “So far we see that students are using it, and we would look now in the next year to see how we would expand it,” Cohen said. According to Cohen, another program which has proved mutually beneficial to campus and community and is now pegged for expansion is the Internship Initiative, led by the Small Business Development Center. Within the pilot program, students have had the opportunity to intern at several Scranton businesses in various professional areas, including marketing, software development, human resources, accounting, and communications.  View highlight of the survey results here. Find out more about the University's collaborative Downtown Engagement Initiative here.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/Spring/indexwrenm21461256955524wrenm21461256955524seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/school-bonanza-2014true1748367960396spinosaj2Class of 2018 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenClass of 2018 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children on Sunday August 25 from 2-4 p.m. on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.Class of 2018 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children/about/community-relations/news/2014/school-bonanza-2014www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/school-bonanza-2014cohenj21408477908114cohenj21408559589949seo-titlenavYesClass of 2018 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenMembers of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2018, together with community partners, will help area children and their families prepare for the upcoming school year with a Back to School Bonanza from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. The fun-filled community fair, geared for children from 3 to 12 years old, will include family-oriented activities, educational games and prizes, refreshments and more! Come and enjoy math, science and reading activities, face-painting, a bouncy house, crafts, coloring, story time, lawn games - there's something for everyone! The fair is open to the public, free of charge. Reservations are not required, although children must be accompanied by an adult. The event will be cancelled if there is heavy rain. For additional information, contact 570-941-4419 or community@scranton.edu. For event updates or to share the event with friends, visit the Facebook page. The Back to School Bonanza is hosted by the University’s Center for Student Engagement, Center for Service and Social Justice, Office of Community Relations, and Jesuit Center in partnership with community partners: Lackawanna County, La Festa italiana, Pediatrics of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Scranton School District, State Representative Kevin Haggerty, State Representative Marty Flynn and NEPAMOM.com. Special Thanks to our In-Kind Sponsors & Partners: Aramark, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Elm Park United Methodist Church, Everhart Museum, Highlights for Children, Kevin’s, Lackawanna County Ambulance, Lackawanna County Library System, Maternal and Family Health Services, Pennsylvania American Water, Price Chopper, Rita’s Italian Ice – Dunmore, Scranton Cultural Center, Scranton Fire Department, Scranton Latin Festival, Scranton Police Department, Steamtown National Historic Site, Target, The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Wayne Bank, and Vito Chiropractic. /about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgwww.scranton.educommunity-fair-logow.jpg12280200110/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features 2014News Features/about/community-relations/news/2014/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2014/indexwrenm21461256791305yadavn21638571871149seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/2013true1370010602771klienk22013/about/community-relations/news/2013www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013cohenj21354897613913wrenm21396638322761display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --falltrue1380204895682klienk2Fall/about/community-relations/news/2013/fallwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fallcohenj21376962741581wrenm21396638328578display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Christmas Breakfasttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonThe University of Scranton's fifth annual Community Christmas Day Breakfast is planned for Wednesday, Dec. 25, from 8 to 11 a.m. in the third floor Fresh Food Company of the DeNaples Center on campus.Christmas Day Breakfast for Community/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/Christmas Breakfastwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/Christmas Breakfastklienk21386963398247klienk21386964035086seo-titlenavYesChristmas Day Breakfast for CommunityThe University of Scranton’s fifth annual Community Christmas Day Breakfast is planned for Wednesday, Dec. 25, from 8 to 11 a.m. in the third floor Fresh Food Company of the DeNaples Center on campus. The breakfast is offered free of charge to the elderly and those who are alone or in need as a gift to the community this holiday season. The breakfast will include eggs, sausage, pancakes, juice and other foods. The University of Scranton Dining Service/ARAMARK staff and volunteers from The University of Scranton will prepare and serve the breakfast. The event was organized by the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice and Dining Services/ARAMARK. Reservations are not needed to attend.  For additional information, call 570-941-7401./about/community-relations/images/2013/christmas-bFast-article.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/christmas-bFast-article.jpgwww.scranton.educhristmas-bFast-article.jpg57683250177/Right/news-articletrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonThe University of Scranton and community partners have a chance to win $1,000 from Pennsylvania American Water's Community Investment Challenge to support the Downtown Scranton Spring Planter Beautification Project.Vote for the Downtown Scranton Planter Beautification Project!/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/news-articlewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/news-articleklienk21384525054541cohenj21385060245769seo-titlenavYesVote for the Downtown Scranton Planter Beautification Project!We need your help to beautify downtown Scranton this spring!   The University of Scranton's Office of Community Relations and Student Government together with Scranton Tomorrow and Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have a chance to win $1,000 from Pennsylvania American Water’s Community Investment Challenge for their collaborative Downtown Scranton Spring Planter Beautification Project.  The funding will help to purchase spring flowers.   The project cleaning up debris and planting flowers and bushes throughout the planters in Scranton’s Main Street district; Jefferson Ave. through Mifflin Ave., Olive St. through Lackawanna Ave. In cooperation with community partners, the University extends its annual spring “Street Sweep” neighborhood clean-up event into downtown Scranton. More than 100 students and alumni, together with Penn State Master Gardeners, participate in this event. You can help by voting for our project - every day until Dec. 8 and sharing it with your friends.  Here's how it works: 1) Go to this Facebook page.2) Like the page!3) Vote for the Downtown Scranton Spring Planter Beautification Project4) Share it with friends!5) Vote every day now through Dec. 8... The spring planting is part of the University’s ongoing Downtown Engagement Initiative and also signifies the spring kick-off of Scranton Tomorrow’s City Pride and Downtown Planter Program, which is designed to help improve the quality of life in the downtown Scranton business district. This downtown beautification project will take place on April 12 or 13, 2014, with the planning and purchasing of materials taking place in March/April. Funding will help to support the purchase of additional flowers and shrubs for 90 planters throughout the downtown area, to augment funding provided by the University’s Office of Community Relations and Student Government. This project provides direct benefits to the Scranton community by beautifying the streets of downtown Scranton with seasonal flowers and shrubs. Without Scranton Tomorrow’s City Pride and Downtown Planter program, aided by the University through this project, a large majority of the City planters would be filled with litter and debris. Through volunteering in the downtown area, University students become more familiar with the city’s shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities while also gaining increased pride in the campus’ surrounding neighborhood. This project provides a tangible improvement in the appearance, livability and vitality of the downtown, while also boosting University-Downtown yearlong collaboration. On Nov. 10, nearly 200 students participated in the University’s fall Street Sweep. Volunteers picked up litter and garbage in various streets in the Hill Section. In cooperation with Scranton Tomorrow, more than 40 students joined by 10 Penn State Master Gardeners, cleaned out planters throughout the downtown. Learn more about the Pennsylvania American Water’s Community Investment Challenge in this article in the Wall Street Journal./about/community-relations/images/street-sweep-350.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/street-sweep-350.jpgwww.scranton.edustreet-sweep-350.jpg144227350249/Right/immigrationtrue1748367960396spinosaj2University Community Stands up for Humane Immigration ReformUniversity faculty, staff, and students joined forces the week of Sept. 23rd with Jesuit institutions nationwide in response to a “Fall Call for Humane Comprehensive Immigration Reform” from the Ignatian Solidarity Network.University Community Stands up for Humane Immigration Reform/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/immigrationwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/immigrationklienk21380658427880cohenj21380681337186seo-titlenavYesUniversity Community Stands up for Humane Immigration ReformUniversity faculty, staff, and students joined forces the week of Sept. 23rd with Jesuit institutions nationwide in response to a “Fall Call for Humane Comprehensive Immigration Reform” from the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Events at Scranton were held on Wednesday, September 25, including a Mass and prayer service at Madonna della Strada Chapel, led by Rick Malloy, S.J., Vice President for Mission and Ministry at The University of Scranton. In a sign that immigration reform is an issue close to his heart, Fr. Malloy authored an op-ed which ran in the Sunday, September 21 edition of The Times-Tribune. In the editorial, Fr. Malloy seeks to convince the broader Northeastern Pennsylvania community that immigration reform is not only a moral imperative but is good for everybody. He laments the uncivil tone that has characterized the conversation surrounding immigration and notes that “too few speaking about this issue begin with the idea that we are called by God to love our neighbor.” Father Malloy goes on to point out that nearly all Americans are descended from immigrants and, in true Jesuit fashion, suggests an exercise in imaginative empathy.  He invites his readers to “Imagine having to…live the rest of your days in a place where you are never fully accepted.” Such is the reality, he argues, for so many of our immigrant “brothers and sisters.” Humane reform, he concludes, is an important step in building a world “of truth and justice [and] peace and love.” On the day following the Mass and prayer service, the Office of Community Relations, in cooperation with University Ministries, encouraged students in the DeNaples Center to sign postcards to send to their U.S. Congressional representatives. These expressed support for comprehensive reform, including a pathway to citizenship that respects the human dignity of workers and the unity of families, fair enforcement of existing immigration law, and ongoing economic assistance to developing countries. Several dozen postcards were signed, and, according to Sasha-lee Vos, Student Government leader and Community and Government Relations intern, “students were very willing to send one to their representative to show their support for immigration reform.” Last week’s initiative is part of an ongoing push by Catholic groups and institutions for reform of the immigration system. Jesuit institutions join with the U.S. Catholic Bishops, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and Faith in Public Life in urging legislators to repair a system they have called “morally indefensible.”  /about/community-relations/images/2013/postcard-student.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/postcard-student.jpgwww.scranton.edupostcard-student.jpg54571200267/Right/scavenger-hunttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Third Annual Scavenger Hunt Draws Students DowntownUniversity of Scranton students familiarized themselves with a variety of downtown Scranton shops, restaurants and cultural venues on Fri., August 30 during the third annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt.Third Annual Scavenger Hunt Draws Students Downtown/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/scavenger-huntwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/scavenger-huntcohenj21378235849727cohenj21379522376868seo-titlenavYesThird Annual Scavenger Hunt Draws Students DowntownUniversity of Scranton students familiarized themselves with a variety of downtown Scranton shops, restaurants and cultural venues on Fri., August 30 during the third annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt. Nearly 200 university students participated in the event, which began on the patio of the Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center. Students were given free T-Shirts, along with a list of clues of the 38 businesses and a special downtown map. Once received, the participants had 90 minutes or less to visit each location, find the clue, collect "treasure" and snap a picture with a photo of the university's mascot, Iggy, hidden in each business. "Treasure" items included coupons, menus and other giveaways sponsored by the 38 locations.  Many locations were creative with their participation in the event. Northern Light Espresso Bar, which offered free smoothie samples, placed their poster of Iggy by the sugar and milk. NOW Hair Studio provided hair-product samples and placed Iggy by the shampoos. While students dashed around downtown Scranton searching for clues, they also found the real Iggy roaming around.Students incorporated social media by uploading creative photos with Iggy onto Instagram with #findiggy. The winners of a special Iggy Instagram photo contest were Kateri Sternberg, a freshman from Poughkeepsie, NY and Laura Bopp, a freshman from Wantagh, NY. The Scavenger Hunt concluded with an awards ceremony and refreshments on the second-floor atrium at The Mall at Steamtown. The first-place winners were Jared Gambino, a junior from Chester, NJ and Christopher Peticca, a junior from Franklin Lakes, N.J. Each of the winners received a $200 gift certificate to The Mall at Steamtown. The second-place winners were Chames Cyphers, a sophomore from Bedford, MA and Andrew Candela, a sophomore form Bayside, N.Y. They received a round trip to New York City with the Martz Bus Group. The third-place winners were Kyle Gleaves, a senior from Wilkes-Barre, PA and Elisa Guisto, a senior from Mountain Top, PA. They received tickets to a Broadway Theatre League show at the Scranton Cultural Center. The Downtown Scavenger Hunt is part of the University's ongoing Downtown Engagement Initiative designed to better familiarize students, faculty and staff with downtown Scranton. This event was organized by the University's Office of Community Relations in partnership with the Center for Student Engagement, Small Business Development Center, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce & Metro Action, and Scranton Tomorrow. Sponsors included: Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union, PNC Bank, The Mall at Steamtown, Penn Security Bank & Trust, Pennstar Banks, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, TMG Health, Broadway Theatre League and Wayne Bank. More events are planned for this fall.  During Family Weekend Sept. 20-22, parents and their student can dine downtown taking advantage of a special Family Table discount program.  On Oct. 4, Community Relations will partner with Residence Life once again to organize the Electric City Downtown Nite, which highlights First Friday and includes dinner at a downtown restaurant, followed by a movie at Marquee Cinemas or the Listen Local concert at the Scranton Cultural Center.  The University is also participating in two collaborative downtown events in partnership with the seven other Lackawanna County colleges.  A special Downtown Outdoor Movie, featuring Skyfall, is planned for Sept. 12 at 7:45 p.m. in cooperation with Scranton Tomorrow.  Lackawanna County is hosting a special County College Battle of the Bands on Sept. 21 from 5-7 p.m. that will include student bands performing before a panel of judges. For more information about the University's Downtown Engagement Initiative, visit the Community Relations website./about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/Scavenger-logo.pngdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/Scavenger-logo.pngwww.scranton.eduScavenger-logo.png28091200181/Right/safety-eventtrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonCommunity Relations/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/safety-eventwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/safety-eventklienk21384893422825salvon21554214447731display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Pedestrian Safety Event Held on Mulberry Street/about/community-relations/images/2013/safety-event.jpegdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/safety-event.jpegwww.scranton.edusafety-event.jpeg33885200150RightRepresentatives from The University of Scranton's Public Safety department and Student Government joined with PennDOT, Lackawanna County Highway Safety and the Scranton Police Department on November 19 to educate University students and motorists about pedestrian safety. The event was held on Mulberry Street and aimed to increase safety awareness. Lighted cross walks were installed last year by The University of Scranton, with PennDOT's approval, on Mulberry Street near the University's DeNaples Center and Fitness Center and Apartment Complex. These cross walks alert motorists to the presence of pedestrians and increase visibility of the crosswalks themselves.  A two-sided handout was given out at the event, including tips for pedestrians to insure safety when walking to class or other campus activities. Pedestrian safety guidelines included: cross only at marked crosswalks at intersections, make clear your intent to cross, look left, right and left again before crossing and stay within crosswalk, and if vehicles are so close to prevent a hazard-wait. Additionally, the handout contained tips for motorists. Motorists are encouraged to slow down, scan back and forth and to follow the law that requires that all motorists yield to pedestrians.  For additional information please view the story in the Scranton Times Tribune and on WBRE.   Picture Above: From left to right is Lieutenant DJ Yestrepsky, University of Scranton Public Safety; April Hannon, Bicycles and Pedestrians Coordinator for PennDOT District 4 in Dunmore; Mike Taluto, Safety Press Officer, PennDOT; Donald Bergman, Director, University of Scranton Public Safety; Rebecca Rybak, Northeast Highway Safety Coordinator; Kathy Fox, Lackawanna County Highway Safety Coordinator; Corporal Richard Bachman, Scranton Police Department; Administrative Lieutenant, Len Namiotka, Scranton Police Department.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/fall/indexwrenm21461256877273wrenm21461256877273seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/springtrue1370013487691klienk2Spring/about/community-relations/news/2013/springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/springwrenm21366377337172wrenm21396638333357display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Commutertrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonLocal students who attend The University of Scranton cite things like being able to study without distractions. However, commuters still want to be part of vibrant campus life.News Article/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/Commuterwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/Commuterklienk21376583521948klienk21376681203498seo-titlenavYesCommuters Connect to Campus LifeStudent Organization Provides Commuters "a foot in the door" to campus life When a new high school graduate says he is going to college, it's typically assumed he is going AWAY to college. Residence hall living, dining hall food and newfound freedom are all considered part and parcel of the “college experience.” Still, there are myriad reasons students elect to cut the “away” part out of going to college. Local students who attend The University of Scranton cite things like being able to study without distractions and the desire to pursue academic programs that enjoy the University's reputation for excellence and rigor. However, an age-old and growing reason students choose to commute is financial. There are big savings realized by skipping “room and board.” Whatever the reason, commuters still want to be a part of vibrant campus life. Stephanie Adamec, the University’s director of off campus and commuter affairs, helps commuters find ways to meet and mingle with their dorm-living peers and weave themselves into the fabric of campus life. Her office is barely two years old and is on the cutting edge of a growing trend in higher education. As more students seek ways to cut costs, commuter populations grow. The University is pioneering strategies to integrate these students into college life beyond the classroom. “This is an emerging field in student affairs,” Adamec said. “We can't just assume commuters' needs are the same as residents'. This is part of Cura Personalis, the University’s concern for the whole person. Academically, commuter students excel. They have some of the highest GPAs on campus. But what about their other needs?” Adamec said the biggest challenge for commuter students can be something as simple as “physical space.” If a student's classes end at noon, it's very tempting to just go home, since it seems he or she has no other reason to be there and no place to go. Adamec said that the University made a conscious decision to avoid creating a specific “commuter lounge.” “We don't want to isolate them,” she said. Instead, the campus has a variety of convenient student spaces for both residents and commuters. The spaces were there, the challenge was to get commuters to use them. Adamec said she established the Commuter Student Association (CSA), now an official University club, as a way to give commuters “a purposeful reason to stay on campus and develop a peer network on campus.” The Association hosts monthly coffee hours and topic dinners on campus and also holds joint events with other clubs and residence halls. In addition, Adamec revamped instituted “Commuter Day the Royal Way,” an orientation session just for new commuter students that introduces them to CSA and all the resources the Off Campus and Commuter Affairs Office offers. Junior Heather Derenick of Taylor is the incoming president of the Commuter Student Association. She said she got involved with CSA after talking to Adamec at an event for transfer students. “So I went to my first CSA meeting and started to branch out,” she said. “I really feared I was going to miss out, but the Commuter Student Association is a foot in the door of campus life. I met all kinds of people. It's a segue into becoming a part of the campus community.” Derenick said she was immersed in campus life through activities like intramural sports (CSA has its own teams); a collaborative event called “The Taste of Scranton,” which featured a pizza tasting; and a carnival CSA hosted this past spring on the rooftop of the parking pavilion. “It was an end-of-year party cosponsored with the Residence Hall Association,” Derenick said. As incoming president, Derenick is already working with Adamec to plan Commuter Day the Royal Way and looks forward to helping a new crop of students find  ways to integrate beyond their classes. “We want them to stay on campus,” Adamec said. “They have to put themselves out there and connect.” As the semester unfolds, she and the CSA will be there to do just that. /about/community-relations/images/2013/Commuter-Group.