The Chamber Launches 2023 Educator in the Workplace Program Scranton, PA—Skills in Scranton, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s workforce development affiliate organization, welcomed 26 participants to the 2023 Educator in the Workplace Program. Educator in the Workplace seeks to enhance classroom instruction, student learning, and career readiness for the workplace of today and tomorrow by connecting educators and school board directors with local business and industry leaders. The 26 educators will participate in at least five one-day virtual and in-person learning sessions. What are program participants doing? Participating in and exploring career pathways in local businesses and industriesInteracting directly with business community leaders, gaining insight into the skills students need to succeed in their future careersEstablishing connections to business and industry leaders in Lackawanna County’s leading and emerging industry sectorsLearning about local businesses and employment opportunities “Educator in the Workplace seeks to align and connect business and industry leaders with local school districts, the career and technical center, and the local intermediate unit,” said Amy Luyster, Vice President. “Program participants are provided experiences interacting directly with industry and business leaders to learn about industry trends, needs, and opportunities to enhance their classroom instruction, student learning, and career readiness. This program is partly funded by the City of Scranton American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Non-Profit Covid Relief Grant and sponsored by Pennsylvania American Water and the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Scranton Tomorrow Announces Grants are Available Eligible small businesses in the City of Scranton are encouraged to apply for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for business façade improvements. The program is administered through the City of Scranton with support from partnering organizations: Scranton Tomorrow, NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and United Neighborhood Centers (UNC) of Northeastern Pennsylvania.Awards Grants up to $10,000 with a 25% match required by applicants are available. If multiple small businesses share a facade, they can submit a joint application for up to $20,000 with the same 25% match. DeadlineThe deadline to apply is September 20, 2023.How to Apply For more information, or to submit an application, contact the appropriate partner organization based on the location of your business: Downtown Scranton and Hill Section: Contact Leslie Collins, President and CEO, Scranton Tomorrow, at leslie@scrantontomorrow.org. West Scranton and North Scranton: Contact NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania.South Scranton, Pine Brook, and Minooka: Contact United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC). Apply Now!
Outreach Center Receives a $5,000 Grant Outreach – Center for Community Resources received a $5,000 grant from Sanofi in December for the agency’s annual Toyland Workshop. The grant provided the necessary funding for the annual program administered by Outreach, a state-designated Family Center, during the 2022 holiday season, which supported family needs by providing pajamas, socks, books, STEM-focused educational toys, and grocery gift cards for children and families in our shared community. Through this generous grant, Outreach provided gift packages to over 200 participant families. Outreach Family Development Specialists delivered gifts to more than 350 children during the holiday season. Sanofi is committed to preventing, treating, and curing illnesses and diseases. By combining breakthrough science with advanced technology, Sanofi Pasteur is driven to improve the health of communities and is committed to supporting a diverse range of organizations that serve its communities. Outreach child-serving programs aim to improve school readiness through high-quality activities that enhance cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Outreach parent programs help parents gain the skills to implement positive parenting techniques, resulting in improved behavioral outcomes for their children and providing social connections to a network of peers that will support them. Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers parent/child and workforce development services and programs to the regional community to promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Outreach provides evidence-based early childhood programs that help families and children gain the skills needed to be healthy and productive members of the community. Outreach improves the lives of over 4,000 individuals each year with programs that support people as they navigate life’s challenges. Attached: Sanofi logo, and Photo with Outreach staff member, Mickey McConnon organizing toys and pajamas to pack up gift bags for children.
