Scranton Area Community Foundation to Host 4th NEPA Learning Conference

The Scranton Area Community Foundation, through its Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence, will host its fourth NEPA Learning Conference on September 20 – 22, 2023. This event will offer nonprofit organizations and nonprofit professionals across the region the opportunity to receive in-depth training from local and nationally-recognized presenters. The event will take place at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center (100 Adams Ave, Scranton, PA).

Ruchika Tulshyan, best-selling author of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work, will be the keynote speaker.Tulshyan is also the founder of Candour, an inclusion strategy practice. A former international business journal, Tulshyan is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review and a recognized media commentator on workplace culture.

Attendees will experience three transformative days of networking and interactive sessions while gaining the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the challenges and maximize the impact of their nonprofit organization. They will learn from over 45 local and national experts in a variety of fields, exploring the powers of collaboration and advocacy. A crowd of roughly 200 representatives from nonprofit organizations is expected to attend this event.

While attendance is geared toward nonprofit professionals and board members serving on local nonprofit organization boards, registration is open to the public. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1. Attendees can register through the conference website at NEPALearningConference.com.

               “Through the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence, we prioritize the importance of enhancing organizational capacity building and view it as transformative to the region as a whole,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “We are grateful for so many of our partnering foundations right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania supporting our efforts to bring this learning conference to the nonprofit community of our region.”

Sponsors of the event include the Moses Taylor Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, The William C. McGowan Charitable Fund, The Hawk Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, Fidelity Bank Wealth Management, McGrail Merkel Quinn & Associates, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, Center City Print, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, Children’s Service Center, and KMMK Communications.

For more information on the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference, please visit NEPALearningConference.com or contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.  

Wright Center to Host Backpack Giveaway

To celebrate National Health Center Week, The Wright Center for Community Health will host backpack giveaways in Hawley and South Scranton. 

The backpacks, funded by The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, contain much-needed school supplies – including pencils, pencils, notebooks and folders – to give kids a good start to the school year. 

Sponsored by the National Association of Community Health Centers, National Health Center Week celebrates America’s 1,400 Community Health Centers, which serve as the beacon of strength, service, and care in their communities. The week begins Sunday, Aug. 6 and ends Saturday, Aug. 12.

WHAT: Backpack giveaways in Hawley and South Scranton to celebrate National Health Center Week.

WHERE/WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley; Saturday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., South Side Farmers Market, 526 Cedar Ave., Scranton. A Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center for Community Health is an essential community provider of safety-net primary and preventive health services, a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic. The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties include a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health that serve more than 33,0000 unique patients annually and ensure everyone in the service area has access to integrated, high-quality, affordable health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

WVIA to Broadcast Little League World Series Challenger Game

WVIA, Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania’s PBS and NPR affiliate, will live stream and broadcast the 2023 Little League World Series Challenger Division Exhibition Game on Saturday, August 26, at 10:30 a.m. ET. The game, featuring teams from Lancaster, PA and Syracuse, NY, is being presented by Eggland’s Best.

The Challenger Division is a Little League program for children with special needs. The Little League Challenger Division Exhibition Game was introduced as part of the Little League Baseball World Series in 2001, and quickly became a fan favorite. The exhibition game is a chance for these players to experience the excitement of the Little League World Series and to show the world what they can do.

The game will be played at Volunteer Stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It will be broadcast and streamed live on WVIA’s website, wvia.org, and on the WVIA PBS app. The game will also be available on ESPN+, and will be available on 22 additional PBS stations, such as WHYY (Philadelphia), WEDU (Tampa), and PCN (Pennsylvania Cable Network).

“We are excited to once again live stream the Little League World Series Challenger Division Exhibition Game,” said Ben Payavis, WVIA’s Chief Content Officer. “This is a special event that gives children with physical and intellectual challenges the opportunity to participate in the Little League World Series experience. It has become something we have looked forward to every year. We hope that viewers will tune in to watch these amazing athletes compete.”

The Little League World Series Challenger Division Exhibition Game is a heartwarming event that showcases the power of sport to bring people together. WVIA is proud to be able to live stream this event and to share it with viewers across the country. Previous WVIA live streams of Little League World Series Challenger Division Exhibition Games can be viewed here

RailRiders to Host Office Night

Calling all “The Office” lovers! Don’t miss Office Olympics Night at PNC Field on Saturday, August 12. 

The first 2,500 fans to enter the ballpark at 5 p.m. will receive an Oswald Peraza & Oswaldo Cabrera Dual Bobblehead Giveaway. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. against the rival Syracuse Mets. During the game, Kate Flannery will return to her Dunder Mifflin roots to meet with fans and sign autographs from 6 to 8 p.m. (*Timeframe subject to change.) You can even enjoy a Meredith Palmer adult beverage and themed games all night long. Stick around after the final out for post-game FIREWORKS to cap off an electric night by the Electric City! 

The Chamber Hosts its Annual Summer Festival

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and the economic development marketing affiliate, The Scranton Plan, is hosting its annual Summer Festival at The Country Club of Scranton, Clarks Summit, on Monday, August 21.

Summer Festival, sponsored by Lackawanna County, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, UGI, Sordoni Construction, FNCB Bank, Quandel Construction, Colwell-Naegele Associates, Penntex Construction, Peoples Security Bank, Stevens & Lee, Barry Callebaut, and Greenman-Pedersan, Inc. welcomed more than 80 attendees including real estate brokers, consultants, and site selection specialists from neighboring states to a round of golf at The Country Club of Scranton, followed by dinner and networking.

“Summer Festival is a signature event for The Scranton Plan and continues to be an impactful economic development marketing tool said AJ Cimahosky, economic development specialist. “The event provides an opportunity to showcase the many business opportunities available in northeastern Pennsylvania.”

The festival aims to introduce corporate executives and real estate professionals from neighboring states to the quality of life and business opportunities available in the greater Scranton region.

About The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the area’s economic environment and quality of life by offering programs and services which stimulate economic growth, promote business prosperity and nurture educational opportunities. For more information about the Chamber, visit www.scrantonchamber.com.

About The Scranton Plan
The Scranton Plan, the economic development marketing affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, has helped more than 350 companies relocate to northeastern Pennsylvania and assisted in creating more than 42,000 jobs since its inception in 1945. The Scranton Plan, in conjunction with The Chamber affiliates Lackawanna Industrial Fund Enterprise (LIFE) and Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO), has developed 15 industrial office and technology parks and cultivated more than $650 million in real estate investments. For more information, visit www.scrantonplan.com