NeighborWorks to Host West Scranton Fall Festival NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania is excited to present its second annual West Scranton Fall Festival this year! This two-part event is FREE to the public and will be held on Saturday, September 16! The rain date is September 23.The first part of the festival will be at Clover Field (400 W Locust St, Scranton) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Available activities will include art activities, music, magic, bounce houses, disc golf, the Fidelity ice cream truck, food vendors, and more!The second part of the festival will be at Allen Park (corner of North Main Avenue and Price Street) from 6-9 p.m. There will be live music, a fire pit, games, s’mores, and hot chocolate. Attendees are encouraged to get dinner at one of the many local West Scranton restaurants.
Geisinger Introduces New Medical Laboratory Sciences Program Geisinger has introduced a Medical Laboratory Science program to meet the growing need for qualified medical laboratory professionals. The new 11-month program provides in-class and hands-on education, as well as clinical rotations in the Geisinger system. Applications are due Sept. 1, with classes beginning in January. “There’s never been a greater need or a better time to train to become a medical laboratory professional,” said Marianne T. Downes, program director. “Medical laboratory work is deeply impactful in so many areas — on individual lives, on the success of our employers and even on public health. I chose this career for its reputation for job security and its ability to provide for a family. What I found is a career where I feel I’m making a significant contribution.” Medical laboratory science is a growing health profession that provides diagnostic services to detect and treat diseases. Biomedical Journal has declared the shortage of medical laboratory professionals “critical.” And the U.S. Department of Labor projects a fast growth rate for new jobs in this exciting field. Medical laboratory scientists are trained to provide diagnostic information to healthcare providers so they can determine treatment plans for patients. For example, medical laboratory scientists assure accurate results for routine tests such as blood glucose and diagnostics that make sure children’s leukemia is in remission. They prepare the right blood product for transfusion for people with conditions such as sickle cell disease and perform genetic testing to determine patients’ risk for certain cancers. Medical laboratory scientists are often the first to see results indicating a change in patients’ health status and make sure those results are correct before providers order more costly, invasive testing. Applications are due by Sept. 1. To apply for the class forming in January 2024 and for more information, visit go.geisinger.edu/medicalscience
UNC to Host 7th Annual Welcoming Scranton Celebration United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) will host the 7th Annual Welcoming Scranton Celebration on Saturday September 16th from 10am – 2pm at 526 Cedar Avenue (corner of Alder Street and Cedar Avenue) at the South Side Farmers Market. This event brings together long-term local residents and those new to the country to promote cross-cultural understanding and raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone! There will be live music from Grupo Zona, food from popular restaurants El Buen Amigo and Papi’s Kitchen, games, vendors, and more. There will also be free ice cream for the kids by Scoopz Ice Cream Truck! For more information, please contact Chrissy Manuel, UNC’s Director of Community Revitalization, at (272) 228-1371.
Electric City Selfie Announces New Fall Backdrop Display Electric City Selfie is ready for the fall season with its brand-new autumn-themed picture backdrop. With over 45 photography backgrounds to choose from, there are endless possibilities to let the imagination run wild. All that is needed is a cell phone or camera, and they provide a wireless professional photography ring light to brighten up your portraits.
The University of Scranton to Host Performance by Rob Kapilow and Magdalyn E. Boga Performance Music at The University of Scranton will kick off its Fall 2023 concert schedule Friday, Sept. 8, with a presentation of “What Makes It Great? The Great American Songbook,” featuring Rob Kapilow H ’09 with soprano Magdalyn E. Boga. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis. Part of Kapilow’s long-running “What Makes It Great?” series, the presentation/concert will illuminate for attendees the difference between hearing and listening as Kapilow demonstrates how to pay attention to all the great elements of a song that might otherwise go unnoticed. The evening will include various selections from the Great American Songbook sung by Boga, including the duet “For Good” from “Wicked” in which she will be joined by fellow soprano Jessica Hitchcock. “Rob has a special gift for creating what he refers to as ‘AHA! moments’ for his audiences,” said Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga. “Everyone in the hall – regardless of musical ability or experience – finds their ears opened by his presentations.” A frequent Performance Music collaborator and acclaimed conductor, composer, music commentator and author, Kapilow has developed a devoted national and international following through his “What Makes It Great?” and “Family Musik” performances. He has appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, presented a special “What Makes It Great?” for PBS’s “Live From Lincoln Center,” and was the subject of a full-length PBS documentary, “Summer Sun, Winter Moon.” His “What Makes It Great?” radio series was broadcast for more than a decade on NPR’s “Performance Today.” Kapilow has written several books, including “Listening for America: Inside the Great American Songbook from Gershwin to Sondheim,” which was a finalist for the Marfield Prize, and he was the first composer to be granted the rights to set Dr. Seuss’ words to music. Through the years, Kapilow has conducted many of North America’s major orchestras, as well as numerous works of musical theater, among them the Tony Award-winning “Nine” on Broadway, the premiere of “Frida” for the opening of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, and works for the American Repertory Theater. He’s received a number of accolades, including first place in the Fontainebleau Casadesus Piano Competition and second place in the Antal Dorati Conductor’s Competition with the Detroit Symphony. A member of the University’s History faculty since 2010, Magdalyn Boga is equipped with a vocal range of nearly three octaves and a lyric voice capable of unusual power. She studied voice with renowned Bulgarian baritone/bass Guenko Guechev and Chinese mezzo-soprano Xiu-Ru Liu and has delivered solo, duo and quartet performances of operatic and concert repertoire with choirs and orchestras. She has also performed Baroque duet repertoire with New York City-based trumpeters Joseph Boga (her brother) and the legendary Mark Gould. Boga currently serves as the soprano soloist at First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre and is an active recitalist and chamber musician, performing as a vocal and instrumental soloist and ensemble member throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. She teaches voice at Scranton Music Academy, and performs professionally on voice, cello and French horn. Jessica Hitchcock is a section leader and regular soloist for both the Choral Society of NEPA, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes Barre, and a professional choir member at Temple B’nai B’rith, Kingston, and has performed as a featured soloist with the Arcadia Chorale. Hitchcock has sung throughout the United States, as well as in Austria, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. Aside from her regular performances as a soloist and chorister, Jessica owns and operates The Vocal Studio of Jessica Hitchcock, which is now in its sixteenth year offering high-quality voice and piano lessons to students of all ages. Also on Sept. 8, Kapilow will present “We’ve Got to Get Ourselves Back to the Garden: Inside the Music and Times of the Woodstock Generation,” as part of the Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminars at the University. For more information about the luncheon, visit www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.