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/Commuter-Group.jpgwww.scranton.eduCommuter-Group.jpg17318200133Student representatives of the Commuter Student Association/Right/Fulbrighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonFive University of Scranton graduates will make the most of their individual talents and interests as they share with – and learn from – cultures around the world as Fulbright scholars. Fulbright Scholars Announced/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/Fulbrightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/Fulbrightklienk21370013424456klienk21370014088632seo-titlenavYesFive University of Scranton Graduates Earn Fulbright ScholarshipsFive University of Scranton graduates will make the most of their individual talents and interests as they share with – and learn from – cultures around the world as Fulbright scholars. In a banner year for an already strong tradition at Scranton, five graduates have been selected for Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2013-2014 academic year. University of Scranton graduates earning Fulbright awards are: Elena M. Habersky ’13, Dallas, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Jordan; Shannon M. Haberzettl G’13, Dingmans Ferry, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia; Rebecca Schmaeling’13, Smithtown, N.Y., Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain; Joseph R. Seemiller’13, Lehighton, Fulbright Research Scholarship to the University of Cologne, Germany; and Jan Alexander Wessel ’13, Drums, Fulbright Research Scholarship to Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary. The Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s premier scholarship program for overseas graduate study, research and teaching. For eight consecutive years, The Chronicle of Higher Education has listed The University of Scranton among the “top producers” of Fulbright awards for American students. Since 1972, a total of 144 University of Scranton students have been awarded grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education. “As Fulbright scholars, our graduates will focus on research and teaching projects ranging from studying the effects of the recent recession on foreign direct investment in Hungary to teaching American culture and English as a foreign language to high school students in Malaysia,” said Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright Program Adviser and associate professor of economics/finance at The University of Scranton. “But of equal importance, each of these five graduates will immerse themselves in the local communities and continue their remarkable records of service by volunteering at women’s centers and local museums, and serving in student clubs and joining cultural activities in their respective host countries.” The awards were announced recently by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The award recipients were drawn from a pool of more than 9,000 applicants nationally. In addition to the five University graduates receiving Fulbrights two additional graduates have been named as alternates for awards: Brian V. Entler ’13 of Scranton is an alternate to Australia and Dana N. Trembley ’13 of Union, N.J., is an alternate to Canada.  /about/community-relations/images/2013/wFulbright_Grad.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/wFulbright_Grad.jpgwww.scranton.eduwFulbright_Grad.jpg38147175117/Right/library-programtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Literacy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About BooksA group of University of Scranton education majors teamed up with the Lackawanna County Library System to create a literacy enrichment program at the Children's Library in Scranton. Literacy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About Books/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/library-programwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/library-programcohenj21366080439025cohenj21366080566221seo-titlenavYesLiteracy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About BooksLiteracy is more than being able to sound out words on a page. Elizabeth Davis says literacy means reading, writing, thinking critically and even getting excited about the world of books. That's why Davis, children's outreach coordinator for the Lackawanna County Library System, teamed up with a group of University of Scranton education majors to create a literacy enrichment program at the Children's Library in Scranton. The free after-school enrichment program is for students who are 6 to 10 years old. The kids can come from public school, private school or even be home-schooled. They meet every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to read, learn, think and get creative. The Children's Library program is fashioned after Philadelphia's “Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP),” which provides homework assistance, computer literacy and library skills for students in grades one through 12. “I learned about the LEAP program at a conference,” Davis said. “And I thought, 'We could do something like that here.' Fortunately, there was a group of University students who were already library volunteers. I asked them if they could help fashion a weekly program that modified LEAP for our needs.” University of Scranton junior, Meghan Fennessy is an education major and also vice president of the Student Education Club of the University of Scranton (SECUS). She was among the team of Scranton students who helped develop the Children's Library program. Melissa Nassaney, vice president of Scranton's ACEI club (Association for Childhood Education International) and Christine Wolff, treasurer of ACEI, also plan and deliver the program. In addition to her natural desire to teach children, she cited the University's emphasis on service as the reason she and her classmates volunteer so much time to the library. Fennessy said that a typical one-hour session at the Children's Library includes reading a story, leading discussion of the subject matter and then planning activities meant to enhance both reading comprehension and critical thinking. “For example,” she said, “around Presidents Day our activity was to reflect and write about 'what I would do if I were President.'” For Martin Luther King Day, the students looked at murals painted in Philadelphia and then brainstormed and created their own murals representative of their communities. Fennessy said one of the program's greatest strengths is its ongoing nature. “It's not 'one and done,'” she said. The University students are at the Children's Library once a week every week and that continuity allows the children to maintain and build upon the skills acquired as the weeks pass. Fennessy said that she and her fellow junior-class volunteers would like to see the program become a permanent University of Scranton service project. Fennessy said one of the biggest challenges she and her classmates face is making the discussions and activities appealing to such a wide age range. So far, the children's feedback indicates the University students are succeeding admirably. The library's Davis said she is pleased with the resulting program. “It's going really well. The kids come running in every week. You can see they are excited.” It's that excitement, she said, that sparks imagination, creativity and thinking ... the very heart of literacy./about/community-relations/images/photo-14.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/photo-14.JPGwww.scranton.eduphoto-14.JPG19640175102/Right/ras-kick-offtrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonCommunity Relations/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/ras-kick-offwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/ras-kick-offklienk21377011283753salvon21554214276481display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Special Events for RA’s Kick Off Fall Downtown Activities /about/community-relations/images/2013/Ra-Tour-2013.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2013/Ra-Tour-2013.jpgwww.scranton.eduRa-Tour-2013.jpg16667200149RightEighty-five Resident Assistants (RA’s) took part in a downtown orientation experience on Aug.15 showcasing dining, entertainment and shopping options in downtown Scranton. The University’s Offices of Community Relations and Residence Life partnered with Scranton Tomorrow to offer an adapted version of their “FAM” walking tour to 45 new RA’s. Returning RA’s participated in a unique “Scavenger Hunt 2.0.” The “FAM” tour is an engaging familiarization walking tour that goes in and out of a dozen businesses. New RA’s Faith Yusko and Tim Janes said they both found the walking tour to be informative and fun. “There are really great local businesses downtown. They gave us free samples, and were very welcoming, Yusko said. “I saw a lot of new places and got to know the area. It gave me a lot of new ideas on how to incorporate students into the downtown businesses and events,” Janes said. The ‘Scavenger Hunt 2.0,’ designed by the Community Relations office, called for returning RA’s to find businesses based on 40 unique clues—each one detailing a fun fact about a downtown business. RA’s broke up into groups of three and took a funny or creative picture at the business. The funny photos were then uploaded to Instagram with the #Ratour, incorporating use of social media into the experience.  View the Top 15 photos here.  “The clues are great representations of the businesses, and it’s a lot of fun to visit all of them this way,” Laura Rigby, a returning RA, said.  One clue that led students to The Fanciful Fox store described it as “One of the only places in the area to get 100% handmade, organic, vegan toiletries.”  Another highlighted City Café with the clue, “If you love feta cheese, hummus and baklava, this Mediterranean café is the place for you.” After all of the RA’s met back at Courthouse Square, they dined at 13 different restaurants such as Sambuca Grille, Thai Rak Thai, and Carl Von Luger. The RA Tour marked the beginning of a series of events this fall as part of the University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative. On Aug. 30, The University’s 3rd annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt will take place; an interactive hunt designed to get students more familiar with downtown offerings. Open to all students, groups of two travel around the downtown area using Foursquare and Instagram to solve clues at over 30 participating businesses. Open to all students, last year more than 200 participated. The Downtown Scavenger Hunt is sponsored by PNC Bank, Martz Group, The Mall at Steamtown, Penn Star Bank & Trust, Penn Security Bank, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Wayne Bank, Broadway Theatre League, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.  There will be several other events to connect students with the downtown community this fall. During Family Weekend, Sept. 20-22, the University will coordinate its Family Table discount program featuring local eateries. On Oct. 4, Community Relations will partner with Residence Life once again to organize the Electric City Downtown Nite, which highlights First Friday and includes dinner at a downtown restaurant, followed by a movie at Marquee Cinemas or the Listen Local concert at the Scranton Cultural Center. The University is also participating in two collaborative downtown events in partnership with the seven other Lackawanna County colleges.  A special Downtown Outdoor Movie, featuring Skyfall, is planned for Sept. 12 at 7:45 p.m in cooperation with Scranton Tomorrow.  Lackawanna County is hosting a special County College Battle of the Bands on Sept. 21 from 5-7 p.m. that will include student bands performing before a panel of judges. For more information about the University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative, visit the Community Relations website.No5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/spring/indexwrenm21461256898999wrenm21461256898999seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/march 2013true1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonLiteracy is more than being able to sound out words on a page. Elizabeth Davis says literacy means reading, writing, thinking critically and even getting excited about the world of booksNews Article/about/community-relations/news/2013/march 2013www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/march 2013klienk21365169597481yadavn21638571790402seo-titlenavYesLiteracy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About BooksLiteracy is more than being able to sound out words on a page. Elizabeth Davis says literacy means reading, writing, thinking critically and even getting excited about the world of books. That's why Davis, children's outreach coordinator for the Lackawanna County Library System, teamed up with a group of University of Scranton education majors to create a literacy enrichment program at the Children's Library in Scranton. The free after-school enrichment program is for students who are 6 to 10 years old. The kids can come from public school, private school or even be home-schooled. They meet every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to read, learn, think and get creative. The Children's Library program is fashioned after Philadelphia's “Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP),” which provides homework assistance, computer literacy and library skills for students in grades one through 12. “I learned about the LEAP program at a conference,” Davis said. “And I thought, 'We could do something like that here.' Fortunately, there was a group of University students who were already library volunteers. I asked them if they could help fashion a weekly program that modified LEAP for our needs.” University of Scranton junior, Meghan Fennessy is an education major and also vice president of the Student Education Club of the University of Scranton (SECUS). She was among the team of Scranton students who helped develop the Children's Library program. Melissa Nassaney, vice president of Scranton's ACEI club (Association for Childhood Education International) and Christine Wolff, treasurer of ACEI, also plan and deliver the program. In addition to her natural desire to teach children, she cited the University's emphasis on service as the reason she and her classmates volunteer so much time to the library. Fennessy said that a typical one-hour session at the Children's Library includes reading a story, leading discussion of the subject matter and then planning activities meant to enhance both reading comprehension and critical thinking. “For example,” she said, “around Presidents Day our activity was to reflect and write about 'what I would do if I were President.'” For Martin Luther King Day, the students looked at murals painted in Philadelphia and then brainstormed and created their own murals representative of their communities. Fennessy said one of the program's greatest strengths is its ongoing nature. “It's not 'one and done,'” she said. The University students are at the Children's Library once a week every week and that continuity allows the children to maintain and build upon the skills acquired as the weeks pass. Fennessy said that she and her fellow junior-class volunteers would like to see the program become a permanent University of Scranton service project. Fennessy said one of the biggest challenges she and her classmates face is making the discussions and activities appealing to such a wide age range. So far, the children's feedback indicates the University students are succeeding admirably. The library's Davis said she is pleased with the resulting program. “It's going really well. The kids come running in every week. You can see they are excited.” It's that excitement, she said, that sparks imagination, creativity and thinking ... the very heart of literacy./about/community-relations/images/photo-14.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/photo-14.JPGwww.scranton.eduphoto-14.JPG19640175102/Right/street-sweeptrue1748367960396spinosaj2'Street Sweep' Beautifies City of Scranton University students and alumni partnered with Scranton Tomorrow to beautify downtown Scranton on April 14th, cleaning out and planting flowers in planters throughout the city streets.  'Street Sweep' Beautifies City of Scranton /about/community-relations/news/2013/street-sweepwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/street-sweepcohenj21366147395795yadavn21638571824588seo-titlenavYes'Street Sweep' Beautifies City of Scranton University students and alumni partnered with Scranton Tomorrow to beautify downtown Scranton on April 14th, cleaning out and planting flowers in planters throughout the city streets.   This downtown clean-up and planting, sponsored by Student Government and the Office of Community Relations, is part of the the University's ongoing Downtown Engagement Initiative, which seeks to increase interaction between University students and the downtown area. Additional flower donations came from the City of Scranton's Nay Aug Park greenhouse.   The event also signifies the kick-off of Scranton Tomorrow’s Main Street Scranton City Pride project, which is designed to help improve the quality of life and facilitate change and improvement in the downtown Scranton business district. Scranton Tomorrow has been facilitating City Pride for over a decade and each year the effort grows and expands to include volunteers from local colleges and universities, business owners, property owners, non-profit agencies and community stakeholders.  This year’s City Pride has been expanded to include the University of Scranton’s downtown Scranton Street Sweep and Scranton Tomorrow’s Adopt-A-Planter initiative to help support downtown plantings.     The University's semi-annual "street sweep" also included picking up garbage in the Hill Section and volunteering at the Nay Aug Park greenhouse. Read more about the street sweep event in the Scranton Times Tribune.  /about/community-relations/images/planter.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/planter.jpgwww.scranton.eduplanter.jpg66957250186/Right/school-bonanza-2013true1748367960396spinosaj2Class of 2017 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenClass of 2017 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children on Sunday August 25 from 2-4 p.m. on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.Class of 2017 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children/about/community-relations/news/2013/school-bonanza-2013www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/school-bonanza-2013cohenj21376922826108cohenj21376944064170seo-titlenavYesClass of 2017 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenMembers of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2017, together with community partners, will help area children and their families prepare for the upcoming school year with a Back to School Bonanza from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25, at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. The fun-filled community fair, geared for children from 3 to 12 years old and their families, will consist of educational games, prizes, refreshments, music and other activities, including a bounce-house, face-painting, crafts, story time and bingo with backpack giveaways.  The fair is open to the public, free of charge. Reservations are not required, although children must be accompanied by an adult. The event will be cancelled if there is heavy rain. The Back to School Bonanza is hosted by the University’s Center for Student Engagement, Center for Service and Social Justice and Office of Community Relations in partnership with community partners: Lackawanna County, Scranton School District, State Representative Kevin Haggerty, State Representative Marty Flynn and NEPAMOM.com. Special Thanks to our In-Kind Sponsors & Partners: Aramark, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Elm Park United Methodist Church, Fratelli’s, Kevin’s, Lackawanna County Library System, L.R. Costanzo Construction Services Co., Inc., Rita’s Italian Ice – Dunmore, Pennsylvania American Water, Price Chopper, Scranton Fire Department, Scranton Police Department, Steamtown National Historic Site.  For additional information, contact 570-941-4419 or community@scranton.edu. For event updates or to share the event with friends, visit the Facebook page. /about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgwww.scranton.educommunity-fair-logow.jpg12280200110/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features 2013News Features/about/community-relations/news/2013/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2013/indexwrenm21461256769932yadavn21638571760104seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/2012true1326725528600cohenj220122012/about/community-relations/news/2012www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012cohenj21326725444771cohenj21326725516856display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --FalltrueFall/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fallwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fallcohenj21345470573971wrenm21396638304613display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --kidsjudgetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Science Comes to Life for Area Girl Scouts at Kids Judge!An interactive program placed 10-year-old Girl Scouts in the judge’s seat, evaluating University students’ presentations of neuroscience principles.Science Comes to Life for Area Girl Scouts at Kids Judge!/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/kidsjudgewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/kidsjudgecohenj21354898097089cohenj21355170059237seo-titlenavYesScience Comes to Life for Area Girl Scouts at Kids Judge! An interactive program placed 10-year-old Girl Scouts in the judge’s seat, evaluating University students’ presentations of neuroscience principles.              Timothy Cannon, Ph.D., professor of psychology, and students enrolled in his Behavioral Neuroscience class, along with the Neuroscience Society, recently hosted 70-plus Girls Scouts for this year’s installment of Kids Judge! The November event exposed the scouts to various projects presented by groups of three to five University students. The topics presented by the students ranged from color blindness to how the body relays messages of pain to the brain. The objective of the event was to teach children about science in a way they would find entertaining and easy to understand.             Kids Judge! was structured to allow the participating Girl Scouts to rotate in small groups through study rooms and laboratories in the Loyola Science Center to listen to the student presentations. However, the girls soon found out the presentations involved more than simply listening ­– they were actively engaged in presentations.             “The Pain Game,” presented by students Winna Mowenn ’14 of Morrisville, Alycia Bravyak ’14 of Forty Fort and Carolay Ceballos ’15 of New York, N.Y., taught the Girl Scouts how the spinal cord sends messages to the brain. The students illustrated the pathway using a paper map on the floor. Each scout then chose a hat to wear that designated them as an “A cell,” a “B cell” or “the brain.” Each “cell” then traveled the passageway to “the brain” and informed any other “cells” it encountered on the way that she was in pain.             “The passageway is extensive,” said Mowenn, who explained her group wanted to demonstrate “the idea that things are occurring before you say ‘ouch.’”             Marc Trignano ’15 of Morris Plains, N.J., and Alexandria Trefz ’15 of Aston gave a presentation on color and color blindness. After explaining the role cone cells play in seeing color, they provided colored pencils and venn diagrams designating circles for different hues for the girls to color. The diagrams represented subtractive color mixing, or the mixing of colors beginning with white and gradually darkening, as well as additive color mixing, which begins with black and gradually lightens.             When each student group was finished, the Girl Scouts judged the presentation as to whether it was enjoyable and informative. The Girl Scouts selected the following groups for first, second and third place: First Place: “Optical Illusions” presented by: Joseph Breslin ’14 of Arlington, Va., Jordan Cuevas ’15 of Rye Brook, N.Y., Natalie Della Posta ’15 of Syracuse, N.Y., Nicholas Jacklett ’15 of Carmel, N.Y., and David Rennekamp ’15 of Stroudsburg. Second Place: “Parts of the Brain” (or “Neuron in a Bag”) presented by Mark Cristiano ’13 of Cedar Grove, N.J., Jarek Ogorzalek ’14 of Bloomsbury, N.J., and Bernard Somers ’15 of Egg Harbor, N.J. Third place (tie):  “Synaptic Transmission” (or “Don’t Lose Ya Marbles”) presented by: James Moran ’15 of Toms River, N.J., Kayla Delgado ’15 of Boonton, N.J, and Jessica Lloyd ’13 of Moosic; and “Play-doh Ventricles” presented by: Nicole Riley ’15 of Swoyersville and Audrey Marinelli ’15 of Columbia, Conn. Digital image: University of Scranton students, standing from left, Jarek Ogorzalek ’14, Mark Cristiano ’13 and Bernard Somers ’15, use candy to illustrate the parts of the neuron to the edible delight of the Girl Scouts judging their presentation. The group of students placed second at the annual Kids Judge! event held in November at the University’s Loyola Science Center. Student Correspondent: Nicole Lopez-Isa '13, Saddle Brook, N.J., is a English major with a concentration in Latin American Studies at The University of Scranton./about/community-relations/images/KidsJudgew.