Marywood University to Offer Free Eating Disorders Screening Marywood University’s Psychological Services Center (PSC) will hold an Eating Disorders Screening Day on Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., in the McGowan Center for Graduate and Professional Studies. The event is open to the public, and no appointments are needed. The screenings are free and completely confidential. People of all ages can assess their attitudes about eating, and the PSC will also provide referrals, if necessary. Eating Disorders Screening Day is being held in advance of Eating Disorders Awareness Week and in conjunction with Marywood’s “Perfectly Imperfect” campus events in February. This year, Eating Disorders Awareness Week is taking place Monday, February 27, through Sunday, March 5. The annual campaign educates the public about the realities of eating disorders and provides hope, support, and visibility to individuals and families affected by eating disorders. For additional information, please contact Marywood University’s Psychological Services Center at psc@marywood.edu or (570) 348-6269.
Marywood University Offers Accelerated Path to Doctoral Degree Completion Those who have already invested time, money, and efforts into pursuing doctoral studies, but haven’t quite finished (also known as “All But Dissertation” or ABD), now have an accelerated path to degree completion at Marywood University, even if they did their coursework at another institution. Set to begin in the fall 2023 semester, the ABD degree completion program is currently accepting applicants. Marywood University’s Ph.D. Program in Strategic Leadership and Administrative Studies offers those individuals in the ABD category the opportunity to finish their doctoral studies without retaking or repeating the courses already taken. The ABD pathway is specifically designed for professionals who are seeking to complete their doctoral studies and earn their Ph.D. without taking time off from their careers. The fully online program features 18 online credits; 9 credits of coursework and 9 online dissertation credits. “Regardless of when or where their doctoral coursework was initially taken, students can pursue the final step of the process at Marywood and earn their well-deserved doctoral degree from an accredited, reputable university,” said Alexander Dawoody, Ph.D., program director of Marywood’s doctoral program in strategic leadership and administrative studies. “In as little as two years of study in our program, they can add a Ph.D. degree to their list of professional accomplishments.” For more information about Marywood University’s online doctoral program in strategic leadership and administrative studies, including the ABD completion program, visit marywood.edu/strategic-leadership-doctoral-degree or contact Marywood University Admissions by email at GoGrad@marywood.edu or by phone at 570-348-6234.
The Hospice of the Sacred Heart Announces Speaker Hospice of the Sacred Heart is pleased to announce that Mitch Albom, author, philanthropist, columnist and sports reporter, will speak in Scranton as part of the year-long 20th Anniversary celebration of Hospice of the Sacred Heart. Albom will speak at the Theater at North, Thursday, April 20th at 7 PM. A book signing will follow in the Theater at North Gallery. Author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom’s books have sold over 39 million copies and have been translated into over 45 languages. While nationally recognized for his sports writing, Albom is perhaps best known for the themes of hope and kindness that weave through his books, plays and films. In his talks and presentations, he brings the same inspiring message of community building, giving and purpose. His breakthrough book, Tuesdays with Morrie, became an international phenomenon with over 14 million copies sold. Now in its twentieth year, Tuesdays remains one of the top selling memoirs of all time and was adapted into an Emmy Award-winning TV movie produced by Oprah Winfrey, starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. Albom has founded 10 charities, including nine in the Detroit area, such as S.A.Y. Detroit, which operates a family health clinic; A Time to Help, a volunteer organization; and A Hole in the Roof Foundation, which repairs faith-based homeless shelters. He also directs the Have Faith Haiti Mission in Port Au Prince, which helps impoverished children and orphans, as well as the Chika Fund, which provides life-saving medical costs and health care. A columnist for The Detroit Free Press since 1985 and a panelist on The Sports Reporters podcast, Albom has been named the #1 Sports Columnist in the Nation by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) 13 times. In June, 2010, he received the APSE Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement, the biggest prize in sports journalism, and in June 2013, he was inducted into the Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He is the author of eight bestselling books, with five debuting at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List, including The First Phone Call from Heaven; Have A Little Faith; The Five People You Meet in Heaven and its sequel, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. Albom is currently developing an hour-long drama series based on the novels for FOX. His bestseller, Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and Making of a Family, is the true story of Chika, a young Haitian orphan whose short life would forever change Albom’s heart. Albom’s latest book, The Stranger in the Lifeboat, will be available for sale immediately following the April 20th event and Mr. Albom will gladly sign them. Albom hosts two radio shows on WJR-AM and has appeared on The Today Show, Oprah, and CBS Sunday Morning. His articles have been featured in The New York Times, GQ and Sports Illustrated. “We invited Mitch to speak to a large group of Hospice of the Sacred Heart employees, volunteers {“type”:”block”,”srcIndex”:10,”srcClientId”:”51dda515-b228-4e21-97df-7ba68d842c1e”,”srcRootClientId”:””}and community members in 2005. We’re delighted to bring him back and look forward to his fresh and inspiring presentation,” said Diane Baldi, CEO, Hospice of the Sacred Heart. Tickets for “An Evening with Mitch Albom” are $55 and are available by visiting the Hospice of the Sacred Heart website (HospiceSacredHeart.org) or at the Theater at North box office. Box office hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 11 AM to 2 PM, Thursday 3 to 6 PM and the evening of the show starting at 5 PM. Media outlets are invited to interview Mr. Albom immediately after his presentation.
