Misericordia University will hold an open house for high school students and their parents from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Saturday, August 20, 2022. Check-in will begin at 9:00 AM at the Anderson Health and Wellness Center.

The open house event for high schoolers and their parents is the chance to experience the campus, meet students, visit with professors, and speak with admissions and financial aid representatives. Students and their families will tour the campus before having meetings with faculty in their academic program. After lunch, learn more about the admissions and financial aid process, hear more from current students, and then tour some of the specialized facilities with students in their major. Throughout the event, there is a chance to win a door prize, giveaways, play trivia, and fun photo opportunities.

Prospective students will be able to tour numerous buildings, including the 40,000-square-foot John J. Passan Hall, 100 Lake St., Dallas. Passan Hall houses state-of-the-art simulator laboratories and classrooms in the nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology programs of the College of Health Sciences and Education. Also slated for touring is the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Science Center, which embodies a commitment to advanced technology and infrastructure that lends itself to superior teaching, learning, and research with a state-of-art facility.

If students and their parents are looking for a college that delivers a powerful education and a personal experience, then look no further than Misericordia University. Misericordia is a small, private university that delivers a hands-on, transformative education to all who seek it. Misericordia makes sure that each student receives a personalized experience along with the resources to achieve their goals.

For more information contact the Misericordia University Admissions Office at 570-674-6264 or email at admiss@misericordia.edu to register now visit our website at https://www.misericordia.edu/admissions/admissions/open-house

Hospice of the Sacred Heart recently received proceeds in the amount of $2,000 from the 5^th Annual Sean Powell Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the Kids Kloset, a pediatric patient initiative of Hospice of the Sacred Heart. The tournament, in memory of Sean Powell, was held July 16^th at Pine Hills Country Club in Taylor.

The Kids Kloset is a storage locker containing free items offered to pediatric patients and young children dealing with the loss of a loved one. Items include toys, games, electronic devices, books and learning tools. The Hospice of the Sacred Heart Kids Kloset is supported in part by a generous grant from AllOne Foundation and Charities and the Sean Powell Memorial Golf Tournament.

The mission of Hospice of the Sacred Heart is to provide comfort, care, hope and choice to patients and their families, while guiding them through the end of life journey.

Taking Up Space (under the artistic direction of Dan Kimbrough, our tech director and CEO of Park Multimedia) is seeking short works that are created and told by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color) filmmakers. The purpose of the film festival is to lift the voices of historically excluded racial and ethnic narratives.

The films will be screened during the 2022 Scranton Fringe Festival on Friday, October 7th, and Saturday, October 8th at the beautiful Peoples Security Bank Theater at Lackawanna College. The films will be screened in person and will also be available online as well. A talkback with the filmmakers will take place on Saturday, October 8th. The full 2022 Fringe line-up will be announced soon. 

Taking Up Space Film Festival is sponsored by Park Multimedia, the Black Scranton Project, and Fringe. Any companies or organizations interested in becoming a sponsor of this new initiative are encouraged to contact us. 

Link to learn more and submit short films: https://filmfreeway.com/TakingUpSpaceFilmFestival

Learning about different fields of study and discovering the perfect career just got easier for some area girls.

Lackawanna College and the Girls Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania are teaming up to hold a Career & Badge Showcase event from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Angeli Hall at the Scranton campus. The Scranton Foundation on behalf of Women in Philanthropy awarded the College a $2,700 grant to hold the career and education exploration event.

“One of Lackawanna’s core values is cultivating and maintaining active partnerships with our regional community, which includes non-profits such as the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania,” said Lackawanna College President Dr. Jill Murray. “This grant helps us bring a fun and educational event to the Scranton campus so young women can learn more about Lackawanna College, what careers are available to them and how Lackawanna can help them achieve their goals.”

Karen Lipnichan, program director for Lackawanna College’s Students Occupationally and Academically Ready (SOAR), came up with the idea for the showcase after meeting Lutricia Eberly, director of Outdoor and Program Experience for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania at a Scranton Chamber women’s event. Jessica Mislinski, regional director of the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania in the local Scranton GSHPA office, presented to the Scranton Foundation on behalf of Lackawanna College and GSHPA, securing the $2,700 grant.

“This event will give the Girl Scouts a chance to participate in a day of hands-on learning and discovery about careers and education pathways,” Lipnichan said. “The girls will be able to identify what they like and what they don’t like, which can help them with their future career planning.”