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/KidsJudgew.JPGwww.scranton.eduKidsJudgew.JPG26695200133/Right/shopliftingtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Program Gives Students Experience and Shoplifters Second ChanceA special counseling program gives University of Scranton students practical experience and young shoplifters a second chance.Program Gives Students Experience and Shoplifters Second Chance/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/shopliftingwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/shopliftingcohenj21348170369435cohenj21348255295352seo-titlenavYesProgram Gives Students Experience and Shoplifters Second ChanceShoplifting often begins on a dare and ends with problems that persist long after the exhilaration of obtaining a “five-finger discount” has faded. What many thrill-seeking teens and young adults don't know is that shoplifting is a summary offense, which means fingerprinting if convicted. Once those fingerprints enter “the system,” they linger in databases that future employers use for background checks. Failing a background check dashes any hope of working around children or in a school system and sometimes in health care. It means the person can't get the “clearances” they need to even be placed in an internship. In this respect, indulging a whim to swipe a $5 lip gloss can have lifelong economic repercussions. District Magistrate Judge Alyce Hailstone Farrell presides over the district court that covers central and east Scranton (the Hill Section). Justice Farrell was concerned that young shoplifting offenders would be haunted for years by one moment of stupidity and might destroy future career goals over items as inconsequential as beef jerky. “I was seeing a lot of women who had to apply for a pardon because they had a summary retail offense on their record and needed it removed for job reasons. But a pardon is hard to get and the wait is really long. Having this offense on a record keeps students from pursuing many careers – nursing, teaching, law enforcement,” Justice Farrell said. So she and Judge Chester Harhut, who oversees Lackawanna County’s 11 district judges, teamed with The University of Scranton's Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies, and Gerianne Barber, director of the counselor training center, to institute a shoplifting intervention program meant to give these offenders a second chance. First-time offenders who are either between the ages of 15 to 22 may be eligible for the program. When such offenders come before Justice Farrell, she gives them a choice: complete the six-week program at the University and have your record expunged or take your chances at a hearing. Barber supervises graduates students in running the six-week program aimed at restoring a youthful offender's clean record. She said the University has offered the group counseling program each semester since the fall of 2009. University graduate students have facilitated the program’s group sessions for as few as five and as many as 10 young people. Barber accompanies her graduate students to Justice Farrell's hearings. There, if the young person chooses the program in hopes of an expunged record, Scranton graduate students conduct an “intake interview.”  “I am so impressed by the University and the students,” Justice Farrell said of the intake interviews. “Geri Barber and her students know just what to ask and how to ask it. They get these kids to really open up, so they are really ready for the program even before they begin it.” “The shoplifting intervention program benefits both counseling students and the offenders," said Tracie Hallock, a graduate student who will complete her master’s in rehabilitation counseling in December. “It was a great hands-on use of skills we learned in the classroom. Also, the diversity of the program amazed me. Each participant had a different background, different underlying reasons for their behavior. For something that seems like a simple offense, there's so much complexity beneath it.” Not every offender is eligible for the program. Barber said things like a previous arrest, violent behavior or gang activity will keep a person out of the group counseling. Once accepted, the person begins a six-week journey into exploring his or her behavior, identifying stressors and replacing self-defeating behavior with “accountability, responsibility and empowerment.” The counselors have been very successful in this regard. Justice Farrell said that they've had just one person re-offend after going through the program, “And that was for underage drinking, not retail theft,” she said.  “We are trying to move them to an empowered place where good decisions are being made,” Prof. Barber said. “I think many people we counsel come in with the idea that, 'I'm going to be lectured to,' but that's not what this is. It's self-reflection and growth. That's what I like about this program. We use it as a jump-off to other behaviors. The entry is shoplifting, but in the end it's about coping mechanisms.”/about/community-relations/images/shopliftingw.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/shopliftingw.JPGwww.scranton.edushopliftingw.JPG50217200159/Right/scav-hunttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Students Turn Out to Discover Deals in Downtown ScrantonUniversity of Scranton students had plenty of opportunity to familiarize themselves with their “second home” at the second annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt.Students Turn Out to Discover Deals in Downtown Scranton/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/scav-huntwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/scav-huntcohenj21348278884546cohenj21348580896396seo-titlenavYesStudents Turn Out to Discover Deals in Downtown Scranton University of Scranton students had plenty of opportunity to familiarize themselves with their “second home” at the second annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt. More than 200 students participated in the event that began with distribution of T-shirts and maps on the patio of the DeNaples Center. The maps showed the more than 30 downtown businesses that the teams had to visit – in 90 minutes or less – in an attempt to win one of the top prizes. At each location, teams had to stop, collect “treasure,” and take a picture with a poster of Iggy, The University of Scranton’s mascot. “Treasure” items included coupons, menus and other giveaways sponsored by the participating locations, such as the coupons on entrées offered by Carl Von Luger Steak and Seafood. Many locations were creative in their participation in the event. Mackrell’s Barber Shop, which offered discounts on haircuts, sat its Iggy poster in the barber chair. Comics on the Green posted its Iggy poster on a life-size superhero cutout. To view a special “Iggy cam” tracking students participating in the event and following the real Iggy roaming around downtown, click here. To view photos of the event, visit the University’s Flickr page. The Scavenger Hunt concluded with an awards ceremony and refreshments at the second-floor atrium of The Mall at Steamtown.  The first-place winners were Chris Cummings, a graduate student from Scranton, and Bob Law, a senior from Lansdale. Each of the first place winners received a $100 gift card to The Mall at Steamtown. The second-place winners were Will Hartz, a freshman from Eagleville, and Chris Kilner, a freshman from Rockville, Md. They received two tickets to “West Side Story” performed by the Broadway Theatre League at the Scranton Cultural Center. The third-place winners were Matt Murnin, a sophomore from Clarks Green, and Jared Gambino, a sophomore from Chester, N.J. They received vouchers for dinner and a movie downtown.   The Scavenger Hunt is part of the University’s ongoing Downtown Engagement Initiative designed to better familiarize students, faculty and staff with downtown Scranton offerings.  The event was organized by the University’s Office of Community Relations in partnership with the University’s Center for Student Engagement, Small Business Development Center, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce & Metro Action and Scranton Tomorrow.  Sponsors included: Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union, PNC Bank, The Mall at Steamtown, Penn Security Bank & Trust, Pennstar Bank, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, TMG Health, Broadway Theatre League and Wayne Bank. This article was written By Catherine Erbicella’ 14, Media, Public Relations Intern.  Catherine is a management major with a minor in philosophy and participant in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the Business Leadership Honors Program at The University of Scranton. /about/community-relations/images/scav-hunt.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/scav-hunt.JPGwww.scranton.eduscav-hunt.JPG53589200132/Right/spark-programtrue1748367960396spinosaj2New collaborative program ‘sparks’ a flame in area children The SPARK program is a new joint University of Scranton/Scranton Prep community outreach program. Participants in this unique summer camp included 10 University students, 10 Scranton Prep students and about 30 at-risk teens and pre-teens from the greater Scranton community.New collaborative program ‘sparks’ a flame in area children /about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/spark-programwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/spark-programcohenj21345481760665cohenj21345487249284seo-titlenavYesNew collaborative program ‘sparks’ a flame in area children On a recent summer Friday morning, a large recreation room at The University of Scranton's Retreat Center at Chapman Lake was abuzz. A large group of young people, ranging in age from 12 to 20, was playing a spirited game of musical chairs. As the sun winked on the waters outside, the players vied for the dwindling seats. It could be a scene from a summer camp anywhere in the country, but this one was different. The game was one of the concluding activities of a new joint University of Scranton/Scranton Prep community outreach program called SPARK. The players so boisterously interacting were 10 University students, 10 Scranton Prep students and about 30 at-risk teens and pre-teens from the greater Scranton community. The SPARK program is the brainchild of Patricia Vaccaro, the University's director of community outreach, and a former University student volunteer, Danny Marx ’09. As an undergraduate, Marx donated much time to University service projects and he and Vaccaro had long sought a way to work together again. A collaboration seemed almost inevitable when Marx landed a job teaching math at Prep. Both Prep and the University are Jesuit institutions, which means they share a dedication to Ignatian spirituality and ideals such as Cura Personalis, which is an approach to service that uses individualized attention to the needs of the other; distinct respect for his or her particular circumstances and concerns; and an appropriate appreciation for his or her gifts and insights. SPARK was created as a way for the schools' students to put this uniquely Jesuit ideal into action. SPARK focused on at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 16. Vaccaro said nonprofit community partners like Friends of the Poor and United Neighborhood Centers identified this age group as most in need of a program, since these children are “too old for day camp and too young to be employed,” she said. The program was built to foster teamwork and self-esteem through educational and outdoor activities. Each day of the weeklong program featured a theme, such as effective communication, identifying and being a good role model and making good choices. University and Prep students designed fun but thoughtful games and activities to deliver the positive messages.  “We played Simon Says as a way to illustrate who kids should follow and who they should not,” said Jackie Bailey, Scott Township, who will be a senior at Prep this fall. “I didn't know what to expect when the week began, but the minute I met the kids, all my worries were gone. They were engaged and interested every single day from the beginning.” Ryan Robeson, Scranton, who will enter his senior year at the University this fall, led activities like a “rap battle,” meant to get the participants to think about who they are and what talents they possess. The children also took part in “Skittle riddles,” an activity that demonstrated that outward appearances does not always indicated what's inside. Robeson and Bailey also described a bean-bag toss that required the participant to move further away from the target with each successful toss. “That was meant to show how sometimes things become more difficult and how to keep trying when that happens,” Robeson said. Perhaps the most memorable activity of the week was taking the children white-water rafting. “We had a girl who was absolutely terrified of the water,” Bailey said. “Both Ryan and I stayed with her and talked to her and by the end she was swimming!” Bailey said it was a lesson in teamwork for all three of them. On that recent Friday morning, after the music stopped and the last chair was removed, the children sat cross-legged on the floor and reflected on what they learned that week. “A spark is the start of something,” one child said. Prompted to build on this idea, others added their spark would start “new friendships,” “self-confidence,” “team work” and “generosity.” Some of the children saw a similarity between the Olympic torch and the “spark” they kindled during their week in the program. “Like the torch, we have to keep passing this on,” said one child. Others added, “We can keep passing the torch by trying new things, caring for others and being an ‘upstander,’ not a bystander.” Another child summed it up most succinctly, “We were all alone at first,” she said. “Now we have a pile of friends.”/about/community-relations/images/Spark-photow.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Spark-photow.JPGwww.scranton.eduSpark-photow.JPG64562200150/Right/school-bonanzatrue1748367960396spinosaj2Class of 2016 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenClass of 2016 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children on Sunday August 26 from 1-3 p.m. on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.Class of 2016 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area Children/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/school-bonanzawww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/school-bonanzacohenj21345470922839cohenj21345652557493seo-titlenavYesClass of 2016 Hosts Back to School Fair for Area ChildrenMembers of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2016 will help area children and their families prepare for the upcoming school year with a Back to School Bonanza community fair from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26 at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. The fun-filled event, geared for children from 3 to 12 years old and their families, will consist of educational games, prizes, refreshments, music and other activities. It is open to the public, free of charge.  The fair is a new way for Scranton’s incoming class to participate in community service during their fall move-in weekend.  Reservations are not required, although children must be accompanied by an adult. The event will be cancelled if there is heavy rain. The Back to School Bonanza is sponsored by the Center for Student Engagement in partnership with the Center for Community Service and Social Justice, the Office of Community Relations and Lackawanna County. No reservations required.  If you have questions contact 570-941-4419 or community@scranton.edu.  For more information or to share the event with friends, visit the Facebook page. Download a flyer in PDF format here.  /about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/community-fair-logow.jpgwww.scranton.educommunity-fair-logow.jpg12280200110/Right/walking-tourtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Walking Tour Kicks Off Fall University-Downtown EventsWalking Tour with Student Leaders Just the Start in a Series of Fall University-Downtown EventsWalking Tour Kicks Off Fall University-Downtown Events/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/walking-tourwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/walking-tourcohenj21345577900283cohenj21345580521957seo-titlenavYesWalking Tour Kicks Off Fall University-Downtown EventsDuring their August orientation, more than 85 Resident Assistants took part in a downtown walking tour to see the sites and experience the best places for food and entertainment in the Electric City. The University’s Offices of Community Relations and Residence Life teamed up with Scranton Tomorrow to adapt their “FAM” – downtown familiarization – tour for this group of student leaders.  Now in its second year, the special tour included two versions – one a general overview of downtown businesses and the other, for returning RA’s, focused on cultural venues, such as the Scranton Cultural Center, and new businesses, including POSH @ the Scranton Club.  After the tour, RA’s dined at a variety of 10 different American, Asian and Mediterranean downtown restaurants.  Click here to view television coverage of the tour on WNEP's Ryan Leckey Live show or here to view an article in the Scranton Times-Tribune. The tour for RA’s is just the start of a series of events this fall, part of the University’s ongoing Downtown Engagement Initiative.  On August 31, the University will host the second annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt to help all students get to know the venues and business of Scranton. Students will travel in teams of two to the more than 30 participating shops, restaurants and cultural venues. Teams will use social media tools such as Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook to solve clues at the various downtown locations. Last year, more than 250 students participated in this unique event designed to provide a fun and interactive orientation to the downtown area. The scavenger hunt event is part of Fall Welcome Week and has been planned by the Office of Community Relations in partnership with the University’s Center for Student Engagement, Small Business Development Center, and the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce & Metro Action.  The scavenger hunt will end with an award reception at the Mall at Steamtown, where the top teams will receive major prizes, including a $200 gift certificate from the Mall and two tickets to “West Side Story” performed by the Broadway Theatre League.  Other upcoming events that will help connect students with the city include the Sept. 15 Lackawanna County Concert Series College Battle of the Bands, in which the University’s band “Silhouette Lies” will compete, and the University’s Electric City Downtown Nite on Oct. 5, which will include dinner, First Friday, a movie at Marquee Cinemas or music at the Scranton Cultural Center’s “Listen Local” show for 300 students.  Like last year, the University’s Family Weekend, which is set for Sept. 28 - 30, will include a focus on downtown with restaurants offering discounts and specials.   Sponsors of the downtown Scavenger Hunt include: Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union, PNC Bank, The Mall at Steamtown, Penn Security Bank & Trust, Pennstar Bank, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, TMG Health, Broadway Theatre League and Wayne Bank. For more information about the University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative, visit the Community Relations website./about/community-relations/images/SCC-RATourw.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/SCC-RATourw.jpgwww.scranton.eduSCC-RATourw.jpg46681250188/Right/neighbornight3true1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations Hosts Neighbor Night at the Loyola Science CenterThe Office of Community Relations is hosting a special Neighbor Night at the Loyola Science Center - a presentation, discussion and reception for Scranton residents, on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.Community Relations Hosts Neighbor Night at the Loyola Science Center/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/neighbornight3www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/neighbornight3cohenj21348243840460cohenj21348244891285seo-titlenavYesCommunity Relations Hosts Neighbor Night at the Loyola Science CenterThe Office of Community Relations is inviting Scranton residents, including in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown, to a special Neighbor Night at the Loyola Science Center.  This presentation, discussion and reception, followed by an optional tour of the Science Center, will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the First Floor Auditorium, Room 133.  The Science Center is located on the corner of Ridge Row and Monroe Ave.  Visitors can access the building at entrances on either street.   Neighbor Night will give neighbors a chance to visit the new Loyola Science Center as well as hear about University activities, ask questions to University leadership in the areas of Community Relations, Student Affairs and University Police, and enjoy light refreshments. RSVP to community@scranton.edu or 570-941-4419 or visit the Facebook Event page./about/community-relations/images/Neighbor-night-image.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Neighbor-night-image.jpgwww.scranton.eduNeighbor-night-image.jpg31042200141/Right/internationaltrue1748367960396spinosaj2University Offers View of the WorldUnderstanding your neighbors is a good way to prevent misunderstandings that damage friendships. In that spirit, The University of Scranton offers a myriad of ways for the community to interact on an international scale.University Offers View of the World/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/internationalwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/internationalcohenj21350586833374cohenj21350587722176seo-titlenavYesUniversity Offers View of the World Understanding your neighbors is a good way to prevent misunderstandings that damage friendships. In that spirit, The University of Scranton offers a myriad of ways for the community to interact on an international scale. From Spanish language films that illuminate contemporary political and cultural realities in Latin America to a festival offering the foods, songs and dress of Saudi Arabia, the Scranton campus boasts a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor. Linda Ledford-Miller, Ph.D., professor and chair of World Languages and Cultures at the University, recently won a grant that is bringing five Spanish-language films to campus. She said hosting the film series and maintaining a continuous offering of international experiences on campus provide two immediate benefits to the community. One is that cinematic opportunities like the Spanish-language series add to a rapidly growing list of foreign films once scarce in the Scranton area; the other is the potential to promote greater cultural understanding.  Dr. Ledford-Miller notes there is a growing appetite for foreign-language films, pointing to the Oscar nod for the French film, “The Artist,” to emphasize her point.  “You could go to New York to see a foreign-language film . . . or the Dietrich Theater (in Tunkhannock) shows foreign films, but I think it’s hard for people who live in Scranton to get there. Also, we show the films for free, so that saves on the ticket price,” she said. In addition to artistic enrichment, the other benefit of a cosmopolitan campus in the center of the city is an enhanced understanding and appreciation of other cultures. Dr. Ledford-Miller said that, for example, the Spanish-language film series is made possible by a grant from the Spanish government as a way to foster and promote Spanish culture. All of the films in the series address societal and political issues in Latin America. The first in the series, a Mexican film, was screened in September. Dr. Ledford-Miller said that film explored the problems of Mexican youth with a comedic touch. “The film was about a group of unemployed young men who decide to rob a theater. They can’t find jobs and one who applied to college didn’t get in, so robbery seems like a good idea.” Through a series of misadventures, many comedic, the film explores everything from a poor economy to police corruption. It ends with the youths back on the same park bench they occupied at the beginning, which underscores the hopelessness of their situation. In addition to the Spanish-language films, The University showed two award-winning Taiwanese films and hosted talks by the author of one and the director of the other at a Taiwanese Film and Cultural Festival in early October. In November, films dating from the Soviet era in East Germany will be shown at the sixth annual sixth annual East German Film Festival: “Filming Women: Iris Gusner’s Portrayal of Work and Love.”  A more detailed list of upcoming international film showings follows. In addition, the University also hosts a variety of international festivals and educational programs for the general public and area school children during the academic year. International Film Showings Planned at The University of Scranton Nov. 6, 7 p.m.  “Alle meine Mädchen” (“All My Girls,” 1979). Part of the sixth annual East German Film Festival: “Filming Women: Iris Gusner’s Portrayal of Work and Love.” Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-4014 Nov. 7, 7 p.m. “Die Taube auf dem Dach” (“The Dove on the Roof,” 1973/2010). Part of the sixth annual East German Film Festival: “Filming Women: Iris Gusner’s Portrayal of Work and Love.” Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-4014. Nov. 8, 7 p.m. “Wäre die Erde nicht rund” (“Were the Earth Not Round,” 1981). Part of the sixth annual East German Film Festival: “Filming Women: Iris Gusner’s Portrayal of Work and Love.” Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-4014. Nov. 15, 7 p.m.  Spanish Film Club Series. “Post Mortem” Chilean film directed by Pablo Larrain. The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain, and its Program for Cultural Cooperation with United States’ Universities. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-7448. Feb. 21, 2013, 7 p.m.  Spanish Film Club Series. “From the Land to Your Table” (2009) is a documentary about the conditions and cultural diversity of produce markets throughout Iberoamérica. The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain, and its Program for Cultural Cooperation with United States’ Universities. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-7448. Mar.19, 2013, 7 p.m.  Spanish Film Club Series. “Even the Rain” (2010), was nominated as Spain’s entry for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain, and its Program for Cultural Cooperation with United States’ Universities. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-7448. April 25, 2013, 7 p.m.  Spanish Film Club Series. “I Travel Because I Have To” (2009) is a first-person travelogue of José Renato, a 35-year-old geologist, who is on a field trip to an isolated region of Brazil to assess possible routes for a water canal from the region’s only voluminous river. The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain, and its Program for Cultural Cooperation with United States’ Universities. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 941-7448. /about/community-relations/images/film-photow.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/film-photow.jpgwww.scranton.edufilm-photow.jpg36927200148/Right/urban-beatstrue1748367960396spinosaj2Hip Hop Moves Bond University Students and Area TeensHip hop dance is flashy, it’s fun and above all, it’s cool. And that’s what makes it a great way to build rapport with image-obsessed pre-teens and teens, according to Brian McGinley, a founder of the Urban Beats service project.Hip Hop Moves Bond University Students and Area Teens/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/urban-beatswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/urban-beatscohenj21354897691926klienk21355157270393seo-titlenavYesHip Hop Moves Bond University Students and Area TeensThere’s ballet, there’s tap and then there’s hip hop dance. All are artistic expression; just one is more likely to excite and engage young people gathered on a Friday night. It’s that eager acceptance and openness to communication that convinced a group of University of Scranton students that their hip hop dance routines would be a good vehicle for a service project aimed at reaching area youth. The University students involved belong to a campus club called Urban Beats. The purpose of the club is to celebrate hip hop culture and to entertain and engage the student body and community through hip hop dance, notable for its improvisational style and flamboyant moves. In fact, according to the 2002 documentary film “The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy,” originally the dance form was known as “boing,” as in the sound a spring makes when popping. Hip hop dance is flashy, it’s fun and above all, it’s cool. And that’s what makes it a great way to build rapport with image-obsessed pre-teens and teens, according to Brian McGinley, a founder of the service project. A 2012 graduate of Scranton, McGinley is now pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science at Drexel University in Philadelphia. However, he was back at United Neighborhood Center’s UNC) Progressive Childcare Center on Olive Street on a recent Friday night to check up on the project he helped initiate in 2011 – and to “bust” a few dance moves with the kids. “I’ve had some troubles in my family life and where I lived myself,” McGinley said. “So when I came to UNC as a sophomore to perform with Urban Beats, I found the interaction amazing. We were talking to the kids, seeing them happy and having fun . . . so in early fall 2011, I knew we had to find a contact at UNC to see if we could make this more permanent.” Through the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice,  Urban Beats was able to connect with United Neighborhood Centers and establish a monthly session to perform a bit and then teach the kids some dance moves interspersed with positive messages. The monthly sessions were promptly deluged by eager would-be dancers, so Urban Beats was glad to make the program an every-other-Friday tradition. “It’s a great physical activity,” said Dana Ramalho ’14, a Scranton counseling and human services major from Pittstown, N.J., and president of the club. “Some kids have issues and they have trouble letting go of them, but we laugh and joke and they start to relax and have fun. We just want them to smile.” “The kids embrace it. They love it. When we came back for the first time this year, we found them still doing dances they learned last year. They were so excited to see us again,” said Anastasia Kirsch ’13 an exercise science major from Malvern. On a recent Friday, hip hop showed its unique ability to form instant bonds between the students and the kids. Seven-year-old Allen Duverge was goofing off before the session, spinning on his head, walking on his hands and flipping over so easily you could almost hear the “boing” which was hip hop’s early trade name. His moves did not go unnoticed. Brian Fischer ’13, a management major from Williamsport, approached Allen with a big smile and a mock challenge to a freestyle dance competition, colloquially referred to in hip hop as a “battle.” Fischer encouraged Allen, high-fiving him as the two performed acrobatic break-dancing moves that had everyone present cheering. By the time they were finished, all the kids swarmed the Urban Beats wanting to learn the moves. It was a Friday night and all was well as the kids engaged in a healthy physical activity led by positive young role models. As Fischer said, “It’s really rewarding and we teach them life lessons when we can.”/about/community-relations/images/2012/Urban Beats class boysw.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/2012/Urban Beats class boysw.jpgwww.scranton.eduUrban Beats class boysw.jpg45640200133/Right/librarytrue1748367960396spinosaj2Literacy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About BooksA group of University of Scranton education majors teamed up with the Lackawanna County Library System to create a literacy enrichment program at the Children's Library in Scranton.Literacy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About Books/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/librarywww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/librarycohenj21366149066579cohenj21366149322335seo-titlenavYesLiteracy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About Books Literacy is more than being able to sound out words on a page. Elizabeth Davis says literacy means reading, writing, thinking critically and even getting excited about the world of books. That's why Davis, children's outreach coordinator for the Lackawanna County Library System, teamed up with a group of University of Scranton education majors to create a literacy enrichment program at the Children's Library in Scranton. The free after-school enrichment program is for students who are 6 to 10 years old. The kids can come from public school, private school or even be home-schooled. They meet every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to read, learn, think and get creative. The Children's Library program is fashioned after Philadelphia's “Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP),” which provides homework assistance, computer literacy and library skills for students in grades one through 12. “I learned about the LEAP program at a conference,” Davis said. “And I thought, 'We could do something like that here.' Fortunately, there was a group of University students who were already library volunteers. I asked them if they could help fashion a weekly program that modified LEAP for our needs.” University of Scranton junior, Meghan Fennessy is an education major and also vice president of the Student Education Club of the University of Scranton (SECUS). She was among the team of Scranton students who helped develop the Children's Library program. Melissa Nassaney, vice president of Scranton's ACEI club (Association for Childhood Education International) and Christine Wolff, treasurer of ACEI, also plan and deliver the program. In addition to her natural desire to teach children, she cited the University's emphasis on service as the reason she and her classmates volunteer so much time to the library. Fennessy said that a typical one-hour session at the Children's Library includes reading a story, leading discussion of the subject matter and then planning activities meant to enhance both reading comprehension and critical thinking. “For example,” she said, “around Presidents Day our activity was to reflect and write about 'what I would do if I were President.'” For Martin Luther King Day, the students looked at murals painted in Philadelphia and then brainstormed and created their own murals representative of their communities. Fennessy said one of the program's greatest strengths is its ongoing nature. “It's not 'one and done,'” she said. The University students are at the Children's Library once a week every week and that continuity allows the children to maintain and build upon the skills acquired as the weeks pass. Fennessy said that she and her fellow junior-class volunteers would like to see the program become a permanent University of Scranton service project. Fennessy said one of the biggest challenges she and her classmates face is making the discussions and activities appealing to such a wide age range. So far, the children's feedback indicates the University students are succeeding admirably. The library's Davis said she is pleased with the resulting program. “It's going really well. The kids come running in every week. You can see they are excited.” It's that excitement, she said, that sparks imagination, creativity and thinking ... the very heart of literacy. /about/community-relations/images/photo-14.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/photo-14.JPGwww.scranton.eduphoto-14.JPG19640175102/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Fall/indexwrenm21461256851540wrenm21461256851540seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/Springtrue1338819200481cohenj2Spring/about/community-relations/news/2012/Springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Springcohenj21326725606224wrenm21396638315579display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --comm-relations march 2013true1748367960396spinosaj2Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Article/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/comm-relations march 2013www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/comm-relations march 2013klienk21365169306637klienk21365169306637seo-titlenavYesLiteracy Program Ignites Children's Excitement About BooksLiteracy Program Ignites Children’s Excitement About Books   Literacy is more than being able to sound out words on a page. Elizabeth Davis says literacy means reading, writing, thinking critically and even getting excited about the world of books. That's why Davis, children's outreach coordinator for the Lackawanna County Library System, teamed up with a group of University of Scranton education majors to create a literacy enrichment program at the Children's Library in Scranton.   The free after-school enrichment program is for students who are 6 to 10 years old. The kids can come from public school, private school or even be home-schooled. They meet every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to read, learn, think and get creative.   The Children's Library program is fashioned after Philadelphia's “Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP),” which provides homework assistance, computer literacy and library skills for students in grades one through 12.   “I learned about the LEAP program at a conference,” Davis said. “And I thought, 'We could do something like that here.' Fortunately, there was a group of University students who were already library volunteers. I asked them if they could help fashion a weekly program that modified LEAP for our needs.”   University of Scranton junior, Meghan Fennessy is an education major and also vice president of the Student Education Club of the University of Scranton (SECUS). She was among the team of Scranton students who helped develop the Children's Library program. Melissa Nassaney, vice president of Scranton's ACEI club (Association for Childhood Education International) and Christine Wolff, treasurer of ACEI, also plan and deliver the program. In addition to her natural desire to teach children, she cited the University's emphasis on service as the reason she and her classmates volunteer so much time to the library.   Fennessy said that a typical one-hour session at the Children's Library includes reading a story, leading discussion of the subject matter and then planning activities meant to enhance both reading comprehension and critical thinking. “For example,” she said, “around Presidents Day our activity was to reflect and write about 'what I would do if I were President.'” For Martin Luther King Day, the students looked at murals painted in Philadelphia and then brainstormed and created their own murals representative of their communities.   Fennessy said one of the program's greatest strengths is its ongoing nature. “It's not 'one and done,'” she said. The University students are at the Children's Library once a week every week and that continuity allows the children to maintain and build upon the skills acquired as the weeks pass. Fennessy said that she and her fellow junior-class volunteers would like to see the program become a permanent University of Scranton service project.   Fennessy said one of the biggest challenges she and her classmates face is making the discussions and activities appealing to such a wide age range. So far, the children's feedback indicates the University students are succeeding admirably.   The library's Davis said she is pleased with the resulting program. “It's going really well. The kids come running in every week. You can see they are excited.” It's that excitement, she said, that sparks imagination, creativity and thinking ... the very heart of literacy. Text goes here//Right/wec-programtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Program Offers Support Network to Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs The University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center (WEC) and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) recently wrapped up another successful six-week session of StartUP, a certificate program for women who are aspiring entrepreneurs. Program Offers Support Network to Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs /about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/wec-programwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/wec-programcohenj21337001413956cohenj21337008567423seo-titlenavYesProgram Offers Support Network to Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs The University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center (WEC) and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) recently wrapped up another successful six-week session of StartUP, a certificate program for women who are aspiring entrepreneurs. Fourteen women graduated the program at the end of April, all with diverse interests, armed with the tools to create detailed business plans and give life to their ventures. Though the program has been offered in the past, this year’s design was slightly different. Lisa Hall, Director of the SBDC at Scranton, says the Center reinvented the series to ensure all the women participating were pre-venture. “We wanted to bring in a group of women who were at the same stage so they could be a part of each other’s journeys from idea all the way to launch,” Hall explains. “This will allow them to form a support network for each other, while also continue working with us at the WEC, and possibly down the road, Scranton student interns.” Facilitated by experienced SBDC consultants, the series is designed to give women the step-by-step guidance needed to develop successful small businesses. Participants in this interactive program were exposed to weekly sessions that covered start-up basics, legal and insurance considerations, marketing and social media essentials, business plan development, accounting and budget skills, financing options and requirements, and goal setting. Local women business owners were invited to several sessions to share their experiences. Very active in the program was Pennstar, a local bank with deep ties to the community. Hall says the SBDC proposed a partnership with them because of their community-minded reputation, and because the bank was a good fit with the program. Thanks to their sponsorship, the 14 women were able to go through the program at no cost, and additionally received critical financial guidance directly from the institution. The program’s success and response from the community has led the university to the decision to offer StartUP twice a year: “We have a waiting list!” Hall states. Interested participants submit applications, but Hall explains that the process is really to gain insight into the background of potential candidates and to ensure the program is the right fit for their goals. If an applicant doesn’t seem like the right fit for StartUP, there are still opportunities for them to benefit from services offered by the SBDC or the WEC. Through its partnership with the Kania School of Management, the series is gaining exposure throughout the internal university community as well. Hall is hoping to partner with students and other groups on campus to enhance the experiences they can offer to the women in the program, and grow opportunities with all the small businesses they support. “When you get a group of women together like this, they form an amazing support network,” Hall states. “Participants stay in touch, and help each other as their businesses move forward. As we have more of these series, this network will continue to grow, introducing new opportunities for the future.” Netoya Nevarez of Effort in Monroe County says she is so grateful for her new support network, and the opportunity she had to participate in this session of StartUP – including PennStar’s role in that. Nevarez, who aspires to launch a mentoring business for youth aged 12 to 17 aimed to help them with life skills training, went into the program thinking she was ready to get started, and quickly realized that wasn’t the case. “I had my idea and thought I was ahead of the game,” Nevarez says with a laugh. “Once I started the sessions, I realized I wasn’t even close. I learned so much from each session – literally a world of knowledge! You can’t get this kind of help and information without a program like this.” Now Nevarez is working on her business plan and staying in close contact with the SBDC and WEC throughout the process. She says she is keeping her Tuesday nights open and spending the time she was previously attending StartUP to devote to working on her business. “I believe being a part of this series was meant to be for me. The staff gave us the confidence to follow our dreams – I left each session feeling inspired and empowered,” Nevarez describes. “It was motivational to hear first-hand accounts from people who were once in our shoes. I was struggling and the program and people made my struggles easier.” She concludes: “I could not have done this on my own. I owe a lot to this awesome program that has given me new incentive to move forward and develop my business successfully.” Photo: Seated L-R: Kristen Skoff, Netoya Nevarez, Alison Skoff, Tamar Beridze, and Amy Fotta.  Standing L-R: Lisa Hall and Donna Simpson, SBDC; Matthew Colgan, Pennstar Bank; Julia Falcone; Simone Thompson; Patricia Dickert; Rosemary Davis; Linda Bostinto; Nancy Perri, Carbondale Technology Transfer Center; and Marta Fish. /about/community-relations/images/WEC-programw.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/WEC-programw.JPGwww.scranton.eduWEC-programw.JPG27283200133//Right/downtown-engagementtrue1748367960396spinosaj2University & Businesses Discuss Downtown Engagement EffortsThirty representatives from downtown businesses recently gathered with University staff and administration to discuss University-downtown engagement, a follow-up to a meeting that took place last May when the Office of Community Relations first launched efforts to increase connections with downtown venues.University & Businesses Discuss Downtown Engagement Efforts/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/downtown-engagementwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/downtown-engagementcohenj21337176279818cohenj21337272610605seo-titlenavYesUniversity & Businesses Discuss Downtown Engagement EffortsThirty representatives from downtown businesses gathered with University staff and administration on Friday, May 11 to discuss University-downtown engagement, a follow-up to a meeting that took place a year ago when the Office of Community Relations first launched efforts to increase connections with downtown venues.  Undertaken in cooperation with community and campus partners (University’s Small Business Development Center, Student Affairs and Parent Relations Offices as well as Scranton Tomorrow and the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce), these efforts have included special events and promotions to raise the awareness of students, faculty, staff and parents with downtown Scranton offerings. Download the May 2012 University-Downtown Engagement Initiative presentation that summarizes these efforts. Click here to view the Scranton Times Tribune article, "University Lays Out Initiative to Boost Student Traffic Downtown" on the meeting.  Below find several additional links highlighting this initiative.   Downtown Scavenger Hunt in cooperation with the Center for Student Engagement and 30 downtown businesses  Residence Assistants Downtown "FAM" Tour & Dinner in cooperation with Office of Residence Life and Scranton Tomorrow Family Weekend Royal Welcome & Family Table Program in cooperation with the Office of Parent Relations Monthly Downtown Business Update Downtown Scranton Information Page for Visitors and Parents Shop Scranton, Shop Local Promotion  Downtown Movie & Dinner Nite in cooperation with 13 restaurants, Marquee Cinemas, First Friday Scranton, the Office of Residence Life and other Student Affairs Offices For more information, visit our Opportunities for Downtown and Area Businesses page.  Downtown businesses interested in participating in these types of initiatives can contact community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.  /about/community-relations/images/downtown-engagement.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/downtown-engagement.JPGwww.scranton.edudowntown-engagement.JPG49809200176/Right/frog-toadtrue1748367960396spinosaj2University Players & Scranton Cultural Center Partner on “A Year with Frog and Toad”In April and May, The University of Scranton Players will present “A Year with Frog and Toad”, a musical based on Arnold Lobel’s classic children’s stories. Performances will take place at both The University’s McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts (April 27-29 and May 4-5) and at the Scranton Cultural Center (May 1-2) through the Times-Tribune Lunchbox Series.University Players & Scranton Cultural Center Partner on “A Year with Frog and Toad”/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/frog-toadwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/frog-toadcohenj21334673207839cohenj21334844422705seo-titlenavYesUniversity Players & Scranton Cultural Center Partner on “A Year with Frog and Toad”In April and May, The University of Scranton Players will present “A Year with Frog and Toad”, a musical based on Arnold Lobel’s classic children’s stories and first performed on Broadway in 2003. It is a timeless tale of friendship complete with an exhilarating score, which accompanies the amphibious Frog and Toad and an assortment of their friends. Though not traditionally known for performances targeted to children, Director of the University’s Theatre Program Rich Larsen asserts that the University of Scranton Players always put forth a diverse season of offerings: “It’s important for the students to run the gamut of genres while they are in the program. We do challenging work, and are fortunate that we can do things that are esoteric. The students are invested; they know there’s more to this than filling seats.” Through a unique partnership, performances will take place at both the University’s McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts (April 27-29 and May 4-6) and at the Scranton Cultural Center (May 1-2) through the Times-Tribune Lunchbox Series. The two actors playing Frog and Toad, Peter Alexander, a sophomore from Linden, N.J., and Claxton Rabb III, a freshman from Orange, N.J., have also been presenting excerpts of the musical at area libraries and schools. The Scranton Cultural Center and the University’s Office of Community Relations partnered to offer these presentations at Prescott Elementary School, Whittier Elementary School, Howard Gardner School for Discovery, St. Mary of Mount Carmel School, as well as the public libraries in Taylor and Valley View. Collaboration with the Cultural Center is something that’s long been on Larsen’s mind. With his background in professional theatre, he understands the importance of arts in a community, especially one like Scranton that’s seen a recent shuttering of the local theatre company. Through discussions with the Cultural Center, Larsen was asked if he’d ever consider doing a children’s show and thus “A Year with Frog and Toad” came alive. “We liked the idea of doing something not only for our students but for the kids in the community. This is our opportunity to help keep the arts alive,” Larsen stated. “Our theatre holds 300, the Cultural Center holds 1800 – we can invite area schoolchildren and the greater Scranton community to attend. The kids will be exposed to the theatre, learning that programs like ours exist.” Larsen worked directly with Jessica Lucas, associate facility and technical director at the Cultural Center, and a graduate of the University. Lucas, like Larsen, believes that arts programs are critical to the community, and is committed to supporting that, especially through a long-term partnership with the University of Scranton’s Theatre Program. “The Theatre Program at the University is near and dear to my heart. I started college at Loyola University in New Orleans and was transplanted due to Hurricane Katrina,” Lucas explains. “I chose to stay in Scranton because I was being exposed to an amazing caliber of artists and the program gave me such a well-rounded theatre experience.”  