The Waverly Community House to Celebrate Black History Month The Waverly Community House, in partnership with WVIA, invites the community to celebrate Black History Month on Sunday, February 26th at 1pm. The event will feature a free screening of the documentary Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson. Harriet Tubman escaped slavery but returned again and again to lead more than 70 others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Join WVIA and learn about Waverly’s significant role with Historian E.J. Murphy and then enjoy a free screening of the documentary. Though the event is free to the public, reservations are suggested and may be made at wvia.org/events. The Comm’s Destination Freedom initiative is proud of its designation as part of the National Historic Park Service’s Network to Freedom, an honor it received in 2022. The Destination Freedom Special Exhibits Gallery will be open for participants who wish to visit. The mission of the Gallery is to promote a greater understanding of the complex history of a small village and its role in the Underground Railroad and local Civil War history. Appointments to visit at other times may be made by calling 570-586-8191 extension 2 or by visiting the website: www.waverlywalking tours.org. Questions may be emailed to ejmurphy@waverlycomm.org. The Waverly Community House is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is located at 1115 North Abington Road in Waverly, PA.
The Wright Center’s CEO to Share Insights on Primary Health Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FAAP, FACP, president and chief executive officer of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, recently participated with a select group of national primary care experts in a conversation with the head of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). During the 1.5-hour virtual event, the physicians and other panelists shared their perspectives from the field about the future of primary health care in America with Carole Johnson, HRSA administrator, and other high-ranking officials within HRSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “It was an absolute honor to have been extended an invitation to connect virtually with HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson and the primary care and public health enthusiasts she convened from across our country to explore perspectives on the hopeful future of primary care delivery and workforce development, and also potential levers and accelerants for system improvements,” said Dr. Thomas Hemak. “The gathering was a welcomed, extremely valuable, learning opportunity to share and explore thoughtful, experienced insights on primary health services delivery and integration, health care finance, health equity, and the unique perspectives and struggles of underserved populations and communities. “Such crucial national conversations illuminate the powerful poise of HRSA and its leadership to imagine, ignite, and accelerate national solutions for health care delivery and workforce development,” she added. Participants included Dr. Robert Phillips, founding executive director of the Center for Professionalism and Value in Health Care of the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation; Dr. Tumaini Rucker Coker, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital; Dr. Frederick Chen, chief health and science officer at the American Medical Association, and Danielle Potter, family medicine nurse practitioner at El Rio Health in Tucson, Arizona. “I was privileged to lend my voice to this important conversation on behalf of our dedicated Wright Center care teams as well as our patients, many of whom encounter barriers to care because of longstanding, systemic issues that can best be addressed at the national level,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak. “It’s extremely humbling to be asked to be a part of this event with thought leaders from throughout the U.S. who have a vision for a health system that consistently delivers affordable, high-quality care and is accessible by all.” A first-generation physician and native of Northeast Pennsylvania, Dr. Thomas-Hemak completed Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital’s combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency. Today, she is quadruple board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, and obesity medicine. She currently serves as a member of HRSA’s Council on Graduate Medical