The event is for Girls Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania members in kindergarten through 12^th grades. College officials are anticipating about 300 girls. The grant will enable the College to provide the girls with lunches, padfolios and a patch.

“This will also ensure that no girl is turned away because of limited financial resources,” Lipnichan said. “We want to ensure each Girl Scout who wants to attend this can, which is why we are so grateful we received this grant.”

Lackawanna’s event will also help the schools the girls attend fulfill a state requirement that calls for students to learn more about what careers they can pursue after graduating high school.

Some of the education opportunities and pathways the girls will explore include Criminal Justice, Cyber Security, Environmental jobs, Humanities, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Physical Therapist Assistant, Police and Law Enforcement, Surgical Technology and Entrepreneurship.

Additionally, the Girl Scouts will learn more about the College’s Emotional Wellness, Physical Wellness, Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Success and eSports programs.

Events will be based on the age of the girls to ensure each group is getting the information needed. Younger girls will get more hands-on interactive education sessions while the older girls will get interactive and informational sessions.

“This will expose the girls to in-demand careers and careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or STEM industries,” Lipnichan said. “This event will have something for everyone. This is so vital for not only the older girls but the younger ones. Even though the younger girls aren’t close to graduating, they will get exposed to careers and pathways that interest them so they can make more informed decisions as they get older.”

For the younger girls, the event will have activities like a scavenger hunt, which will be a fun way for the College to show them the different places on campus. The sessions for the older girls will still be interactive and fun but will include an informational component. The College will also have a career panel in the morning and afternoon for the older girls where they will have women talk about career paths they have pursued.

“What we tried to do with this event is give the girls something unique that they normally wouldn’t do with their troops,” Eberly said. “Karen identified unique aspects of Lackawanna College and we pulled those into both Girl Scout badge experiences and career discussions. We’re looking forward to our members in NEPA benefiting from this collaboration with Lackawanna College.”

The Wright Center for Community Health’s mobile medical unit is visiting numerous school districts and public parks in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties to ensure students receive the vaccines they need to return to school in the fall.

In August, the 34-foot mobile medical unit, known as Driving Better Health, will be providing routine vaccinations and COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and boosters at the following locations:

Aug. 10: Hazleton Area School District, 1515 W. 23^rd St., Hazleton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 11: North Pocono School District, 231 Pocono Mountain School Road, Swiftwater, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 16: Dunmore School District, 300 W. Warren St., Dunmore, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 17: Riverside High School, 300 Davis St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 18: Heights Murray Elementary, 1 S. Sherman St., Wilkes-Barre, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 22: Middle Smithfield Elementary, 5180 Milford Road, East Stroudsburg, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 23: Wallenpaupack High School, 2552 U.S. Route 6, Hawley, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 23: Connors Park, 515 Orchard St., Scranton, 5-7 p.m.

Aug. 25: Stroudsburg Area School District, 1100 W. Main St., Stroudsburg, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 25: Fellows Park, 1000 Fellows St., Scranton, 5-7 p.m.

Aug. 31: Isaac Tripp Elementary School, 1000 N. Everett Ave., Scranton, 5-8 p.m.

Driving Better Health enables The Wright Center for Community Health to deliver high-quality, nondiscriminatory health care where patients live and work in Northeast Pennsylvania. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for any child ages 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment.

Guests are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the vaccination clinics and bring identification and insurance cards.

The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Community health centers offer affordable, safety-net health care services and are the largest providers of primary care for the nation’s most vulnerable and medically underserved populations. Prevalent in both urban and rural settings, community health centers are located in regions with high-poverty rates and/or low numbers of private or nonprofit health care systems and hospitals.

A fair is planned on Sept. 13 at The University of Scranton for area nonprofit organizations seeking college students as volunteers.

Fair for Nonprofit Agencies Seeking Volunteers

The Center for Service and Social Justice at The University of Scranton will hold its annual Volunteer & Service Fair for local nonprofits from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, on campus.

The fair offers University students and student-led clubs interested in service projects and community-based learning sites a chance to meet representatives from nonprofit organizations in need of volunteers.

To register a nonprofit organization for the event, email ellen.judge@scranton.edu or call 570-941-7429. The deadline to register for the fair is Sept. 8.