That experience led to her position at the Cultural Center, and to help facilitate this partnership. As for “A Year with Frog and Toad” she says that things are gearing up nicely: the crowds are coming in, the actors are excited to perform on a bigger stage, and the technical students are getting the opportunity to work directly with the local union. Echoing how well the partnership has been going, Larsen says he’d love to see it continue for the sake of the arts in the community and the learning opportunities for the students. In addition, he knows it would be great exposure for the theatre program at the University in general. “Ours is the little program that could,” said Larsen, who has served as director for the last 12 years. “The students have gone on to amazing graduate programs and continue to perform on all kinds of platforms. We do substantial work that has been compared to professional theatre. The courage of our program attracts talented and renowned guest artists and helps us get our name out there.” Another connection between “A Year with Frog and Toad” and the Scranton community is Bob E. Gasper, the director.  A Scranton native, Gasper has directed in New York City and many other cities, and is now back to lend his expertise to the University and his hometown. Ticket information for “A Year with Frog and Toad” can be found on The University Players website. Click here to view a story and video about the musical in The Times Tribune.   Photo Credits: Top photo: Frog and Toad, Peter Alexander, and Claxton Rabb III, in front of the Scranton Cultural Center (Julie Jordan Photography); Middle Photo: Frog at Prescott Elementary School (Carol McDonald Photography); Bottom photo: Representatives of The University of Scranton Players and Office of Community Relations and Scranton Cultural Center (Julie Jordan Photography).  /about/community-relations/images/frog-toad-promow.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/frog-toad-promow.jpgwww.scranton.edufrog-toad-promow.jpg55270225150//Right/neighbornight3-28true1748367960396spinosaj2Office of Community Relations to Host Spring Neighbor NightThe Office of Community Relations is hosting a spring 2012 Neighbor Night - a presentation, discussion and reception for Scranton residents on March 28 at 7 p.m.Office of Community Relations to Host Spring Neighbor Night/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/neighbornight3-28www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/neighbornight3-28cohenj21331151609786cohenj21331826198464seo-titlenavYesOffice of Community Relations to Host Spring Neighbor NightNeighbor Night is a presentation, discussion and reception open to any Scranton resident, including those in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown Scranton.  The event will take place on Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. in the Scranton Heritage Room on the 5th floor of the Weinberg Memorial Library (Linden St. & Monroe Ave.).   It will give neighbors a chance to: Hear the latest updates on University news, events and programs Ask questions and engage in discussion with University leaders in Community Relations, Student Affairs and University Police.  Find out how the City & University’s history intersect in the Library's Scranton Heritage Room This event is free and light refreshments will be provided.  For more information or to RSVP, contact community@scranton.edu or 570-941-4419 or visit the Facebook event page.  /about/community-relations/images/NeighborNight4.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/NeighborNight4.jpgwww.scranton.eduNeighborNight4.jpg19308175116/Right/vitatrue1748367960396spinosaj2Free Income Tax Assistance Service Offered Low and moderate income individuals, families and senior citizens in the area can once again receive free assistance in completing and filing their tax returns through The University of Scranton’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.Free Income Tax Assistance Service Offered /about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/vitawww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/vitacohenj21329236356587cohenj21329237701060seo-titlenavYesFree Income Tax Assistance Service Offered Low and moderate income individuals, families and senior citizens in the area can once again receive free assistance in completing and filing their federal, state and local tax returns through The University of Scranton’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and a group of local human service organizations led by the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties.For more than 20 years, University of Scranton accounting students have assisted residents in Lackawanna county with low and moderate incomes who need help with their basic tax returns through the VITA program. “This program would not be possible without the dedicated support of the University students and the United Way volunteers working together and spending countless hours throughout the tax season to help families and individuals become more financially stable and economically independent,” said Gary Drapek, president of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties. “This program is a prime example of bringing community partners together to advance the common good for all in our region.”Drapek noted that last year, University of Scranton students and IRS-trained and certified program volunteers completed more than 1,500 tax returns with more than $1.3 million being returned to the community.The VITA walk-in service (no appointment is necessary) will be offered on the first floor of Brennan Hall, Madison Avenue, on the University’s campus on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Feb. 7 to March 7, and from March 19 to March 30. Hours of service will be from 9 a.m.. to 3 p.m.. on Mondays and Wednesdays; from noon to 6 p.m.. on Tuesdays; and from 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m.. on scheduled Fridays in February and 9 a.m.. to noon on scheduled Fridays in March. Service will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis and advance appointments cannot be made. For additional information, call 941-4045.Residents using the VITA service are asked to bring the following items: a valid photo ID; all W2 Forms; all 1099 forms (interest, dividends, pensions); local wage tax forms; Social Security numbers or ITIN for all taxpayers and dependents; W-7 forms if appropriate; last year’s tax returns; information related to income and expenses; real estate tax receipts; and a personal banking account check if you would like direct deposit.Appointments are required for a special kick-off session on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, and for a session on Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m.. at The University of Scranton. Call 343-1267, ext. 222, to make an appointment.Appointments are also required for VITA service offered by volunteers organized by the United Way at area community centers, including the Carbondale Senior Community Center, the Valley Community Library in Peckville, the Taylor Community Library, the Abington Area Community Library, the Elmhurst Municipal Building, the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce in Honesdale and Woodloch Pines in Hawley. (See the attached schedule for dates and time.) The full schedule is also available by visiting www.uwlc.net or calling 343-1267, ext. 222.)Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Service Locations and DatesAccounting students from The University of Scranton and volunteers organized through the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties will assist local residents with their tax returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a free service for clients with low and moderate incomes who need help with their basic tax returns.On campus: Regular Walk-in Weekday Hours - Advance appointments cannot be scheduled.The University of ScrantonBrennan Hall, Room 111For information, call 941-4045.Feb. 7 – March 7; March 19 – March 30Monday: 9 a.m.. to 3 p.m.. (Feb. 13, 20, 27, March 5, 19, 26)Tuesday: noon to 6 p.m.. (Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, March 6, 20, 27)Wednesday: 9 a.m.. to 3 p.m.. (Feb. 8, 15, 22, 29, March 7, 21, 28)Friday: 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m.. (Feb. 10, 17, 24 and March 23)Friday: 9 a.m.. to noon (March 2, March 30)(Note: office will close 3 p.m.. on March 16 to 9 a.m.. on March 28 for spring break)Off-campus locations: appointments are required for all off-campus locations.Call 343-1267, ext. 222.Carbondale Senior Community Center66 North Church Street, CarbondaleSaturday, Feb. 11: 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m.. (This time slot is filled)Friday, Feb. 17: 2 p.m.. to 6 p.m..Saturday, Feb 25: 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m..Friday, March 9: 2 p.m.. to 6 p.m.. Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222 Valley Community Library739 River Street, PeckvilleFriday, Feb. 10: 11 a.m.. to 3 p.m.. (This time slot is filled)Thursday, Feb. 16: 4 p.m.. to 8 p.m.. (This time slot is filled)Wednesday, Feb 29: 10 a.m.. to 2 p.m..Saturday, March 24: 10:30 a.m.. to 2:30 p.m..Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222 Taylor Community Library710 South Main Street, TaylorWednesday, Feb. 8: 10 a.m.. to 2 p.m..Thursday, Feb. 23: 4 p.m.. to 8 p.m..Monday, March 5: 10 a.m.. to 2 p.m..Wednesday, March 14: 12 p.m.. to 4 p.m..Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222 Abington Volunteer Fire Company321 Bedford Street, Clarks SummitWednesday, Feb. 15: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..Thursday, March 1: 4 p.m.. to 8 p.m..Friday, March 30: 12 p.m.. to 4 p.m.Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222 Elmhurst Municipal BuildingMunicipal Lane, ElmhurstThursday, March 22; 3 to 7 p.m..Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222Wayne County Chamber of Commerce32 Commercial Street, HonesdaleSaturday, Feb. 18: 10 a.m.. to 2 p.m..Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222 Woodloch Pines (Keystone Room)731 Welcome Lake Road, HawleySaturday, Mar. 3: 10 a.m.. to 2 p.m..Special Super Sunday VITA Service on campusAppointment Required.The University of Scranton  Brennan HallSunday, Feb. 5: 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m..Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222 Special Super Saturday VITA ServiceAppointment Required.The University of Scranton  Brennan HallSaturday, April 1: 9 a.m.. to 1 p.m..A Spanish language interpreter is available upon request.Appointment Required. Call 343-1267, ext. 222/about/community-relations/images/Vita1.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Vita1.JPGwww.scranton.eduVita1.JPG41504150142/Right/efforttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Food Recovery Program Helps Feed Hungry NeighborsA unique volunteer program, E.F.F.O.R.T. or Excess Food For Others Recovery Team, was established and run by University of Scranton students. The program has helped Scranton area social service agencies feed their hungry neighbors. Food Recovery Program Helps Feed Hungry Neighbors/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/effortwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/effortcohenj21326741138388cohenj21326817453896seo-titlenavYesFood Recovery Program Helps Feed Hungry NeighborsSiemong Wang, director of Safety Net at the Covenant Presbyterian Church on Madison Avenue, says his social service agency sees plenty of needy – often desperate – people. “These are people who fall through the cracks,” he says. He estimates Safety Net serves between 250 and 300 people each month with everything from clothing and emergency rent, to bus fare, emergency utility payments and even help obtaining identification for people who find themselves homeless and unable to deal with PennDOT requirements. Safety Net also runs a busy food pantry, which is open four days a week to individuals and families in crisis. A unique volunteer program, E.F.F.O.R.T. or Excess Food For Others Recovery Team, was established and run by University of Scranton students.  The program has helped Safety Net and other agencies feed their hungry neighbors. Mr. Wang says he is deeply grateful and touched by the students' generosity. “I understand these students go out at 9, 10 o'clock at night to pick up the left-over food from Price Chopper or Panera Bread,” Mr. Wang said. “It is so nice of them. E.F.F.O.R.T. is a blessing. It really benefits needy families.” Safety Net gets deliveries twice a week of bakery items that Price Chopper and Panera Bread did not sell and would otherwise discard. The University students also drop off the collected breads, rolls and treats to the Community Intervention Center on Wyoming Avenue; Friends of the Poor; the United Neighborhood Centers and the food pantry at St.Paul's/St. Clare's (which University students also help to run), among others. Patricia (Pat) Vaccaro, director of the University's Community Outreach Office, says the program began in 2008 and sprung from students' concern over food being wasted in the University's cafeteria. “The kids kept meeting and talking,” she says. “They asked to be called whenever the university had an event and there was food left over.” From there, the students reached out to Price Chopper and Panera Bread, both of which have programs to donate their excess, unpurchased food. Ms. Vaccaro says there are about 40 student volunteers who help run E.F.F.O.R.T. Their  dedication is impressive, she says. “Volunteers are on call after University or community events. Some have to drive around at night to pick up. Then the food comes to us in big boxes, so we have students who bag and pack it for delivery. Then there are those who actually take it to the various agencies.” According to Ms. Vaccaro, Panera Bread alone has donated $30,000 worth of food to E.F.F.O.R.T. All those pricey croissants and pastries would usually be well beyond the financial means of people served by Safety Net, but thanks to E.F.F.O.R.T., they are now part of their daily bread./about/community-relations/images/EFFORTfood21.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/EFFORTfood21.jpgwww.scranton.eduEFFORTfood21.jpg24575150164/Right/leahy-clinictrue1748367960396spinosaj2Leahy Clinic Plays Role in Area Health ‘Safety Net’The Leahy Clinic the Leahy Clinic plays a significant role in patching the area’s health “safety net.” Powered by volunteers, the clinic provides health care, health teaching, counseling and physical therapy services. The students get the dual benefit of both learning and serving. Leahy Clinic Plays Role in Area Health ‘Safety Net’/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/leahy-clinicwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/leahy-cliniccohenj21331304729472cohenj21331327093577seo-titlenavYesLeahy Clinic Plays Role in Area Health ‘Safety Net’Sandra Diaz, 33, typically enjoys vigorous good health. That's why the Scranton woman usually isn't overly concerned about her lack of health insurance. That changed recently when she started to feel tired and achy and was plagued with severe cold symptoms. "I was very sick," she says. "My friends told me about the clinic (The Edward R. Leahy Center Clinic for the Uninsured at The University of Scranton).”  Ms. Diaz says she had two choices: She could wait until she felt sick enough to justify a trip to the Emergency Room, or she could seek immediate help from the Leahy Clinic. To her mind, it was a no-brainer. She went to the clinic where she was seen by a local doctor who volunteers his time. The visit cleared up her symptoms quickly. She says, “The clinic is a great place for people who have no insurance. It prevents ER visits. They even give you the medicine. Vaccines too. I took the medicine and started feeling better.” Ms. Diaz says she has come to rely on the “kindness” of Andrea Mantione, MSN, CRNP, Leahy Center director and Maria Vital, bilingual administrative assistant. She feels comfortable calling them with health questions and says, “I will go back if I ever need help again. I will tell others about it, too.” As Ms. Diaz's experience illustrates, the Leahy Clinic plays a significant role in patching the area’s health “safety net.” Uninsured patients are a growing problem -- more than 23,000 people are uninsured Lackawanna County. Ms. Diaz is one of the estimated 1,500 uninsured county residents who visited the clinic in 2011 for quality, “non-emergency” health care at no cost. Moreover, Ms. Diaz and others who speak English as a second language are particularly grateful for the multilingual talents of Maria Vital, who can counsel them in their own language about the treatment they received and how to accurately follow the doctor's orders. Ms. Vital's language abilities are crucial. For example, consider that “once” means “11” in Spanish and imagine the disaster that might occur if a patient became confused between the two. The Leahy Clinic depends upon its volunteers -- physicians from the Scranton area and University of Scranton students. Powered by volunteers, the clinic  provides health care, health teaching, counseling and physical therapy services. The students get the dual benefit of both learning and serving. In fact, the two become so intertwined that the Leahy experience often sparks a long-term commitment to service in students studying in health-care fields. As Ms. Mantione explains, "We are so blessed to have the ability and opportunity to provide service to our neighbors and greatful for the support of volunteer healthcare professionals and organizations that provide that care with us. When clients like Sandra and her family utilize our services it is a transformational learning experience in service of faith and justice for our students and the entire University Community." The volunteer experience produces the best kind of doctor, nurse or therapist – one with a deep-seated desire to serve. In this way, the clinic reflects the University’s commitment to “those who are poor and afflicted” and honors its Jesuit tradition of educating “men and women for and with others.” In addition to being supported by The University of Scranton, the Leahy Clinic is funded through grants from: The Willary Foundation, Sanofi Pasteur, The Margaret Briggs Foundation, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Lackawanna County Medical Society Fundraising Event, Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Community Medical Center, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Scranton Area Foundation, DPW Free Clinic Grant, and One Point, Inc./about/community-relations/images/leahy-clinic.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/leahy-clinic.jpgwww.scranton.eduleahy-clinic.jpg38753200134/Right/dinner-nitetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Dinner and Movie Night Draws Hundreds of Students DowntownNearly 300 students had the chance to discover parts of Scranton that they never knew existed through The University of Scranton’s first annual Electric City Downtown Dinner & Movie Nite on Friday, March 2.Dinner and Movie Night Draws Hundreds of Students Downtown/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/dinner-nitewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/dinner-nitecohenj21331327206463cohenj21331738043601seo-titlenavYesDinner and Movie Night Draws Hundreds of Students DowntownNearly 300 students experienced the great food and entertainment available in Scranton on Friday, March 2 through The University’s first annual Electric City Downtown Dinner & Movie Nite. Students jumped at the chance to dine at one of 13 downtown restaurants, participate in the First Friday art-walk, and attend a movie at Marquee Cinemas – all for free through a University sponsorship. Two hundred students registered for the event within 48 hours of its announcement. The University added an additional 100 spots, which went just as quickly, according to Julie Schumacher Cohen, Director of Community Relations, who helped organize the event. “Everything was set up for you,” said senior Nina Giordano about the event’s popularity. “All you had to do was show up. As seniors, we never had any programs like this, so as soon as my friends and I heard about it we jumped at the opportunity.” Students began the evening at their choice of one of 13 restaurants – Cangiano’s Italian Specialties, City Café, Carl Von Luger, Eden-a-Vegan Café, Farley’s, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Hilton (P.J.’s Pub), Kildare’s, Pizza by Pappas, POSH at the Scranton Club, Sambuca Grille, Trax at the Radisson, or Thai Rak Thai.  “I had never been to Trax before and I was blown away by the food, acoustic music and atmosphere,” said Kevin Clark, a sophomore at the University. “I will definitely eat there in the future.” Business owners would be happy to have the students back. Christian Pilosi, owner of Eden-a-Vegan Café said, “As a downtown business owner, I appreciate all that the University is doing to connect students with the downtown.” “We would be happy to have the dinner again,” said Joshua Mast, owner of POSH at the Scranton Club.  After the meal, students participated in First Friday or went to Bella Faccias, a specialized chocolate shop, for a free cup of hot chocolate.  “The event was a great way to get students involved in the First Friday events,” said Brianna Daly, a freshman at the University. “The free hot chocolate at Bella Faccias was phenomenal. Incorporating the community into the student body is brilliant because not only does the city win through promotions and income, but we win too,” said Giordano.  The evening concluded with students attending one of the movies offered during the 9 p.m. set at Marquee Cinemas.  The Lorax and This Means War were among the favorite choices. “It was great to participate,” said Richard Johnson, General Manager for Marquee Cinemas Steamtown 8. “I think the exposure to the University students will bring continued business and I hope we can make this event a regular occurrence.”  The program was sponsored by the Residence Hall Association, Offices of Residence Life and Off Campus and Commuter Student Affairs, Division of Student Affairs, University of Scranton Programming Board (USPB) and Center for Student Engagement. The Office of Community Relations worked with the downtown restaurants and Marquee Cinemas to arrange the event, continuing efforts to help increase University-downtown collaboration. So far it seems to be working. “There are so many great downtown offerings; this was a wonderful way to introduce students to these opportunities,” said freshman Kristin Leccese. According to a survey conducted by the Community Relations Office following the event, 99% of students want to attend the next one, scheduled for October 2012.      To view local news stories about Downtown Dinner & Movie Nite, visit The Scranton Times Tribune online and WNEP TV’s website. Photos of the students at businesses and venues throughout downtown Scranton can be viewed on the University’s flickr page.     This article was written by student correspondent, Kari Dombroski ’13, a communication major at The  University of Scranton from Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J./about/community-relations/images/thai-rak-thai.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/thai-rak-thai.jpgwww.scranton.eduthai-rak-thai.jpg39041150180/Right/street-sweep-downtown-planterstrue1748367960396spinosaj2Students & Alumni Beautify Downtown Planters, Clean-Up Hill SectionStudents & Alumni Beautify Downtown Planters, Clean-Up Hill SectionStudents & Alumni Beautify Downtown Planters, Clean-Up Hill Section/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/street-sweep-downtown-planterswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/street-sweep-downtown-planterscohenj21334680165222salvon21554215113394display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Students & Alumni Beautify Downtown Planters, Clean-Up Hill Section/about/community-relations/images/planter-with-mayorw.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/planter-with-mayorw.jpgwww.scranton.eduplanter-with-mayorw.jpg39453250167Right  More than 200 University of Scranton students, as well as alumni, fanned out across the streets of the City of Scranton on April 14 to clean up and beautify areas surrounding the University's campus.  The community service event, part of the University’s Earth Week activities, included a new partnership with Scranton Tomorrow to plant flowers and shrubs in more than 50 downtown planters, in addition to the annual trash clean-up in the Hill Section. Students also raked leaves in Nay Aug Park, and off-campus students in the Hill Section participated in a "street pride" event to clean up their lawn.  No5TrueFalse//about/community-relations/images/planters-down-streetw.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/planters-down-streetw.JPGwww.scranton.eduplanters-down-streetw.JPG75831225210LeftDowntown Planter Project The University of Scranton Alumni Society, Student Government, and Office of Community Relations teamed up with Main Street Scranton, a project of Scranton Tomorrow, to beautify the planters located throughout downtown Scranton.  In addition to the University’s support, The Home Depot and Lowe’s in Dickson City and Mulberry Bush in Scranton provided donations and discounts for the planting project. The initiative grew out of the University’s Student Government wishing to expand the annual street sweep event to additional areas of the City.  Scranton Tomorrow, having identified a need for the weeding, debris removal and plantings throughout Scranton’s business district, worked with the students, as well as the Alumni Society and Community Relations Office, to create a broader event. “The Downtown Planter Project is a great example of how partnerships can have a significant impact on a community,” said Leslie Collins, executive director of Scranton Tomorrow. The partnership with the University was the kick-off for Scranton Tomorrow of their new “Adopt-a-Planter” Initiative, which includes additional plantings and maintenance.  “The planters downtown add color to the city and students enjoyed planting the small trees and pansies,” said Katie Gonzalez, Director of Communications for Student Government.  “The event also provided an opportunity for students and alumni to interact with residents and businesses,” added Julie Schumacher Cohen, director of the Office of Community Relations, who said the University plans to repeat the collaboration again next spring. No5TrueFalse//about/community-relations/images/nayaug.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/nayaug.jpgwww.scranton.edunayaug.jpg56717200267RightHill Section & Nay Aug Park Activities The University’s Student Government organized student clubs and organizations into Hill Section “zones” with students picking up litter on the 300 and 400 blocks from Madison Avenue to Taylor Avenue as well as on Vine Street.  They filled more than 60 bags with trash, including recyclable materials.  Another new element of this year’s service effort was “Street Pride,” a lawn clean-up event organized by the Office of Off Campus & Commuter Student Affairs and the Off-Campus Advisory Board. “We were hoping the Street Pride event would encourage off campus residents to take pride in both their street and the community they live in,” said junior, Colleen Sullivan. The purpose of the event is to have students living in the Hill Section help make it a cleaner place to live “We try to inspire people who don’t participate in these events to clean up their lawn and their neighbor’s lawn,” said Stephanie Adamec, director of Off Campus and Commuter Student Affairs. Students also raked leaves and weeded in Nay Aug Park in cooperation with Scranton’s Department of Public Works and the Hill Neighborhood Association. “The students had a great time working together to better our community and the University-community collaboration was successful in creating a bigger and better service event,” said Gonzalez.  Click here to view photos of the community service event.  No5TrueFalse//RightPictures: (Top) Standing at a downtown planter from left are sophomores Christie Garrecht of Northport, N.Y., and Natalie Gower of Lebanon, N.J.; Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty; Julie Cohen, director of community relations at the University; Scranton Tomorrow Executive Director and University graduate Leslie Collins; and senior Brian Riordan of Ramsey N.J. (Middle) Students planting on N. Washington Ave. in downtown Scranton. (Third) Students raking leaves in Nay Aug Park. No5TrueFalse//RightNo5TrueFalse//RightNo5TrueFalse//RightNo5TrueFalse//RightNo5TrueFalse//RightNo5TrueFalse//RightNo5TrueFalse/Nonenoindextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/Spring/indexwrenm21461256863999wrenm21461256863999seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features 2012News Features/about/community-relations/news/2012/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2012/indexcohenj21326727688308yadavn21638571701314seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/2011true20112011/about/community-relations/news/2011www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011casabonaj21300126269738casabonaj21300126269738display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --falltrue1320693082434cohenj2FallFall/about/community-relations/news/2011/fallwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fallcohenj21313027266090beacon.dev21376081744971display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --glocalizeexhibittrue1748367960396spinosaj2Students & Children's Museum Team Up on Multicultural Exhibit One of the most important lessons a child can learn is that people are all amazingly similar -- despite cultural differences. It was this idea that propelled 20 Scranton students to volunteer to help create "Glocalize: Globally Inspired, Locally Made,” a multicultural exhibit now on display at Timmy's Town Center at the Mall at Steamtown.Students & Children's Museum Team Up on Multicultural Exhibit /about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/glocalizeexhibitwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/glocalizeexhibitcohenj21323720062123cohenj21323720883513seo-titlenavYesStudents & Children's Museum Team Up on Multicultural Exhibit University of Scranton senior education major Maggie Coyne of Stony Point, N.Y.,  believes one of the most important lessons a child can learn is that people are all amazingly similar -- despite regional or cultural differences. It was this idea that propelled Ms. Coyne and a group of about 20 other Scranton students to volunteer to help create "Glocalize: Globally Inspired, Locally Made." The multicultural exhibit is now on display at Timmy's Town Center at the Mall at Steamtown.  According to Timmy's Town staff, the purpose of “Glocalize” is to “teach kids that the world is a cultural mosaic, with ethnicities from all over the world right here in northeastern Pennsylvania. Our exhibit takes kids on a trip around the world -- without the travel.” Glocalize consists of four exhibits that introduce local children to the the customs and cultures of Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and South Korea. The staff and volunteers of Timmy's Town Center were responsible for the Mexico exhibit. University of Scranton students involved in the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children), SECUS (Education Club of the University of Scranton) and ACEI (Association for Childhood Education International) clubs at Scranton created the Ireland, South Korea and Kenya exhibits. “Glocalize” was a labor of love for the students, since working on the project was not academically required. The students' time and effort was offered on a purely voluntary basis.  Each exhibit features a globe pin-pointing the exact location of the subject nation; a clock set to the time of that nation; and the nation's flag. There are also books, traditional clothing and a map from each country. Each exhibit also features artifacts from the country. For example, children can practice using chopsticks at the South Korean exhibit or examine an Irish step-dancing costume. The Timmy's Town puppet theater has been transformed into an authentic Mexican hacienda. Moreover, visitors can sample ethnic music and take authentic recipes home to sample each nation's cuisine. However. Ms Coyne said that what interests young visitors most are the pictures from other countries. “The children are fascinated to see other schools and other playgrounds. When they look at them, they can see that although there are differences, the similarities are more striking,” she said. “In Kenya, for example, the kids learn that 'rafiki' (the name of a Disney Lion King character) means 'friend.' It's just so cool to see them making these connections...that although we are vastly different cultures, fundamentally, people are the same.” Ms. Coyne, who is an officer of  two of the three participating clubs, credits Scranton professor, Dr. Tata Mbugua, with tremendous help on the Kenya exhibit. Dr. Mbugua, who taught in Kenya, maintains connections with a Kenyan school.  Through her efforts, children visiting Timmy's Town in November were able to write letters to children on Kenya. Replies are expected before the exhibits closes in Feb. 19. Contact Timmy's Town Center at (570) 341-1511 or visit their website. /about/community-relations/images/timmystown.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/timmystown.jpgwww.scranton.edutimmystown.jpg28369200150/Right/peacemakerstrue1748367960396spinosaj2After School Program Focuses on Peacemaking Since its inception in 2006, the goal of the Peacemakers afterschool program – an initiative of the Leahy Community Health and Family Center – has been to provide a space and experience where children can explore the meaning, history and vision of peacemaking and actually work together to make it happen. After School Program Focuses on Peacemaking /about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/peacemakerswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/peacemakerscohenj21320688486716cohenj21320781186238seo-titlenavYesAfter School Program Focuses on Peacemaking Where does conflict originate? Sister Ann Perrin, CND, LMFT, believes it is born in a distraught soul. People in turmoil are those most likely to be engaged in conflict. Peaceful people -- people with tranquil hearts and souls -- are, in a way, conflict-proof. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to rattle a peaceful person enough to draw them out of their serene center. Sister Ann and Gerianne Barber NCC, LPC built the "Peacemakers" program upon this central premise: that peace begins within. As Ms. Barber says, “If you play to your strengths, your weaknesses are less apparent.” Since its inception in 2006, the goal of the Peacemakers afterschool program – an initiative of the Leahy Community Health and Family Center – has been to provide a space and experience where children can explore the meaning, history and vision of peacemaking and actually work together to make it happen. The program exemplifies St. Jerome’s famous entreaty to: "Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you." Ms. Barber, a licensed counselor and University of Scranton professional staff member, facilitates the Peacemakers program twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. At present, 16 children between the ages of 9 and 12 and several University of Scranton graduate students meet with Ms. Barber each Friday afternoon to explore ways to find peace within and to extend that peace to the outside world.  Peacemakers is a thematic program. So each week we explore a different theme. For example, week one's theme is 'What is peace?' and 'What does it mean to be a peacemaker?' The graduate students who represent various counseling programs are tasked with developing their own activities to explore the themes, so it's different every time.” This allows for creative programming that is tailored to the specific group of children.   This fall, during week one, the graduate students gave the children art supplies and asked them to make name tags that reflected themselves and the theme of peace. During activities such as this if disrespectful interactions arise such as grabbing for art supplies or not listening  it provides a “teachable moment”, for the graduate students to ask the children to think about what a peaceful approach to distributing the supplies  or engaging in an activity might look like.  Ms. Barber is adamant that Peacemakers is not an anti-bullying program. “Ours is a 'pro relationship' approach. We don't teach 'what not to do.' We teach 'what to do.' It is a program of cooperation and praise rather than competition.” Ms. Barber believes that the emphasis on peace within builds self-assurance and self-esteem in children that will help them respond in new and positive ways when they encounter conflict. At the end of each of the six sessions, the children find ways “to be peaceful with themselves” through journaling and deep breathing exercises. “It's really cool to see 16 kids sitting cross-legged on the floor – some laying down --- and 10 graduate students and it's a Friday afternoon and you can hear a pin drop,” Ms. Barber says. The children leave each session with a letter written by a graduate student to the child's family explaining what was done that day. “So there's a take-home message,” Ms. Barber says. The various themes of the program include: What is peace; Peace Between persons; Peace with our bodies; Peace with the Earth; Peace in our World; and a Celebration of Peace, which is the concluding session with a party. On a humorous note, “peace with our bodies” is explored every week through a healthy snack. “We go through the food pyramid,” Ms. Barber says. “So one week, we have fruit, another week grain and so forth. But at the end, we just have the party and a lot of sugar.” Peacemakers is open to all children. Participants in the program are recruited through the Leahy Clinic, Nativity Church and St. Paul and St. Peter Church in Scranton, Catholic Social Services, The Scranton School District and University of Scranton staff. Ms. Barber says, the more diverse the group, the more “impactful” the program is.  For information about Peacemakers, visit their website or call 570-941-6112. The Peacemakers program is supported by the Scranton Area Foundation, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and Gerrity's Supermarkets. /about/community-relations/images/peacemaker1.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/peacemaker1.jpgwww.scranton.edupeacemaker1.jpg33534200112/Right/neighbornighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Office of Community Relations Launches Neighbor NightThe Office of Community Relations is hosting Neighbor Night - a presentation, discussion and reception for Scranton residents on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.Office of Community Relations Launches Neighbor Night/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/neighbornightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/neighbornightcohenj21318276908910cohenj21318299409327seo-titlenavYesOffice of Community Relations Launches Neighbor NightThe Office of Community Relations is inviting Scranton residents, including in the immediate campus area of the historic Hill Section and downtown, to Neighbor Night.  This presentation, discussion and reception will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rose Room in Brennan Hall. Neighbor Night will give neighbors a chance to meet University leadership in the areas of Community Relations, Student Affairs and University Police, hear about University activities, ask questions and enjoy light refreshments. RSVP to community@scranton.edu or 570-941-4419 or visit the Facebook Event page./about/community-relations/images/NeighborNight4.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/NeighborNight4.jpgwww.scranton.eduNeighborNight4.jpg19308175116/Right/scavengerhunttrue1748367960396spinosaj2University Scavenger Hunt Draws 250 Students DowntownThe University held its first ever downtown scavenger hunt Sept. 2 as part of on ongoing project by the Community Relations Office to increase University-downtown connections. University Scavenger Hunt Draws 250 Students Downtown/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/scavengerhuntwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/scavengerhuntcohenj21315590943223johnsons41315834028098seo-titlenavYesUniversity Scavenger Hunt Draws 250 Students Downtown University of Scranton students had a unique opportunity during Fall Welcome Week to explore the many boutique shops, ethnic restaurants, cafes, and cultural venues that make up the Electric City.  The University held its first ever downtown scavenger hunt Sept. 2. The event was open to all of the Jesuit university’s students. More than 250 students registered in pairs and received t-shirts and maps at 3:30 p.m. on the DeNaples Patio.  At 4 p.m., the participants descended on downtown Scranton with the goal of locating as many of the over 30 participating businesses as quickly as they could. The students, using the Foursquare mobile app to find clues, had to find a poster-version of Iggy, the University's mascot, in each location.  Iggy also made cameo appearances around town.  Mary Kate Gallaglier, a freshman nursing major from Port Ewen, N.Y., said the scavenger hunt was a great way for her to learn about the city. “I thought it was a lot of fun,” Gallaglier said. “It was a  really good way to see the city.”  Mike Trischetta, a junior physics major from Scranton, said he was surprised at what he found was available to him in Scranton.  “It was very eye-opening,” Trischetta said. “I saw a lot of places I otherwise never would  have gone  to.” The scavenger hunt ended with a reception at the Vintage Theater at 5:30 p.m. Participants were  treated to free foods from downtown eateries while the winners were announced.  The first place prize of a $200 gift certificate to The Mall at Steamtown was awarded to Bridget Hanley, a freshmanfrom East Islip, N.Y., and Breana Fitzpatrick, a freshman from Florham Park, N.J. Second place went to Bob Law, a junior from Lansdale, and Kate Lazorko, a junior from Philadelphia. Third place was a tie between two teams: Deanna Russo, a freshman from Hillsborough, N.J., and Chris Peticca, a freshman from Franklin Lakes, N.J.; and Shannon Lavis and Elisa Giusto, sophomores from Scranton. Following the awards presentation, students were encouraged to continue their downtown exploration at First Friday, a monthly art-walk event that takes place throughout the city.  The scavenger hunt was one of several new initiatives planned by the University’s Community Relations Office to better familiarize students with the city. Other events included a downtown tour and dinner for Resident Assistants in August.  Coming up is Family Weekend, from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, which will have a downtown focus with restaurants offering discounts and specials, and College Night First Friday Oct. 7, featuring student groups from several Lackawanna County colleges performing at downtown venues. In coordinating the downtown Scavenger Hunt, the Office of Community Relations partnered with the Center for Student Engagement, the University’s Small Business Development Center as well as First Friday Scranton, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Scranton Tomorrow.  Sponsors included: Diversified Information Technologies, The Mall at Steamtown, Penn Security Bank & Trust, PNC Bank, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union and Wells Fargo.  /about/community-relations/images/scavhunt4w.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/scavhunt4w.jpgwww.scranton.eduscavhunt4w.jpg23726200133/Right/uofsuccesstrue1748367960396spinosaj2University of Success Program Provides Chance to Realize Dreams The University of Success is a 15-year-old program run by The University of Scranton's Leahy Community Health and Family Center.University of Success Program Provides Chance to Realize Dreams /about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/uofsuccesswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/uofsuccesscohenj21313027004161cohenj21313508553726seo-titlenavYesUniversity of Success Program Provides Chance to Realize Dreams Stephanie Pacheco, a soft-spoken eighth-grade graduate of South Scranton Intermediate School, thought she might want to be a veterinarian. Then, through The University of Scranton’s Univeristy of Success program, she watched as TCMC students “saved the life” of Sim Man, a lifelike robot in the throes of a heart attack. Then she KNEW she had to have a career in health sciences. The best thing about her revelation was that it was backed up by a program that will give her a solid plan and the skills to realize her dream. As a student in the University of Success, for the next four years, as Stephanie advances through Scranton High School, she will also progress at the “university,” receiving SAT preparation, public speaking skills – even help with the dreaded FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. For children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the world of college prep is an alien land whose inhabitants speak a foreign language. FAFSA, SAT, ACT, GPA . . . what do they mean? Since few of their parents have ever traveled this ground, these children often flounder, uncertain of their path. Intellectual gifts alone can't steer a student onto the right road. Experienced guides are required. The University of Success supplies the guides. The University of Success is a 15-year-old program run by The University of Scranton's Leahy Community Health and Family Center. According to the Leahy Center's director, Andrea Mantione, the University of Success grew from the Jesuit ideal of the “magis” or “the more,” which refers to the philosophy of doing more, for Christ, and therefore for others. Support for the program is supplied by the Prudential Foundation, Met Life Foundation, Charles Frueauff Foundation and the McGowan Charitable Fund.  “The University of Success is about educating the socio-economically disadvantaged,” she said. “It's  about making kids who have the desire 'college-ready.'”  The program annually enrolls 20 children who “have the desire” just after they have completed the  eighth grade. The program begins with a two-week summer “academy” and continues with workshops  on one Saturday a month until the enrollees are seniors in high school. The Saturday workshops cover  everything from study skills to SAT prep to writing the all-important personal statement essay for a  college application. In describing how the program's mentors stay “on top of the things,” Univeristy of Success Program Director Margaret Loughney said, “They'll ask, 'Where's the essay? Where's the essay? And, if it's still not done, they'll take the student to the library and sit with them until it is.” Parents are kept involved and even receive assistance with filling out FAFSA and the other arcane and convoluted forms necessary for college admission. Students who wish to enter the program must be academically motivated and come from a background that is under-represented on college campuses. First generation college-bound students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds are also eligible. The application process includes an interview with Leahy Center staff, who are looking for desire and commitment. The program is a great gift, but it also demands much from the students, so fortitude is required. For example, the summer academy students go to Dorney Park for the day, but before they ride the coasters, they solve physics problems about the ride. C.J. Leepier of Scranton said, “I always knew I had to work hard to go to college. But what I learned here is that I have to be on my game all day.” He knows that “on his game” means both high grades and involvement in extra curricular activities. Besides being determined to apply himself academically, C.J. said he plans to play safety or tailback on the high school football team. Chante Mercurious of Long Pond, who has the poise and diction of a grown woman, agreed. “I had no idea how competitive and hard (it was to get into college),” she said. “I want to do it because I will be the first person in my family to get into college.” Her dream is to become a journalist, so she plans to join the debate club in high school and also to continue to dance. Kenny deSouza's teachers at South Scranton Intermediate School encouraged him to enroll. He is a confident, outgoing boy. “I make new friends like that,” he said, snapping his fingers. And although he's greatly enjoyed making new friends at the University of Success, he's also learned that he's “going to have to work hard. It won't be easy.” He plans to take part in mock trial activities in high school and to get involved in football (as a wide receiver) and track. As for Stephanie, she said before the University of Success, she hadn't realized how important it was for her to a “well rounded person.” “Now I am learning what steps I need to take for college.” She says she intends to get involved with sports when she enters high school in the fall and looks forward to continuing with the University of Success because she knows she will “learn things you won't necessarily hear in high school.” She is particularly looking forward to SAT preparation.  In addition to classroom projects, the academy students took excursions to the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC), Prudential and the Franklin Institute, to name a few. The students also enjoyed their first exposure to dormitory living, C.J. saying the experience taught “responsibility and respect.” The trip to Prudential was a high point for Stephanie. “I had no idea how many people it could take to run one company,” she said. The day was made even more memorable by a surprise visit by Shaniqua Long, a University of Success graduate who is now employed in Prudential's HR department. Ms. Long, who holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Scranton, talked to her visitors about “the importance of taking hold of opportunities.” Chante, with her characteristic eloquence and maturity, said her favorite part of the summer institute was the trip to PEEC. “I liked the hike,” she said. “Because it represents the University of Success. It was a challenge to reach our destination, we knew it was going to be hard, but we had each other and our mentors to get us there.”/about/community-relations/images/wusuccess12.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/wusuccess12.jpgwww.scranton.eduwusuccess12.jpg34423150167/Right/9-11classtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Freshman Class Makes Meaning of 9/11Freshman Class Makes Meaning of 9/11Freshman Class Makes Meaning of 9/11/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/9-11classwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/9-11classcohenj21318296666361wrenm21674848179447display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main ContentNoNo//Leftdefaultdefault Although for many the shock and pain of 9/11 still feels as fresh as if it happened yesterday, the 10th anniversary commemorations of the 
attacks this year signaled that the defining event of the millennial
 generation has entered history. As an historical event, 9/11 has 
shaped the worldview and attitudes of all Americans, but particularly 
those who were children when the Twin Towers fell. Those children are 
today's college students and Professor Teresa Grettano of The 
University of Scranton's Department of English & Theatre felt it 
imperative that her students explore just how the searing events of
 2001 still influence the world today.

