Johnson College Receives Grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation Johnson College has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation to establish a medical assistant laboratory at the College’s satellite campus, Johnson College at the CAN DO Training Center in Hazle Township. The designated laboratory space is being converted into two distinct clinical areas – a hospital room and a physician’s office – to provide a full range of training experiences for students enrolling in the program. These facility updates will allow Johnson College to provide the latest in hands-on education and training to meet the needs of the healthcare industry throughout the region and beyond. The Medical Assistant program is part of the College’s Continuing Education initiative. The program prepares students to assist physicians by performing functions related to the clinical aspects of a medical office including preparing patients for examination and treatment, routine laboratory procedures, pharmacology, and taking and documenting vital signs. Students learn the fundamentals of phlebotomy and venipunctures, anatomy, and physiology, and medical terminology encountered in the field. Upon completion of the program, students are prepared to take the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam. To learn more about Johnson College’s Continuing Education Medical Assistant program, visit https://johnson.edu/continuing-ed/medical-assistant/.
Johnson College Receives $5,000 from Fidelity Bank Johnson College received a $5,000 EITC contribution from Fidelity Bank to support students in the College’s Industry Fast Track Program. The Industry Fast Track Program (IFT) is a joint partnership with area school districts and the College. The program offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to simultaneously enroll in secondary and post-secondary coursework on the Johnson College campus. Students remain enrolled full-time at their high school while attending classes at Johnson College. Fidelity Bank’s contribution to Johnson College is part of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. For information about how to participate in EITC program with Johnson College, visit Johnson.edu/eitc.
Johnson College Receives $5,000 Grant from PPL Foundation Johnson College has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the PPL Foundation to support an English as a Second Language (ESL) to Credential pilot program. The program was created through a collaboration among Johnson College, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC), Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), and CareerLink of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As part of the pilot program, eight participants will work with UNC to learn English and receive case management services, EOC to obtain their GED, Johnson College to complete career technical training, and finally CareerLink of Northeastern Pennsylvania for employment services. The funding from the PPL Foundation will be used to support participants in the career technical training portion of this program to obtain supplies and support needed to help them succeed. They will enroll in one of three short-term training opportunities at Johnson College to earn recognized industry credentials including CNC Operator Training, Basic Maintenance, and Medical Assistant. “Johnson College’s Industry and Community Engagement department continues to look for ways to engage and create pathways for vulnerable populations to complete training as we know it can lead to high-demand occupations and ultimately life-sustaining wages,” said Dr. Kellyn Williams, Associate Vice President of Special Programs at Johnson College and director of the pilot program. The pilot program closely aligns with the PPL Foundation’s focus on sustainable communities and improving lives through collaboration with community partners. Through this educational collaboration, Johnson College hopes to address workforce shortages throughout the region, build strong communities, strengthen our regional economy, and set participants on a pathway to fulfilling careers with family-supporting wages.
Jeannine Luby’s Donor-Advised Humor Fund Distributes Grant to Abington Library The Scranton Area Community Foundation recently awarded the Abington Community Library with a grant from the donor-advised Humor Therapy Fund developed in 2005 at the request of Jeannine Luby, who initiated the idea for this fund as part of her graduate work at Marywood University. The goal of the Fund is to help area nonprofits spread therapeutic humor and laughter to their clients, employees and/or community members. Luby continues to raise money for the Fund annually and advises on grant disbursement each year. The Abington Library received this year’s grant to fund their ‘Laughter Lab’ project to be held in April for teens in the Abington community. Teens will benefit from the opportunity to connect, express their humor and creativity, and experience stress relief from humor and laughter as they learn comedy improv from instructors at Scranton Improv and Comedy and stress-relieving laughter yoga that will be donated by Luby from her business Laugh to Live! Participants of the Laughter Lab will also receive humor toolkits and have an opportunity to show off their improv skills in a comedy performance that will be follow the April workshop at a later date. Past recipients of The Humor Therapy Fund grant include: Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, NAMI Northeast Region PA, Goodwill Industries of Northeast PA, Serving Seniors, Meals on Wheels, Volunteers in Medicine, and Laughing At My Nightmare. To donate to the Fund or learn about how your nonprofit can apply for next year’s grant, visit: https://safdn.org/the-humor-therapy-fund/.