NET Credit Union and Scranton Parks & Rec are hosting a community event at the Novembrino Park Splash Pad located at S. 10^th Ave. and Washburn St., Scranton, PA 18504 on Thursday, August 18^th from 12pm to 2pm. The event will feature a day of fun in the sun with giveaways, Groovy Baby Ice Cream Truck, and 98.5 KRZ.

NET Credit Union and Scranton Parks & Rec have teamed up to help give back to the Scranton community. Novembrino Park Splash Pad is located in one of our NET Neighborhoods. This means all individuals who live, work, worship, or study in this area are eligible to bank on NET Credit Union. Click here to learn more about our NET Neighborhoods.

NET Credit Union believes in giving back to the community and in helping our members reach their goals. “People helping people” is not only our motto, but also our community’s motto. Join us and the Scranton community for one last big splash before summer ends!

Click here to learn about more information on NET’s Big Splash. See more fun activities and events offered by Scranton Parks & Rec here.

The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, Inc., has awarded a $60,000 grant to support the expansion of the Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) Program at Marywood University.

STARS was developed as a collaboration with Marywood’s Office of Equity and Inclusion specifically to support the academic success and career exploration of local Latinix youth while also preparing Marywood students to serve effectively in diverse, local, national and global communities.

The STARS Program has proven success in its support of Latinx high school students in the Scranton School District. The much-needed expansion, enabled through the generosity of the McGowan Fund, will support middle and high school students and their families, as they journey on the path to academic success. It will also allow the program to serve more Latinx families in the community, as well as provide more educational activities and experiences to expose them to diverse opportunities and career paths in the local area.

“Programs like STARS are necessary to ensure we are preparing our youth to become our future leaders,” said Jenny Gonzalez Monge, LMSW ’19, director of the STARS program. “Thanks to the McGowan Fund’s support and believing in our mission and vision, STARS will be able to continue to grow and provide quality and holistic educational resources, information and services, to more families, using a community centered approach.”

Affirming Marywood’s mission and belief that education empowers people, Sister Mary Persico ’69, IHM, Ed.D., said the university is committed to helping these students realize and reach their full potential and to access abundant career opportunities.

“For more than 100 years, Marywood has adapted to challenges, both big and small. We will continue to come together to lift one another up, demonstrating the same strength and fortitude the IHM Sisters used to establish Marywood in 1915,” noted Sister Mary.

Join WVIA for a free screening and discussion of Agnes 50: Life After the Flood with award-winning WVIA filmmaker Alexander Monelli and other special guests on Tuesday, August 9^th at 6 p.m. at the Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston. 

Free reservations can be found at: wvia.org/agnes

About Agnes 50: Life After the Flood

What have we learned in the years since Agnes? WVIA’s new documentary explores improvements made by communities along the Susquehanna River, including Berwick, Bloomsburg, Danville, Forty Fort, Milton, West Pittston, Selinsgrove, Tunkhannock, Towanda, and Wilkes-Barre. 

Various officials, residents, and community leaders share memories of Agnes, describe how their towns were affected, and discuss the work that has been done over the years to mitigate the adverse effects of future flooding. Interviewees include David DeCosmo (former WYOU news broadcaster), Andrew Stuhl (professor at Bucknell University), Lara Fowler (professor at Penn State University), Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney, Jim Charles (Selinsgrove Flood Task Force), Chris Belleman (Executive Director, Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority), among others.

“This documentary is really about the people of the Susquehanna watershed and how we’re all connected,” said the film’s director Alexander Monelli. “What one town does to mitigate flooding may impact another town downstream. The film raises questions about our responsibility to our own community, our neighbors downstream, and nature as a whole. I’ve met so many fascinating people while filming, and I can’t wait to share this documentary with everyone.”

“The Jewish Community Alliance of NEPA is all about strengthening our community. Part of our mission is to collaborate and partner with like-minded agencies. To have the opportunity to partner with WVIA on this project was a no-brainer. We are fortunate to host this event at the JCC by honoring the people of this valley, who lived through this hurricane and who fought through it” said Gary Bernstein, CEO of the Friedman Jewish Community Center.

“As the region’s premier storytellers, we believe sharing the stories of Hurricane Agnes and the communities affected will help shine a light for future generations to learn from,” said Ben Payavis II, WVIA Chief Content Officer.