 Professor Grettano says, “As a native New Yorker, with family and 
friends who worked at the World Trade Center in different capacities,
 9/11 has been a consistent aspect of my life for the past decade. On
 this 10th anniversary of the attacks, I wanted students to explore the
 ways in which we, as a culture, have come to understand the terrorist 
attacks of that day, as well as the ways those attacks have shaped how
 we understand ourselves and the world around us.”

  As part of their analysis, students in Professor Grettano's freshman 
seminar class, Making Meaning of 9/11, are required to keep a “Life of
 the Mind” notebook in which they grapple with the ways they encounter 
9/11 and its aftermath in their daily lives, analyzing news stories, 
movies, memorials and commemorations. Other assignments ask students 
to compose a personal narrative of their own 9/11 experiences, a
 rhetorical analysis of a photograph of 9/11, and an argument for an 
Ignatian response to an issue arising from the attacks. Aris Rotella, a freshman political science major from Hawley, PA, said, “The fact that the University is offering this course is really quite unique. We had the chance to take a class that would both help us improve our writing, as well as better our understanding of this tragic event.”   Grettano 
explains that she designed the course assignments so that students
 would investigate their understandings of 9/11 and its aftermath 
through multiple sites, through the many ways we as a culture have
 made meaning and formed opinions about the event. She wanted “students
 to examine how they have come to know what 9/11 was and what it
 continues to mean in our daily lives.” Tim O’Rourke, a freshman political science major from West Chester, PA said,  “9/11 is something that not only affected the families of those directly involved. It has affected everyone. The attacks drastically changed our culture in various ways which we are able to highlight in our class discussions.”  The class will be enhanced by a visit to the 9/11 Memorial in November sponsored by Education for Justice, as well as a guest lecture to the university community on Nov. 17 by Moustafa Bayoumi, a professor of English at Brooklyn College who authored the book,   How Does It Feel To Be a Problem? Being Young, Arab, and Muslim in America. The Office of Equity and Diversity, through its Diversity Initiatives Fund, has funded the lecture. Grettano explains she had her students read excerpts of Bayoumi’s book and invited him to campus in an effort for students to “encounter voices that typically aren’t heard in mainstream discourse about 9/11, and as a way to place their narratives next to their peers in order to gain a fuller perspective of the effects of that day.” This special freshman seminar class comes along with several efforts by the University to commemorate the 10 th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  The University's President, Fr. Kevin Quinn, S.J., celebrated a special mass for faculty and staff and sent a message to the University community remembering "alumni, friends, and all those lost" on September 11, 2011.  Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J., Vice President for University Ministries, preached at two masses for students on "Where was God on 9/11?" and "How can we be agents of reconciliation in a divided world?"  The 2011-2012 theme of Education for Justice is “Finding Justice after 9/11.”  View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//mulberryfinalphasetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Mulberry Street Improvement Project Enters Its Final PhaseMulberry Street Improvement Project Enters Its Final PhaseMulberry Street Improvement Project Enters Its Final Phase/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/mulberryfinalphasewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/mulberryfinalphasecohenj21318379668261cohenj21318433962415seo-titlenavYesMulberry Street Improvement Project Enters Its Final PhaseThe multi-million dollar Mulberry Street Improvement Project, spearheaded by the mayor of Scranton, Scranton City Council and The University of Scranton, is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012. The ambitious beautification plan to improve the Mulberry Street corridor and seamlessly connect The University of Scranton campus to the surrounding neighborhood was first announced in 2007, with implementation planned in stages. “Construction on the final phase of the project has begun,” said James Devers, assistant vice president for facilities operations. “We expect to complete the construction on Mulberry Street, between Madison and Quincy avenues, before winter sets in. The remainder of the project, from Quincy to North Webster avenues, should be finished this summer.” As can be seen in the already completed portion of the project between Jefferson and Madison avenues, the plan encompasses wider, bluestone walkways; concrete crosswalks, cobblestone-lined tree lawns, benches, vintage light fixtures, landscaping to screen parking lots, and intermittent, low limestone seating walls. This theme will continue in the final phase of the project that extends to North Webster Avenue. The University of Scranton has collaborated with Burkavage Design Associates of Clarks Summit and Ayers Saint Gross, a nationally respected architectural firm from Baltimore, Md., with experience in urban campus design, to develop the plan. The overall project, which is expected to cost in excess of $4 million, has been primarily funded by The University of Scranton. The University was awarded a $1 million grant by the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program for this project that required matching support from The University of Scranton. /about/community-relations/images/mulberryw.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/mulberryw.jpgwww.scranton.edumulberryw.jpg58193200150/Right/downtownsurveytrue1748367960396spinosaj2Area Colleges Survey Students on Downtown Spending & PerceptionsEarlier this year, the eight colleges and universities in Lackawanna County surveyed students regarding their perceptions and patronage of downtown Scranton venues for dining, shopping, cultural events and entertainment.Area Colleges Survey Students on Downtown Spending & Perceptions/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/downtownsurveywww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/downtownsurveycohenj21320695474752cohenj21320864918668seo-titlenavYesArea Colleges Survey Students on Downtown Spending & PerceptionsEarlier this year, the eight colleges and universities in Lackawanna County surveyed students regarding their perceptions and patronage of downtown Scranton venues for dining, shopping, cultural events and entertainment. The survey is aimed at stimulating conversation on ways the downtown merchants can increase business with the college market segment and ways the colleges and universities can encourage students to participate in events downtown. Based on the survey, the 14,026 students of the eight colleges in Lackawanna County report spending an average total of more than $3.6 million monthly in the local economy.  $1.4 million of that can be attributed to University of Scranton students.   View the full Executive Summary View the Survey presentation Learn more about University of Scranton initiatives undertaken to spur collaboration with downtown businesses.   The Universities and Colleges that participated in the survey include:  Baptist Bible College & Seminary Johnson College Keystone College Lackawanna CollegeMarywood University Penn State Worthington Scranton The Commonwealth Medical College The University of Scranton Community Partners: The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Scranton Tomorrow (Photo Courtesy of Eileen Barrett Notarianni)/about/community-relations/images/downtownstreet1.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/downtownstreet1.jpgwww.scranton.edudowntownstreet1.jpg12507200133/Right/postneighbornighttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Neighbor Night Provides Information & Opportunity for DiscussionNeighbor Night Provides Information & Opportunity for DiscussionNeighbor Night Provides Information & Opportunity for Discussion/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/postneighbornightwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/postneighbornightcohenj21320771535975cohenj21320871248974seo-titlenavYesOffice of Community Relations Launches Neighbor NightOver 40 Scranton residents gathered in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall on October 26 for "Neighbor Night" - an event designed to inform the University's neighbors, particularly in the Hill Section and downtown, about programs, resources and events open to the community. The evening also allowed residents to meet University staff and leaders in Community Relations, Student Affairs and University Police as well as ask questions and engage in discussion. Watch for notices about future Neighbor Night events and click here for a flyer on University offerings for the community.  View more photos on the University's flickr site.       Pictured here from left to right: Gerry Zaboski, Vice President for Alumni and Public Relations, The University of Scranton; Julie Schumacher Cohen, Director of Community Relations, The University of Scranton; Andrew Mackie with daughter Michele Snyder, Hill Neighborhood Association President and representative; Karin Foster, West Scranton Hyde Park Neighborhood Watch President; and Jill Murrin, Elm Street/South Side Revitalization Project Manager, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeast Pennsylvania.  /about/community-relations/images/neighbornight1.JPGdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/neighbornight1.JPGwww.scranton.eduneighbornight1.JPG26368250130/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/fall/indexjohnsons41326724845570johnsons41326724865588seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/springtrue1307468259825cohenj2SpringSpring/about/community-relations/news/2011/springwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/springcasabonaj21300126269872casabonaj21300126269872display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --scholars-servicetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Service Rewards University Students, Scranton Residents, and Children at Bancroft Elementary School Six University of Scranton students have been recognized as AmeriCorps Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania for 2010-2011. In April, the scholars finished a 6-foot by 50-foot mural that now brightens the cafeteria at Bancroft Elementary School on Albright Avenue. Service Rewards University Students, Scranton Residents, and Children at Bancroft Elementary School /about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/scholars-servicewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/scholars-servicecohenj21307466470048cohenj21307467986616seo-titlenavYesService Rewards University Students, Scranton Residents, and Children at Bancroft Elementary School Enriching your community has its rewards. University of Scranton volunteers count smiling students, stronger seniors and cherished birthday memories among theirs. Six University of Scranton students have been recognized as AmeriCorps Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania for 2010-2011. The award honors students who have committed to complete 300 hours of individual service in the community during the academic year. The six scholars recently put the finishing touches on their 300 hours – literally. In April, the scholars finished a 6-foot by 50-foot mural that now brightens the cafeteria at Bancroft Elementary School on Albright Avenue. Throughout the year, they also helped seniors with physical fitness, planned birthday parties for children stricken with cancer and helped deliver food to pantries and shelters throughout northeast Pennsylvania. Kathleen Callahan, a senior counseling major and a Scholar in Service, said the mural was painted to support Bancroft's four mottoes  -- the values its students are meant to treasure: be kind, be responsible, be safe, be respectful. Bancroft students who display these virtues earn “purple paw” awards. The mural helps them to see the kinds of behaviors worthy of a purple paw. “The mural brings the school mottoes to life,” Callahan said. “The children can see the values in action.” Moreover, the vivid colors of the painting bring life to a basement cafeteria that heretofore was uniformly dull green and white cinder block. Junior exercise science major David Hopp explained, “It's brought a lot of color to the room. Lunch should be a fun time for the kids, where they talk with their friends. This lightens the mood. It's refreshing.” Lori Moran of Scranton’s Community Outreach Office supervises the scholars. She said her students had initially discussed doing a “classroom makeover.” However, Bancroft's Principal Ann Grebeck knew instantly what she wanted when Ms. Moran called her. “She knew what project she wanted right off the top of her head. She wanted a mural on the cafeteria wall. And she was right. The kids love it. They've given us a stack of thank-you cards,” Moran said, displaying a pile of construction-paper and crayon creations with heartfelt messages including, “I love the picture” and “You did good work.” In addition to the colorful artwork, Scranton's Scholars in Service have donated their time to many other community projects. Hopp conducted classes in physical fitness at the West Side Senior Center, for example. He says he and other student volunteers created a “mix” of oldies music set to an “upbeat” tempo and lead the seniors in moves meant to improve muscle tone and promote balance. “Three hundred hours means you need good time management skills,” Hopp said. “There were small sacrifices. I could have been playing X-box or watching TV, but this was definitely better. It was a good time.” Callahan cites one unforgettable project in which she was involved as a Scholar in Service. “I worked with Cancertacular and we helped plan a birthday party for a four-year-old girl with brain cancer. The party was on campus and all the children, their families and the student volunteers were there,” she said. It was a moving experience that the volunteers and the child involved will always treasure. In addition to Kathleen Callahan, who hails from West Babylon, N.Y., and David Hopp, who is from Jarrettsville, Md., Scranton students receiving the Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania award are: Sarah Cil, a junior majoring in exercise science from Fairfield, N.J.; Lauren DelleDonne, a sophomore majoring in nursing from Colts Neck, N.J.; Kelly Evans, a junior majoring in nursing from Noxen; and Katherine Juliano, a sophomore majoring in nursing from Warwick, N.Y. Other nonprofits benefiting from the efforts of the scholars include Allied Services, Scranton  Primary Health Care, Clarks Summit Fire Company, Infant Care at Covenant Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s/St. Clare’s Food Pantry./about/community-relations/images/wservicebancroft.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/wservicebancroft.jpgwww.scranton.eduwservicebancroft.jpg67059225169/Right/goldwater-scholarstrue1748367960396spinosaj2Doors Open for Two NEPA Students: University's 2011 Goldwater ScholarsIn the rarefied world of university scholarship there are three kinds of students: smart, really smart and Goldwater scholars. Maria Gubbiotti and Melissa Wasilewski, both from Northeastern Pennsylvania, are Goldwater scholars, the premier undergraduate scholarship program for students studying mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. Doors Open for Two NEPA Students: University's 2011 Goldwater Scholars/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/goldwater-scholarswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/goldwater-scholarscohenj21305034706765cohenj21305045900145seo-titlenavYesDoors Open for Two NEPA Students: University's 2011 Goldwater ScholarsIn the rarefied world of university scholarship there are three kinds of students: smart, really smart and Goldwater scholars. Maria Gubbiotti and Melissa Wasilewski, both from Northeastern Pennsylvania, are Goldwater scholars, the premier undergraduate scholarship program for students studying mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. Maria, from Falls, and Melissa, from Clarks Summit, are both members of the Class of 2011. Despite the sophisticated research, the A's, the honor societies and even a full-tuition Presidential Scholarship to The University of Scranton, Maria says, pre-Goldwater, she was one of many gifted students desiring entrance to an M.D./Ph.D. program. “Everyone (who applies) has a ridiculous GPA. Everyone has a ridiculous MCAT score. Everyone's done research,” she says. Then, in the spring of her junior year, she won the Goldwater and her M.D./Ph.D. application jumped to the head of the pack. “It definitely opened doors,” she says. “I was extremely excited to get it, to be recognized nationally.” The national attention is also what Melissa cites as a big benefit of the Goldwater. Pre-Goldwater, Melissa was both an impressive student and an impressive scientist who had already snagged coveted summer research at Cornell University. Despite these accomplishments, there was still a feeling of insularity about her work. Her success seemed confined to specific communities. Winning the Goldwater scholarship changed that. The committee reviewing Melissa's application also considered the achievements of amazing students from institutions nationwide -- from Harvard to Stanford. The Goldwater committee “wanted to see that you recognized a problem in the scientific community and that you thought you knew how to help,” Melissa says. “Winning the scholarship meant that the people reading the application thought the work was important and believed that I could do it. It gave me the confidence that I was on the right track.” The problem Melissa was studying at the time of her application was a problem affecting diagnosis of bacterial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. She assisted Scranton biology professor, Michael Sulzinski, Ph.D., in developing a method to quickly identify the bacteria causing the infection, rather than going through the time-consuming process of elimination. This will enable speedier administration of the correct antibiotic. She continued studying antibiotic resistance as an undergraduate research fellow at Princeton University, helping identify genes involved in bacterial antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Work with Dr. Sulzinski and winning the Goldwater made Melissa realize that she wants to focus on the “molecular basis of disease . . . DNA, proteins.” What this means is the blend of laboratory research and direct clinical work that is called academic medicine. Local patients seek academic medicine when they travel outside the area for the newest treatments or for treatment of unusual diseases. To prepare for a career in academic medicine, Melissa has been accepted into the highly competitive M.D./Ph.D programs at both Temple and SUNY Upstate Medical University. She currently favors Temple. Maria's Goldwater-winning research took place in the lab of University of Scranton chemistry professor, Tim Foley, Ph.D. It is research she continues and involves “isolating and identifying proteins that can be targets for cell signaling.” This work, she says, provides a better understanding of normal brain functioning and may open windows to understanding abnormal functions. This could mean breakthroughs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Maria, who has nurtured a passion for scientific research since she was a high school student taking part in Scranton's “Brain Bee,” envisions herself in a pure research role, perhaps running a lab and teaching at a large university or medical school. She has been accepted to several outstanding M.D./Ph.D. Programs, including the University of Connecticut and Boston University, but presently favors Stony Brook University Medical Center on Long Island. In four short years, Maria and Melissa have participated in world-class research that asks questions of profound importance to human health. The Scranton labs of Dr. Sulzinski and Dr. Foley provided the environment for this academic questioning, pursuits deemed worthy of a scholarship bestowed on a only a few hundred students each year. As Maria says, “Dr. Foley does a fantastic job. The University of Scranton is a small institution and we compete against candidates from much bigger institutions who write papers for Science and Nature. It's a very high honor.” Digital image: Scranton’s Class of 2011 Goldwater Scholars Maria Gubbiotti and Melissa Wasilewski have worked with their faculty mentors at Scranton since their first year at Scranton. They say their Scranton education has led to national honors and world-class research opportunities. From left are: Chemistry Professor Timothy Foley, Ph.D., Maria Gubbiotti of Falls; Melissa Wasilewski of Clarks Summit and Biology Professor Michael A. Sulzinski, Ph.D./about/community-relations/images/wGoldwaterphoto.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/wGoldwaterphoto.jpgwww.scranton.eduwGoldwaterphoto.jpg66293225150/Right/Leahy-Community-Healthtrue1748367960396spinosaj2Leahy Center Helps Underserved of ScrantonEnvision some of the greatest joys of childhood. Now imagine how impoverished childhood would be without these experiences. That’s the background of the children whose lives are enriched by The University of Scranton’s Leahy Community Health and Family Center.Leahy Center Helps Underserved of Scranton/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/Leahy-Community-Healthwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/Leahy-Community-Healthswartzt21301428780510cohenj21302804928112seo-titlenavYesLeahy Community Health and Family Center Helps the Underserved of ScrantonEnvision some of the greatest joys of childhood: the cold weight of a frog sitting in the palm of your hand; the thrilling drop in your mid section as a roller coaster takes the plunge; the summer heat beating down on your back as you study the iridescent eyes of a dragonfly. Now imagine how impoverished childhood would be without these experiences. That’s the background of the children whose lives are enriched by programs offered through The University of Scranton’s Leahy Community Health and Family Center (LCHFC). The Center was dedicated in 2003 to identify and meet the health and wellness needs of underserved people in the greater Scranton community – children and families, senior citizens, the homeless and the uninsured – and also to provide a place where faculty could guide students in practical educational experiences. The University of Success The University of Success is a pre-college program designed to provide academic, social, and cultural enrichment and experiences to high school students. The ultimate goal of this program is to assist participating students to successfully complete high school and gain entrance into a college or university. The University of Success has made a meaningful difference in many children’s lives. Take, for example, Desiree, who never rode a roller coaster and George, who never saw – let alone touched – a frog. But while the experiential learning provided is a treasure for all, there are some children for whom The University of Success is actually a life-saver. Margaret Loughney, program director, recalls one student who was rendered homeless during her enrollment in the program. “When she stopped coming to the program, we didn’t give up,” Loughney says. “We had to contact her through her school, not her home. When we finally found her, the child was relieved to find out that she was actually welcomed and still able to participate in the Saturday classes.” Alice V. Leahy Food and Clothing Pantry  Think for a moment how you would cope without running water, a means to cook or even a refrigerator. That’s the plight of the homeless people who seek assistance from the LCHFC’s Alice V. Leahy Food and Clothing Pantry. The food and clothing pantry is a student-run effort to provide homeless and at-risk people with the dignity of clean, decent clothing and the most basic of human needs – their daily bread. University of Scranton students often assist people who come to the pantry after accessing the health clinic. Andrea Mantione, LCHFC director says, “This effort forever changes – in a positive way -- the way some of our student volunteers think and feel about those we serve.” She observes that many of the pantry’s clients come from a completely different culture than the volunteers. The interaction is always educational for all involved. Mantione says, “Groups of women with small children in tow are the norm. As the students entertain the little ones, some assist the moms in selecting clothing items for the family. On one particular day, the students were asked to photograph the group and realized that urging them to ‘say cheese’ was totally misunderstood. The women were dumbfounded at this request!” She also comments on the students’ work with the homeless, “They also have come to realize and reflect on the homeless person who comes in. Students working in the pantry are startled and humbled that they must provide foods that can be stored without refrigeration and used without the luxury of heat.” The Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Center Clinic for the Uninsured Consider the peace of mind provided by health insurance, which opens the door to caring and professional primary care to cure illness, prevent disease and manage chronic conditions. The Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Center Clinic for the Uninsured was founded to be there for those who lack this most basic necessity. Since its opening, the clinic has provided care to thousands who otherwise would be forced to use expensive emergency room care or do without medical attention altogether. LCHFC Administrative Assistant, Maria Lucia Vital says she is “blessed” to work at the clinic. “In 2008, I had the opportunity to help a beautiful and strong Spanish family that was passing through a series of difficulties in life,” she says. “ In the 12 years they had been living the U.S., they never saw a doctor. On this visit, the mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and depression. In translating for them in counseling, I understood the problems that they were facing. For a couple months, the mom was complaining about stomach problems and a ‘butterflies’ feeling.” Based on previous medical history, the woman believed she was unable to have children, so she insisted she couldn’t possibly be pregnant. Ms. Vital continues, “How surprised she was when we told her that she was pregnant! Everybody started crying, including myself and the counselor . . . I went to the hospital to translate during the cesarean delivery. It was a a girl. The family has since brought the baby many times to the Leahy Center for me to see and even asked me to be the baby’s godmother.” The Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Center Clinic for the Uninsured  is open Thursdays, from 2 to 6 p.m. Physical therapy and counseling are offered on Wednesdays by appointment only. In addition to these initiatives, the LCHFC also offers a “Peacemakers After School” program for children between the ages of 9 and 13 and a “Growing Stronger” program for area senior citizens, as well as numerous educational programs, health fairs and special clinics offered throughout the year./about/community-relations/images/FoodPantry- Use on homepage.