UNC Receives $60,000 Grant from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund UNC is excited to announce the receiving a generous $60,000 grant from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund to support our Leaders in Training (LIT) Program. UNC’s LIT Program is a distinctive leadership education and empowerment initiative aimed at helping disadvantaged youth, ages 13 through 18, build the skills and confidence necessary to succeed in life. Participants develop into productive citizens, critical thinkers, and leaders through mentorship, education, and a strong support network. Our program’s impact is clear, with 100% of LIT Seniors graduating high school in 2024. In addition to its core programming, our LIT Program now provides post-graduate support, including continued mentorship, case management, and scholarships for work- and school-related needs. This contribution from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund will help ensure the continued success which has positively impacted on the lives of hundreds of young people in the community.
Lackawanna College Sonography Program Secures $35,000 Grant The Lackawanna College Sonography program is excited to announce it has received a grant award of $35,000 from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust to purchase state-of-the-art equipment. The grant will fund the purchase of one Mindray sonography machine, providing students hands-on training with cutting-edge technology. The sonography program is currently seeking to purchase a total of five new sonography machines to meet the demand of its recently expanded cohort sizes and to replace older equipment. The grant award will help achieve this goal with the purchase of one new Mindray machine. “Securing new equipment for the program is as essential as having current books for the classroom, without the machines for our students to learn on were missing one half of the picture,” said Mary Kay DelRosso, Assistant Director of Sonography at Lackawanna College. “We can teach them the mechanical and informational aspects of sonography but until they apply it to the scan, it’s of no value to them.” The college’s sonography program has grown rapidly over the past several years. Between 2022 to 2024 the sonography program as whole has experienced a six-fold increase in its enrollment in both Cardiac and Vascular Sonography programs, along with the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program tripling its enrollment. “We’ve seen about an 80% increase in enrollment this semester over our previous semester and had to increase our max capacity of students in the program to 30,” said DelRosso. “This grant is also helping increase the number of machines we have and allows our increased number of students to spend time on these machines. We need to make sure they receive practical and efficient experience on the machines. In order for that to happen we need to have more machines in the room to meet the demands of all the new students.” The Sonography Program at Lackawanna College serves both its learners and the wider local community of patients by readying qualified healthcare professionals to fill these in-demand, frontline positions in the medical field. The purchase of new equipment through the grant is part of a greater expansion in the program to train students into workforce ready graduates. The Lackawanna College Sonography program was notified of this grant award on November 15, 2024 and the program will likely purchase the new equipment in early 2025. “I know I speak for everyone in the department, including the students, that we are very grateful for these kind of donations. Being able to put the students on new machines and make them well-prepared after graduation is the core of our program,” said DelRosso.
Lackawanna College Receives $963,000 from NIST Grant Lackawanna College is proud to announce it has been awarded a $963,000 grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The grant will support a new partnership between the college and Vytal Plant Science Research (VPSR), a non-profit, Hazleton-based biotechnology company dedicated to driving innovation and economic growth in agriculture and plant derived bio-manufacturing industries in Pennsylvania. The funding was secured by former U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08), former ranking member of the House Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees NIST’s annual budget, as part of his Fiscal Year 2024 Community Project Funding requests. “This federal investment will boost an industry that was once a staple of Pennsylvania’s economy and today presents further opportunities for new businesses, farm income, good-paying jobs, and environmentally sound products,” said Congressman Cartwright. “I look forward to seeing the positive impact Lackawanna College will have on driving scientific innovation, advancing skilled labor training, and revitalizing local manufacturing in our region.” The funding will allow VPSR to conduct genetic research and develop various strains of industrial hemp. This research will explore gene editing and metabolic engineering of hemp to create at least three new hemp seed varieties that will support the manufacture and deployment of innovative, bio-based products for application in green building construction, packaging, fabrics, renewable energy and land remediation. Alongside this research, Lackawanna College will launch a 15-week certificate program focused on preparing individuals interested in the hemp industry. The program, created in collaboration with VPSR and other leading manufacturing