Education, governor-elect of the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter, Eastern Region, and board chair of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center. The Wright Center for Community Health, which in 2019 became a HRSA-designated Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, operates a network of nine primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties. The practices provide safety-net, comprehensive primary and preventive health services that cover the lifespan from pediatrics to geriatrics. A special emphasis is placed on medically underserved populations, and no patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education trains about 250 residents and fellows annually along with more than 250 interprofessional learners from affiliated academic institutions. It is the nation’s largest HRSA-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium. Together, the complementary parts of The Wright Center nonprofit enterprise work to fulfill its mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. For more information about The Wright Center, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Scranton/Wilkes Barre Railriders Tickets On Sale March 4 The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, will put single-game tickets for the 2023 season on sale Saturday, March 4, beginning at 11 A.M. The RailRiders will commemorate this first chance to buy individual game tickets with a Preseason Preview at PNC Field from 11 A.M. until 2 P.M. Individual tickets for any game will be available online only beginning at 11 A.M. at swbrailriders.com.The RailRiders start their season at home on March 31 against the Buffalo Bisons and host 75 games at PNC Field this season, including games on Mother’s Day, Memorial Day weekend and July 4! Make plans to prepare for 2023 with chances to win big discounts and prizes during the Preseason Preview! Beat-the-ClockStarting at 11 A.M. on March 4, fans can once again Beat-the-Clock and save big on Opening Day tickets at the PNC Field Box Office.Starting at 11, get Field Reserved tickets for Opening Day for $1.00 at the box office until 11:59:59 A.M.From noon until 1 P.M., Opening Day Field Reserved tickets are just $2.00. From 1-2, those same tickets will be $3.00 each! This ticket offer is only valid in-person at the box office and the ticket discount is limited to eight tickets per person. Ticketing at PNC Field is all digital. Treasure HuntNavigate PNC Field searching for clues to find treasure! This can’t-miss scavenger hunt will take you around the park and could lead to prizes, memorabilia and special offers if you find your way.BP & Swing for Savings!Take your Spring Training cuts with a round of batting practice. All ages are welcome to take some practice hacks in the RailRiders home batting cages.Triple-A Affiliate of theScranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRidersPNC Field 235 Montage Mountain Road Moosic, PA 18507 570-969-2255 www.swbrailriders.commedia advisory This year, fans can Swing for Savings with a great offer on a new full season ticket membership. Take three swings and your highest velocity will be your discount on a full season membership. Hit a home run and you’ll get $150 off a full season ticket plan plus a free 2023 membership for the Toyota Power Zone (the new game day HitTrax club at PNC Field). A $50 ticket membership deposit is required to Swing for Savings.CHAMP’S Kids Club Membership Pick-upCHAMP’s Kids Club members can pick up their official membership cards and gifts in the Geisinger Champions Club between 11-2. If you aren’t a member of CHAMP’S Kids Club, presented by Casey Dental, click here or sign your kids up during this preseason preview! Trivia ChallengeStop by the Geisinger Champions Club at 11:30 or 12:30 and test your knowledge will the RailRiders Trivia Challenge. Each game will last about 15 minutes, making sure you have time to enjoy everything going on at the ballpark. You’ll have the chance to win great prizes, like an Aaron Judge RSVLTS shirt, gift cards and autographed memorabilia.Each game will consist of three rounds of trivial questions: SWB Baseball, Classic MLB and Name that Tune! VIP ToursGet a personal tour and see what we have to offer at PNC Field!The RailRiders Team Store will be open from 11-2. Plus… Some new 2023 ballpark food options and beverages will be available for purchase.Make plans to join us on Saturday, March 4, for the RailRiders Preseason Preview at PNC Field!
