This summer, Penn State Berks gives youth and young adults the opportunity to explore, create and innovate at the college’s STEM, humanities and arts-focused camps. Whether they’re interested in robotics, coding, engineering or storytelling and communications, these camps provide hands-on learning experiences that inspire curiosity and foster problem-solving skills. In addition to stimulating STEM activities, youth and young adults will have the opportunity to develop teamwork, creativity and critical thinking – all while having fun in a safe and supportive environment.
Many students at Penn State Berks take advantage of the opportunity to conduct research, working one-on-one with faculty members on campus. To celebrate these students’ success, Penn State Berks recently held its first Berks Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium on April 25. The next day, students presented at the Higher Education Council of Berks County Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference, hosted by Reading Area Community College.
Isabella Romig, a Penn State Berks psychology major with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Spanish for health care, was selected as this year’s student marshal. She will deliver a speech titled “The Horrors Persist but So Do I” at the college’s commencement ceremony at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena.
Penn State Berks is offering many great ways for students to spend their summer and get a jump on their fall semester. The first six-week summer session will begin on May 19 and continue through June 27, with final exams on June 30. The second six-week session runs from July 2 to Aug. 13, with finals on Aug. 15.
Penn State Berks hosted the “Symposium on Community-Based Participatory Research: Food Security and Access for Healthy Futures” on March 19. The objective was to determine how institutions of higher education and community partners can collaborate more effectively to address challenges related to food access and nutritional health. This symposium is part of the “Food Bank Operations Optimization: Data-driven Societal Impact Approach (FOODSIA)” project.
Three Penn State Berks students — Samantha Acker, Kimberly Nicholas and Michelle Surine — received accolades and honors for their research presentation at the Eastern States Communication Association (ECA) in Buffalo, New York, from March 27 to 30.
A new class of approximately 200 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena in downtown Reading, when Berks hosts its spring 2025 commencement ceremony. The honorary keynote speaker this year will be U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan.
Eight Penn State Berks students, joined by a few students from Penn State Abington, traveled to Puerto Rico to be of service to the local community. From March 8 to 14 the students had a chance to sow seeds at a Puerto Rican farm, work at an animal shelter and learn about Puerto Rico’s history.
Penn State Berks will host an event with Berks County's Parks and Recreation Department as part of the City Nature Challenge. The event, in which participants will observe and identify wildlife and plants in the local environment, will be held on Sunday, April 27. This event is free and open to the public and no experience is required but attendees are encouraged to register in advance.
The Penn State Berks Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (CEED) Center hosted its annual Student Enterprise Award ceremony on March 24. The award provides seed money to support enterprising and innovative students and allow them to utilize their Penn State Berks education to become entrepreneurs.