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/FoodPantry- Use on homepage.jpgwww.scranton.eduFoodPantry- Use on homepage.jpgFoodPantry- Use on homepage.jpg24797225169/Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Parent Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/indexcasabonaj21300126272086johnsons41300799248017seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/imagestrue/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/imageswww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/spring/imagescasabonaj21300126269930casabonaj21300126269930display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2News Features: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNews Features 2011News Features/about/community-relations/news/2011/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/2011/indexcasabonaj21300126272995yadavn21638571678533seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/indextrue1748367960396spinosaj2Spotlight: Community Relations: The University of ScrantonNewsSpotlight/about/community-relations/news/indexwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/indexcasabonaj21300126273368yadavn21638572098753seo-titlenavYesArticle Title//Right/prison-edstudents-playtrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonThough they may not seem the most likely two crowds to get together, a group of University of Scranton students and former Lackawanna County Prison inmates joined forces to deliver stories – both their own and others’ – of triumph and happiness, isolation and sorrow.Former Lackawanna County Prison Inmates and Education Department Students Unite for Original Play/about/community-relations/news/prison-edstudents-playwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/prison-edstudents-playcohenj21305033898915dolanj71741720741039display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main Contentphoto-alignNoNo//about/community-relations/images/winmate-student-play.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/winmate-student-play.jpgwww.scranton.eduwinmate-student-play.jpg61288225150RightdefaultdefaultThough they may not seem the most likely two crowds to get together, a group of University of Scranton students and former Lackawanna County Prison inmates joined forces to deliver stories – both their own and others’ – of triumph and happiness, isolation and sorrow. Ten education majors and three former inmates took the stage for a performance of “We Rise,” written and directed by award winning playwright Nancy Hasty, on May 3 in a packed Moskovitz Theater.  The idea for the play stemmed from a collaboration between the University’s Education Department and Hasty, who has conducted arts programs at the prison for the past five years. While their situations and backgrounds vary drastically, the women demonstrated that they all shared at least one thing in common: a struggle with emotions. “We all have our own prisons,” Hasty said. “Prison is a state of mind.” The production served as a means to raise awareness of the former inmates’ experiences and how ignored and unaddressed problems in their early lives affected their decisions later on in life. For the eight middle-level education majors and two elementary/ special education majors, their aim was to help recognize telling signs of students with emotional behavior problems during their future teaching careers. The women opened the performance describing their childhood bedrooms, with the students citing their spaces as safe havens—places to escape, work, and think, all while read to or tucked in by their parents. One former inmate contrasted their warm descriptions with an illustration a 9-year-old girl growing up without parents, suffering sexual abuse from a friend’s father, and developing a criminal record by age 19. “This girl I’m talking about is me,” she said. Not only did the performers share sorrowful accounts of women who were only a few blocks away at the county prison, but students who attend the University, too – further proving the two groups had more in common than initially thought. While the play highlighted some of the most heartbreaking moments the women had experienced, it didn’t fail to spotlight the moments of joy as well. For instance, one former inmate shared her top-of-the-world feeling as a speaker for “Dress for Success” at the Hilton Ballroom. Her dinner partner for the occasion: the judge who sent her to prison. A student recounted a moment of realization during her last day student teaching second-graders. “I had become the teacher that inspires, motivates and reaches the hearts of each of her students.” Following the performance, the cast received much praise and gratitude from the audience for sharing their stories with honesty and bravery during a questions and comments period. While the women agreed it was initially strange when they first got together to rehearse, they said they developed a love and appreciation for another, and not to mention a priceless learning experience. View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNonoMain ContentNoNo//Leftdefaultdefault Public Relations Student Correspondent Laura Bonawits '11 is a communication major from Plymouth, Pa. View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//esbatrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonA class of communication students branched out of the classroom and into the community this semester, offering their brightest ideas for success in advertising campaigns designed for a local organization.University Students Create Advertising Campaigns for Scranton Organizations/about/community-relations/news/esbawww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/esbacohenj21307457891289dolanj71741720431003display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main Contentphoto-alignNoNo//about/community-relations/images/ESBA.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/ESBA.jpgwww.scranton.eduESBA.jpg46306225169RightdefaultdefaultA class of communication students branched out of the classroom and into the community this semester, offering their brightest ideas for success in advertising campaigns designed for a local organization.  Five groups in Advertising Decision Making worked side-by-side with the East Scranton Business Association (ESBA) throughout the course of the semester to model a campaign aimed at increasing awareness and membership for the organization. The ESBA, a business organization that caters to all of East Scranton, was established in the early 1980s and aims to promote local small businesses to the nearby community.  The organization coordinates business necessities for its members, like advertising and marketing plans and business supplies. Stacy Smulowitz, a Communication instructor, arranged the partnership between the ESBA and students as a service learning component of the course. “[Service learning] seems to work really well with students where they get the book, read it, and then actually do it,” Smulowitz said. She also assigns a reflection activity to offer students the opportunity to think about what they’ve worked on and see how it connects to their reading throughout the course. Groups of about five students each spent the semester teaming up with ESBA leadership to learn about the organization, identify the target audience and understand what areas they can help improve. The groups organized campaigns that touched on an array of aspects, including marketing strategies, media placement, and creative initiatives like advertisements, radio public service announcements and television commercials. “The goal of our campaign is to create awareness and membership for the ESBA,” said Meghan Kelly, a junior from Lynbrook, N.Y. “We’ve learned teamwork, and how to use different media strategies to target our audience.” Several groups highlighted social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as useful tools to reach a wide audience with free publicity and promotion. Students also drew on the area’s unique bonus of several colleges. They recommended reaching out to student interns to take care of the more time-consuming tasks like staying on top of the social media accounts. Groups were challenged to present a “big idea,” a keyword or slogan that encompasses the ESBA’s mission. “Connect” and “A Helping Hand” were offered to frame the organization as an approachable source to help business network and receive personal attention. After students pitched their campaigns, ESBA first vice president Eugene McDonough offered feedback—giving students a taste of a real-world career assignment—and evaluated their ideas—giving the ESBA a whole new sphere of possible strategies to employ. “It puts a fresh pair of glasses on an old man’s eyes,” McDonough said. “It gives fresh ideas; some of the ideas give just that difference of perspective.” Overall, students agreed it was a win-win assignment.  “It’s definitely prepared us for the real world,” junior Tara Carmadella, Duryea, said. “So once we leave college we’ll all be better prepared for the advertising industry.” In the past, Advertising Decision Making classes have partnered with The Colonnade, Scranton Tomorrow's Main Street Project and The University of Scranton's Earth Day Committee.View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNonoMain ContentNoNo//Leftdefaultdefault Public Relations Student Correspondent Laura Bonawits '11 is a communication major from Plymouth, Pa. View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//presidentmessagetrue1748367960396spinosaj2Message from the PresidentDear Friends,  When I arrived in July to take office as President of The University of Scranton, my enthusiasm and excitement for joining a remarkable academic community was coupled with an eagerness to get to know my new home - the City of Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania.Community Relations/about/community-relations/news/presidentmessagewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/presidentmessagecohenj21315594853209dolanj71741720573817display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main Contentphoto-alignNoNo//about/community-relations/images/fatherquinn1.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/fatherquinn1.jpgwww.scranton.edufatherquinn1.jpg38556150185RightdefaultdefaultDear Friends,  When I arrived in July to take office as President of The University of Scranton, my enthusiasm and excitement for joining a remarkable academic community was coupled with an eagerness to get to know my new home - the City of Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania. It has often been said of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, that he wanted to be where the action is, amidst people and communities. As a President of a Jesuit and Catholic institution, I believe that the well being of universities and their cities are very much intertwined. I am committed to community engagement - to educating our students to become men and women for others who can go and set the world on fire. As a great legacy of Bishop O'Hara, the University has always and will always treasure its relationship with the City. In the short time I have been here, you have impressed me with your generous and welcoming hearts, your rich history, and your commitment to community.   Just as you have warmly welcomed me, I encourage all of you to participate in the life of the University through lectures, concerts, plays, athletics or the library. While the year will give you many such opportunities, I want to invite you personally to join me on September 16th for our Inauguration Ceremony, which celebrates the past, present and future of The University of Scranton. Sincerely, Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. President View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNonoMain ContentNoNo//LeftdefaultdefaultView Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//downtown-engagement-2014true1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonEighty-seven Resident Assistants (RAs) took part in a downtown orientation experience on August 20 showcasing dining, entertainment and shopping options in downtown Scranton.Community Relations/about/community-relations/news/downtown-engagement-2014www.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/downtown-engagement-2014klienk21366052291282dolanj71741720353486display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main Contentphoto-alignNoNo//about/community-relations/images/Group-Photo-RA-Tour-2014.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesnavYescanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/Group-Photo-RA-Tour-2014.jpgwww.scranton.eduGroup-Photo-RA-Tour-2014.jpgGroup-Photo-RA-Tour-2014.jpg69105300225RightdefaultdefaultEighty-seven Resident Assistants (RAs) took part in a downtown orientation experience on August 20 showcasing dining, entertainment and shopping options in downtown Scranton. This event represents the first in a series of fall activities designed to introduce students to downtown Scranton and is the 4th consecutive year the University has conducted them as part of its Downtown Engagement Initiative.  The University’s Offices of Community Relations and Residence Life partnered with Scranton Tomorrow to offer their “FAM” walking tour to 45 new RAs. Returning RAs participated in a unique “Scavenger Hunt 2.0.” The “FAM” tour is an engaging familiarization walking tour that goes in and out of a dozen businesses. This is the fourth year that the University has worked with Scranton Tomorrow to coordinate these tours for student groups, as well as faculty and staff.    The “Scavenger Hunt 2.0,” designed by the Community Relations office, called for returning RAs to find businesses based on 50 unique clues—each one detailing a fun fact about a downtown business. RAs broke up into groups of three and took a funny or creative picture at the business. The funny photos were then uploaded to Instagram with the hashtag #RAtour, incorporating social media into the experience.  One clue that led students to Steamtown Hot Yoga described it as “After a long day, visit this place for a hot yoga class to let off some steam.”  Another highlighted Northern Light Espresso Bar with the clue, “Sip on your favorite espresso beverages with your friends at this cozy café!” New to the RA Tour this year, four “selfie spots” are scattered throughout the downtown in historical locations. When the students got to the spot, they took a photo of themselves in front of the location and uploaded it to Instagram. Afterwards, all of the RAs met back at Courthouse Square and dined at 10 different restaurants including Kildare’s, Posh at the Scranton Club, and Carl von Luger Steak and Seafood. Brad Troy, Interim Director of Residence Life, says the RA Tour is a great way for the RAs to get out into the city. “They really are the main point of contact for lots of students who might not be familiar with the area and who need a recommendation for a place to eat or shop,” Troy said. The RA Tour marked the beginning of a series of events this fall as part of the University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative. On Aug. 29, The University’s 4th annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt will take place – an interactive hunt designed to familiarize students with what downtown Scranton has to offer. Open to all students, teams of two walk through the downtown area using Foursquare and Instagram to solve clues at over 30 participating businesses. Last year more than 200 students participated. The Downtown Scavenger Hunt is sponsored by PNC Bank, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, Community Bank, Love the Arts! Music, TMG Health, Martz Group, The Mall at Steamtown, NBT Bank, People’s Security Bank, Broadway Theatre League of Northeast Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union, and the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.  There will be several other events to connect students with the downtown community this fall. During Family Weekend, Sept. 19-21, the University will coordinate its Family Table discount program featuring local eateries. On Oct. 3, Community Relations will partner with Residence Life once again to organize the Electric City Downtown Nite, which highlights First Friday and includes dinner at a downtown restaurant, followed by a movie at Marquee Cinemas. Feedback from a recent survey shows that the efforts of the Downtown Engagement Initiative have made an impact, including a  marked increase in student awareness and patronage of the myriad businesses downtown. For example, participation in First Friday by freshmen has increased 17% since 2011.  The University is also participating in two collaborative downtown events in partnership with the seven other Lackawanna County colleges.  A special Downtown Outdoor Movie, featuring Iron Man 3, is planned for Sept. 4 (rain date Sept. 5) at 7:45 p.m. in cooperation with Scranton Tomorrow.  Lackawanna County is hosting a special County College Battle of the Bands on November 1 from 5-7 p.m. that will include student bands performing before a panel of judges. For more information about the University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative, visit the Community Relations website.View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//selfie-contesttrue1748367960396spinosaj2Spring Selfie Contest in Downtown ScrantonTake advantage of 10% student discounts at more than 30 retail shops, eateries, hair salons and yoga studios. View a full list of businesses.Spring Selfie Contest in Downtown Scranton/about/community-relations/news/selfie-contestwww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/selfie-contestcohenj21428503179321dolanj71741720779293display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavYescanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main ContentNoNo//Leftdefaultdefault Dine, shop, and enjoy cultural activities! Take advantage of 10% student discounts at more than 30 retail shops, eateries, hair salons and yoga studios. View a full list of businesses.  Instagram Selfie Contest! Snap a Selfie at your favorite downtown business or location and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #uofsselfie for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the business of your choice! Contest runs through May 1. Check out how some University students have already discovered downtown Scranton this spring! Take Selfies for Prizes Scranton Loves Selfies Take Prize Winning Selfies this Spring Spring Selfie Contest Upcoming downtown events April 25: Scranton's 150th Anniversary Kickoff - Ethnic Festival, Mall at Steamtown. Coordinated by Scranton Tomorrow. May 1: First Friday and the Spring Shop Hop, throughout downtown Scranton. For more information about the University’s Downtown Engagement Initiative, find the Office of Community Relations on Facebook or email community@scranton.edu. View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//global-tastes-congolesetrue1748367960396spinosaj2The University of ScrantonCongolese Cuisine and Culture Shared at Global Tastes Event Oct. 22Congolese Cuisine and Culture Shared at Global Tastes Event Oct. 22/about/community-relations/news/global-tastes-congolesewww.scranton.edusite://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/news/global-tastes-congolesecohenj21475611908199dolanj71741720504183display-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYescanonical-link-overridesitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --Twomanual//Main Contentphoto-alignNoNo//about/community-relations/images/women-dress.jpgdisplay-headlineshowcapitalize-titleyesseo-titlenavNocanonicalYessitemapNoindexingNoDepartmentProgram-- choose --site://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/images/women-dress.jpgwww.scranton.eduwomen-dress.jpg83587250254RightdefaultdefaultArea residents can learn about the cuisine and culture of the Democratic Republic of Congo directly from members of the Congolese refugee community in Scranton at a “Global Tastes of Scranton” event Saturday, Oct. 22. The University of Scranton, Terra Preta, Catholic Social Services, the Scranton Cultural Center and other community partners organized the event that begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center. Through music, dance, displays of traditional Congolese attire and information presented, the event will highlight the culture of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The menu for this event will feature fufu (a type of cornmeal dish), pondu (a Congolese stew), rice, fried fish, plantains, beef kabobs and beans, all prepared by the Congolese “guest chefs” at Terra Preta Restaurant in downtown Scranton. Recipe cards featuring pondu and beans will be shared with participants. Students from the Lackawanna College Culinary Arts program will assist with food service at the event and host an exhibit highlighting other staples of Congolese cuisine. A special presentation, prepared by University of Scranton students, will highlight photos of art and artifacts from the Everhart Museum’s collection from the DRC, along with other displays about the refugee crisis. Tickets for the event are $35 with proceeds benefiting the refugee resettlement program of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton and future Global Tastes of Scranton events. In recent years, the City of Scranton has become home to many new communities, including Bhutanese, Congolese, Syrian, Afghani, Somali, Burmese and other refugee groups resettled here by Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton. “Global Tastes of Scranton” was first held this past spring, highlighting Syrian cuisine. “The Global Tastes events provide opportunities for connection and exchange with these new refugee populations who bring rich traditions and culture to our region,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, director of the Office of Community and Government Relations at the University. “The great thing is that more and more organizations and individuals want to get involved, which is a testament to the welcoming nature of our community.” To register, visit Scranton.edu/globaltastes. The reservation deadline for the event is Friday, Oct. 14. For more information, contact the University’s Office of Community and Government Relations at 570-941-4419. Event partners include: Catholic Social Services, Everhart Museum, Lackawanna College Kiesendahl School of Hospitality, Lackawanna County Department of Arts and Culture, Lackawanna Heritage Valley, One Point, Scranton Cultural Center, Terra Preta Restaurant, and The University of Scranton (Office of Community and Government Relations, World Languages and Cultures Department, Philosophy Department, and Women's Studies Department). Women who participate in this project are also invited to join existing small business development activities through The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center & Women’s Entrepreneurship Center and the Scranton Area Community Foundation. 10-03-16 Digital image: Women of the Congolese refugee community in Scranton will share their cuisine, music, dance and culture at The Global Tastes of Scranton event on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Scranton Cultural Center.View Gallery4manual//Purplesinglemax-res/TabsdefaultNono//