Lackawanna College Awarded $300K Grant to Expand NEPA Healthcare Workforce Lackawanna College has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the NEPA Healthcare Foundation to help grow and retain northeastern Pennsylvania’s healthcare workforce through new and existing health sciences programs. “This regional initiative deepens our relationships with NEPA health facilities, with a focus on providing an awareness of healthcare career opportunities and ensuring that Lackawanna College Health Sciences students continue to receive the high-quality education and licensure required to enter the field,” said Kelly Musti, Lackawanna College Dean of Health Sciences. “This grant will enable us to reach students at the beginning of their higher education journey, enhance our existing programs and establish additional programs in the areas that we serve.” Lackawanna College will use the funding to launch the Healthcare Career Exploration Partnership in collaboration with local school districts, which will introduce students at the middle and high school levels to career opportunities in multiple healthcare disciplines. The main goal of this program will be to encourage qualified students to enroll into health sciences programs immediately after high school, ultimately increasing and diversifying the number of healthcare professionals trained and retained in NEPA. Funds will also be used to support Lackawanna College’s existing health sciences programs and help establish Certified Clinical Medical Assistant programs at two of its locations. “Through the Careers in Care initiative, the NEPA Health Care Foundation strives to make an impact to address the strains that the regional healthcare workforce is facing,” said James Clemente, NEPA Health Care Foundation Board Chair. “Introducing various healthcare fields to students at a younger age will ultimately help to increase the number of trained healthcare professionals in NEPA.”
Marywood University Receives Council of Independent Colleges Program Development Grant Marywood University was recently notified that it is the recipient of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) NetVUE Program Development Grant, in the amount of $46,153. The grant will be used between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2023. Marywood University is among a group of NetVUE, the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, a nationwide network of colleges and universities formed to enrich the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students. Marywood University’s “Integrative Core Curriculum Fellows Program,” was developed to build a curricular structure that supports integrative learning and vocational exploration strategies in the new Core. The Core Curriculum helps students think critically, examine values carefully, and act responsibly. Additionally, the Core Curriculum challenges students to engage in civic responsibility in terms of social justice, unmet human needs, and empowerment of others, as it provides a context within which students can realize meaningful personal and professional lives. This grant program will help Marywood to intentionally support and thread reflective practices that develop vocation throughout the Core in a systematic, measured, and faculty-led process. The work of the eight Fellows and the Project Team will equip Core faculty with the knowledge, support, and materials to integrate opportunities for students to begin to recognize their life’s purpose and their impact on those around them. Marywood University’s mission and message of passion and purposes matches the student’s academics with cultural, social and human experience to give each student a fully immersive education—one that prepares students to make a difference and impact on the world. Colleges and universities that are members of NetVUE are already committed to campus activities that encourage vocational exploration by students. These institutions are making significant investments of their own resources to develop and sustain vocational exploration initiatives. In order to support NetVUE member campuses in their work, Lilly Endowment Inc., has provided funding to The Council of Independent Colleges to be used for NetVUE Program Development Grants. Leaders at colleges and universities have observed that grants for program development at even modest levels enable their institutions to strengthen and expand existing programs significantly. For additional information about Marywood University, please visit marywood.edu, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234. For additional information about the CIC or NetVUE, please visit cic.edu/programs/netvue/program-development-grants.
Telespond Senior Services Receives Grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation Telespond Senior Services , Inc. is delighted to announce the award of a grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation is the amount of $19,500. The funds will be used for exterior safety and security improvements, benefiting daycare. clients and staff alike. The driveway and parking lot will be paved, security cameras will be installed around the entire building perimeter. New LED lights will provide safe entry and exit in early morning and late evening, and upgraded signage throughout the exterior portions of the property will add a much-needed facelift.
Johnson College Receives a $25,000 Grant from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust Johnson College was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust to support the College’s efforts to perform a comprehensive, campus-wide audit to ensure its campus is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Johnson College’s staff want to make sure that the campus is welcoming to all who visit. It is paramount to the College’s institutional goal of promoting equity and inclusion as part of its Strategic Plan. Identifying and resolving accessibility issues throughout campus will achieve this important goal and affirm the College is in compliance with current ADA requirements. “While our buildings were either designed or retrofitted to be ADA-compliant, we’re always working to improve our campus,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, Johnson College President & CEO. “We are grateful to the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust for this grant that will ensure our campus is accessible to everyone who is enrolled, works and visits Johnson College.” For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
Marywood University Receives $200,000 Grant Marywood University recently received a $200,000 grant to The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler endowed Scholarship fund, which was established in 2020 with a gift from the Foundation in the amount of $385,000. The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation was established by Mr. and Mrs. Stabler in 1966 exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes. Students who receive a Stabler Scholarship commit to making contributions to the endowment scholarship fund after their graduation in an amount at least equal to what they received. This is a “debt of conscience” rather than a legal obligation, and it helps to create a culture of philanthropy in students who have received funding and support. Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University said, “This generous gift will create resources that best serve our students during these times that require flexibility and ingenuity—two bedrocks of a Marywood education founded in the liberal arts tradition. Because of The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation, our resilient and innovative students will have the resources to emerge stronger and better. Their support indeed inspires the next generation of Marywood students to dedicate their lives to serve the common good.” For additional information about Marywood University, please visit www.marywood.edu, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234.