Marywood University News Marywood University Designated as a PA Hunger-Free+ Campus Marywood University has been designated as a Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus+ by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for a two-year period, in recognition of its leadership in the area of college student food security. The Shapiro Administration recognizes Pennsylvania colleges and universities that are considered leaders in the effort to alleviate hunger and food insecurity among college students. Food insecurity is a growing concern on college campuses throughout the country. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website, over one-third of students know someone who dropped out of college due to food insecurity during the pandemic. Roughly 52 percent of students who faced food or housing insecurity in 2020 did not apply for support, because they did not know how. Marywood’s local response to this nationwide issue is the Pacer Pantry, a name chosen by Marywood students, to benefit students and staff who may struggle with food insecurity. Various departments, deans, faculty members, student groups, and Friends of the Poor (a sponsored ministry of the IHM Congregation) collaborated to make the Pacer Pantry a reality, and it opened in February 2020. Marywood University has been recognized for connecting students to food options through the Pacer Pantry on campus, through local community-based food pantries, and other food delivery programs, as well as increasing awareness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for students, focusing SNAP outreach on potentially eligible students, and helping students apply for SNAP and other benefits. Additionally, Marywood operates a task force to address basic needs, including hunger, and raising awareness among students using a lens of equity, inclusion, and belonging. The Hunger-Free+ Campus designation also qualifies Marywood to apply for the PA Hunger-Free Campus grant program, to help further expand university efforts to alleviate food insecurity. Marywood University Announces a New Master of Architecture Program Marywood University has established a new Master of Architecture degree (M.Arch). Students with an interest in the program can apply now for a Fall 2024 start. Part of Marywood University’s nationally renowned School of Architecture, the M.Arch degree program is intended for students who will pursue a career as a licensed architect. Accordingly, Marywood’s Master of Architecture (M.Arch) program is following in the footsteps of its Bachelor of Architecture degree, which is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). “The Marywood University School of Architecture values conceptual & formal clarity, disciplinary consciousness, social agency, and material speculation to achieve its overarching priority that lies in design’s ability to act for the common good of the communities it serves,” noted James Eckler, M.ARCH, MSAS, director of Marywood’s School of Architecture. Mr. Eckler explained that architecture graduate students adhere to a scaffolded curriculum embodying these values, as it prepares them for professional practice that integrates building technologies, environmental design, hybrid representation, fabrication, history and theory. Students can choose from a robust body of elective opportunities within this structure, to define their own areas of specialized interest. Several advanced standing pathways through the M.Arch program are available to prospective graduate students, including those with an undergraduate degree in architecture, interior architecture, interior design, or allied disciplines, such as architectural engineering. For additional information about Marywood University’s master’s degree in architecture, please visit marywood.edu/architecture-masters-degree. Marywood University’s Illustration Program Ranked Among Top Nationally Marywood University is proud to announce that its illustration program has attained noteworthy placements among the top programs in the state, region, and nation in the 2023 Illustration School Rankings. This marks the 5th annual ranking for illustration schools. Nearly 150 schools with illustration programs were considered from across the United States. Marywood’s illustration program was recognized as #5 in Pennsylvania, #17 in the East, and #50 nationally overall, putting it in the top 40% of schools evaluated. Marywood University offers a rigorous curriculum in illustration at undergraduate and graduate levels. Students have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, as well as opportunities to showcase their work through exhibitions and other professional development opportunities. The 2023 Illustration School Rankings were published by Animation Career Review, a leading online resource for individuals interested in pursuing careers in animation and related fields. The rankings are based on a variety of factors, including academic reputation, admissions selectivity, program offerings, and faculty credentials. Marywood University offers both BFA and MFA degree programs in illustration. For more information, go to marywood.edu/illustration-studio-arts-bachelors-degree for the BFA program and to marywood.edu/visual-arts-graphic-design-illustration-masters-degree for the MFA program. Marywood Art Students Design Scranton Fringe Festival Website The Scranton Fringe Festival website has a new look, thanks to the creative work and volunteer service of graphic design students at Marywood University. In the spring, Marywood graphic design majors in the Art 441I: Interactive Design II class, taught by Sue Jenkins, MFA, associate professor of art, completed a service learning project to design and develop the new website for the local arts event, which is scheduled to take place this year from September 28-October 7. Launched at the end of May, the site features two new levels of Fringe Membership, a new event system, a bunch of chickens (explained on the site’s About page), and interesting news about the events and programming at the Scranton Fringe Festival. Conor O’Brien, co-founder and executive director of Scranton Fringe, appreciated the Marywood University students’ willingness to volunteer on the project. “They gave it a full facelift and helped us integrate a lot of exciting new features,” said Mr. O’Brien. “It took hours and hours and hours of work, and everyone at Team Fringe is extremely grateful! A special thank you to Posture Interactive, who has been supporting us for years and who assisted with the new site launch as well.” Scranton Fringe is an award-winning arts organization producing innovative work since 2015, dedicated to creating a bold, engaging platform for thought-provoking art while striving to promote Northeast Pennsylvania as a viable creative environment. Inspired by the world’s largest annual event, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the organization has grown into an incubator of unique creative work centered around the performing arts.