partners, will focus on providing skills needed to work with hemp including horticulture, agriculture, the role of global climate change and artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). “Our 15-week certificate program is more than just education—it’s a gateway to meaningful careers in a rapidly evolving sector,” said Dr. Jill Murray, President and Chief Innovation Officer at Lackawanna College. “By collaborating with VPSR and leading manufacturing partners, we’ve developed a robust curriculum that will give students hands-on experience with the very latest advancements in hemp technology, ensuring they’re ready to contribute to this expanding industry. We’re not just training for today’s jobs, we’re equipping a workforce that can thrive as industries increasingly turn to sustainable solutions like hemp for the future.” In addition to the certificate program, the NIST funding will also help develop new sustainable agriculture facility at Lackawanna College’s Hazleton Center. Students (K-16), teachers and farmers are welcome to participate in hands-on workshops at the facility dedicated to instructing tissue culture, cloning, gene editing, growing and the cultivation process. These workshops are designed to educate and prepare the next generation of the workforce for opportunities in the hemp industry. “Advancing STEM education programs at two-year colleges is vital for creating pathways and opportunities that enable more talented individuals from diverse regions across the country to enter STEM fields,” said Dr. Shobha Rudrabhatla, Chief Scientific Officer at Vytal Plant Science Research. “Lackawanna College plays a key role in this effort, serving a large community of underrepresented minorities.”
Allied Services Awarded Grant from Robert H. Spitz Foundation Allied Services Foundation, on behalf of the John P. Moses Esq Pediatric Rehabilitation Centers, is a recipient of a grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for the 2024 Grant Cycle. The grant awarded in the amount of $12,500 will assist with breaking the cycle of poverty through increased access to therapy services for underprivileged children with disabilities across northeastern Pennsylvania. Administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the Robert H, Spitz Foundation funds initiatives and programs serving the residents of Lackawanna County and surrounding counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania. To date, the Foundation has distributed nearly $6.25 million to the community. Learn more at www.safdn.org.
Scranton Counseling Center Supported by the TEGNA Foundation The Scranton Counseling Center was awarded a $4,500 grant from the TEGNA Foundation to purchase supplies for our Possibilities Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program. Possibilities is a program that inspires and assists members with mental health experiences to learn or relearn necessary skills to reach their goals. The funds will be used to purchase an interactive smartboard and other supplies that will enhance the learning programs for our consumers. Thank you TEGNA Foundation for your support!
Johnson College Receives Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Grant The Pennsylvania Department of Education has awarded Johnson College a $20,000 Hunger-Free Campus grant to address students’ food security needs. This grant was awarded to Johnson College after receiving a two-year designation as a Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus. This is the College’s second full Hunger-Free Campus Grant and second two-year designation as a Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus. Grant funds will be used to maintain the College’s Scranton Campus’s food pantry, the Refuel Station, and establish a full pantry at its Hazleton campus to serve all Johnson College students experiencing food insecurity. The Refuel Station is currently located in the Community Hub on Johnson College’s Scranton campus and offers non-perishable foods, personal care items, and school supplies. The funds will also provide supplies for mini pantry carts located across Scranton and Hazleton campuses and off-site training laboratories. The grant will also expand assistance to students applying for benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and increase students’ access to off-campus community resources. “The Hunger-Free Campus program ensures that Johnson College students can focus on their academic goals without the stress of hunger,” said Kellyn Williams, Vice President of Special Programs and the Hunger-Free Project Director at Johnson College. “This program continues to assist our efforts to stock our campus food pantry, provide meal vouchers, and make it easier for students to meet their basic needs while pursuing their education. By addressing food insecurity, this program contributes to improved mental and physical well-being, leading to better academic performance and overall college success for students.” The Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Initiative aims to build a coalition of colleges and universities focused on addressing hunger and other basic needs for their students; create opportunities for connection among student hunger advocates; provide resources and strategies for campuses; and support opportunities to apply for grants related to addressing food insecurity. Students who may need assistance at Johnson College may reach out to the Community Hub to access the student food pantry and to discuss other options and resources such as local food banks and the State’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