FNCB Bank Provides $30,000 Grant to Crestwood School District FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, is pleased to announce our latest project supporting the community with a $30,000 grant used to purchase a new digital message center for the Crestwood School District. The new state-of-the art LED message center replaces one that stood for many years in front of the secondary campus along South Mountain Boulevard. “We expect the new message center will be a great addition to the campus and community, allowing the district to salute students for their many accomplishments and inform the community of upcoming events,” said Jerry Champi, FNCB Bank President and CEO. The message center donation represents part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. Through outreach programs, donations and an employee volunteer network, FNCB is committed to helping the communities they serve.
Johnson College Receives It’s On Us PA Grant Johnson College was one of 42 Pennsylvania institutions of higher education awarded a grant through Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s “It’s On Us PA” initiative. The $30,000 grant will help Johnson College improve campus awareness regarding sexual violence among students, faculty and staff. The funds will help create an updated curriculum module for all students on the College’s Desire2Learn learning management system. The College will review current institutional policies, processes and resources available for reporting sexual violence and serving the needs of potential victims with a Pennsylvania Title IX consultant who will make recommendations for improved compliance and reporting. The grant will also support updated training for the College’s Title IX coordinator and staff to be sure that Johnson College is following best practice operations for continued campus safety within a climate of proactive leadership The College’s mission is to be proactive in making students, faculty and staff fully aware of the issue of sexual violence, how to report and what resources are available to assist those in need. Additional grant activities will include a campus-wide It’s On Us program event in the spring where students, faculty and staff will be encouraged to take the It’s On Us pledge against campus violence. “Our goal is to maintain the excellent record of low to no incidents of sexual violence on our campus,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, Johnson College president & CEO. “Should the need arise, we want to be proactively prepared to comply with Pennsylvania law. The It’s On Us grant will help us accomplish these goals.” The It’s On Us PA grant program was created to provide colleges and universities with support and resources necessary to shift campus culture and promote healthy relationships. The grant provides funding from January 2021 through May 2022 to implement strategies on campuses to address goals of the Governor’s It’s On Us PA campaign, which include: Improve awareness, prevention, reporting, and response systems regarding sexual violence in schools, colleges, and universities to better serve all students.Remove/reduce barriers that prevent survivors of sexual violence from reporting and/or accessing vital resources by creating a more consistent, empowering reporting process for student survivors of gender-based violence.Demonstrate significant, proactive, and sustainable leadership to change campus culture by challenging Pennsylvania’s education leaders – including college and university presidents, as well as students, teachers, faculty, staff, families, and communities to pledge to improve their institutions’ climate around sexual assault. Since 2016, the Wolf Administration has awarded 150 It’s On Us PA grants totaling nearly $4 million to more than 70 post-secondary institutions, including public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
Lackawanna College Receives It’s On Us PA Grant Lackawanna College received a grant award of $19,250 as part of Governor Tom Wolf’s 2020-21 It’s On Us PA grant program. This is the third time Lackawanna College has received this grant.The College joins 42 postsecondary institutions across the state slated to receive this funding, which helps colleges and universities address and respond effectively to sexual violence on campus. To support the Governor’s It’s On Us PA campaign, Lackawanna College will launch its “It’s On Us, Lackawanna” initiative. The project will include targeted training for staff on Title IX procedures and trauma awareness and a variety of sexual violence awareness events during the “Red Zone”. The “Red Zone” is the first six weeks of the fall semester, a time when students, particularly freshmen, are most likely to experience sexual assault on college campuses. “We are excited and thankful to once again be a part of the State It’s On Us initiative. Providing the proper educational tools and resources are the first steps in maintaining a safe and comfortable campus environment,” said Brian Costanzo, Lackawanna College Title IX Coordinator. “Dollars from this program will provide those necessary resources and opportunities to both students and staff members.” The initiative will educate, engage, and serve Lackawanna’s students, faculty and staff and improve the College’s current sexual violence response systems. The It’s On Us PA campaign, launched in 2016 by Governor Tom Wolf, was pioneered during the Obama administration. The Governor’s It’s On Us PA grant program aims to support post-secondary institutions’ efforts to create campus environments in which all community members are informed, active bystanders, working together to end sexual violence, and where survivors are able to access the rights, resources, and accommodations afforded to them through state and federal law.
The Wright Center for Community Health Receives Grant From Robert H. Spitz Foundation The Wright Center for Community Health has received an $8,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation to enable its Community Health Workers to assist patients who are coping with a variety of hardships that can impact their healthcare. Grant funding will be used to help individuals overcome economic barriers, such as lack of nutritious food or transportation to medical appointments, so patients can focus on addressing health issues. The Wright Center’s Community Health Workers will also connect patients with a variety of community resources, such as GED programs and job training. The Robert H. Spitz Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports initiatives and programs serving the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania, is administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Robert H. Spitz was born in Scranton and was a 1955 graduate of Scranton Central High School and the University of Miami. Before retirement, Mr. Spitz had been employed by the U.S. Department of Labor and owned several local restaurants. The Robert H. Spitz Foundation was established from his estate in 2015. The Wright Center was one of 42 nonprofit organizations in Northeast Pennsylvania selected to receive grants during the Spitz Foundation’s 2020 funding cycle, which collectively distributed $771,000. Pictured, from left, are care team members from The Wright Center for Community Health: Sydney Rentsch, Community Health Worker; Keri Macknosky, Certified Community Health Worker; Kari Machelli, R.N., Director of Case and Care Management Services; Kayla Kincel, Community Health Worker; and Whitney Cooper, Community Health Worker.