PA Route 6 Alliance Annual Meeting & Educational Workshop Slated for Corry, PA. Registration is now open for the 2023 PA Route 6 Educational Workshop and Annual Meeting & “Do 6” Awards Presentation. Join in on the Heritage Community of Corry on October 5-6, 2023. Act, Adapt, and Attract is the theme of this year’s Educational Workshop and Annual Meeting & “Do 6” Awards Presentation. They are excited to bring community leaders and tourism professionals from across the state to discuss topics such as adaptive reuse, historic preservation, remote working, active transportation, and much more. Registration is now open for the 2023 PA Route 6 Educational Workshop and Annual Meeting & “Do 6” Awards Presentation. Join us in the Heritage Community of Corry on October 5-6, 2023. Act, Adapt, and Attract. That’s the theme of this year’s Educational Workshop and Annual Meeting & “Do 6” Awards Presentation. We are excited to bring community leaders and tourism professionals from across the state to discuss topics such as adaptive reuse, historic preservation, remote working, active transportation, and much more. Thursday, October 5th (9:30am-2:30pm): The Educational Workshop will take place at Relevant Church, an adaptive reuse project. Guest speakers include Melinda Meyer of Preservation Erie, Bill Callahan of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Abbi Peters from The PA Wilds Center, Sam Pearson from Pennsylvania Downtown Center, Corry business professionals, and more. Immediately following the Educational Workshop will be a walking tour of Downtown Corry. And then later that evening, join in for wine tasting and fine dining at 3 Pillarz Farm as they host a farm-to-table dinner overlooking some of the most spectacular scenery in Erie County. Friday, October 6th (9:30am-2:00pm): The Annual Meeting will be held at The Fork and Barrel Restaurant in Corry. The keynote speaker will be Jeff Siegler of Revitalize, or Die (read more below). Following a delicious catered lunch, the annual meeting will wrap up with the presentation of the annual “Do 6” Awards where everyone celebrates those individuals, businesses, and organizations who have made a positive impact within their communities and throughout the Route 6 Corridor. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS SEPTEMBER 25th. Click here to register.
Didgebridge Unveils “Patient 360 Journey-Service” Didgebridge is set to launch an innovative solution tailored for Chamber Member Hospitals and Clinics, addressing the challenge of “Post Covid Growth Re-Acceleration”. The “Patient 360 Journey-Service” offers a comprehensive approach to tackle growth re-acceleration obstacles, including patient anxiety, engagement, loyalty, retention, and data privacy concerns. This pioneering service guides patients from initial contact to discharge, reducing anxiety and enhancing engagement by providing directions, parking details, surgery explanations, and more. With a focus on patient loyalty, the service fosters a long-term relationship through private, SMS-text-video interactions. Didgebridge’s solution enables healthcare providers to retain patient loyalty over 20 years, resulting in significant future medical service value. By leveraging a proprietary SMS text-based loyalty platform, the service ensures lasting connections with patients while complying with opt-in regulations. Didgebridge’s “Patient 360 Journey-Service” redefines patient engagement, loyalty, and data privacy for the post-Covid era, empowering healthcare institutions for sustained success.
FNCB Bank Donates to Howard Gardner MI Charter School FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, has announced a $10,000 Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) donation to the Howard Gardner MI Charter School in Scranton. FNCB’s grant will be used to support their Environmental, Agricultural and STEAM Camp programs. Since 2010, FNCB has contributed $3,000,000 to local educational and scholarship organizations through the EITC initiative. The support of the Howard Gardner MI Charter School is part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. A true, local community bank, FNCB Bank is making a difference through volunteerism, donations and outreach programs.
