Penn State Berks students proved yet again that dedication reaps rewards. Berks Benefitting THON student organization raised $36,287.98 and earned the seventh spot among Penn State Commonwealth Campuses. The results were announced at the end of the 46-hour dance marathon to benefit Four Diamonds on Sunday, Feb. 19.
The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently received a $53,000 grant from the County of Berks. Working with Furniture Soup, Berks LaunchBox will use most of the funding to revamp the coworking space with new desks, storage and sound dampening, and to add a small meeting space for entrepreneurs to work collaboratively, as well as other purposes.
The program supports entrepreneurs who have a small business or are developing a business related to the arts. Funding ranges from $500 to $2,000, which must be used to support business formation or development. Eligible entrepreneurs must have at least one consultation with Berks LaunchBox staff to review their business plan.
Penn State Berks is showing support for the six student dancers who are representing the college at THON, the dance marathon to benefit families battling pediatric cancer, with “Dancer Week” from Feb. 13 to 17. The week will culminate with a dancer send-off on Thursday, Feb. 16, where faculty, staff, and fellow students gather to wish the dancers well and send them off as they head to University Park to represent Penn State Berks.
The Penn State Berks Advisory Board Annual Scholarship will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students who are enrolled or who plan to enroll at Penn State Berks. First preference shall be given to students who graduated from a high school located within the Penn State Berks service area.
In a continuation of its longtime partnership with Penn State, Barnes & Noble College, a Barnes & Noble Education company, which operates the Penn State Bookstore, has awarded a 2022-23 round of grants to support a range of programs and initiatives across the University.
Giovanna DeLima is many things: a student at Penn State Berks, a daughter, a friend, a volunteer — and a cancer survivor. She was recently invited to be the featured speaker at the American Cancer Society's "The Future of Cancer Care Forum: Advancing Cancer Research, Innovation, and Health Equity" on Dec. 2, at the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square in New York.
The Penn State Berks Center for the Agricultural Sciences and a Sustainable Environment is studying the role that telephone poles can play in monitoring and eradicating the invasive spotted lanternfly. The center continues to be one of the main research sites surveying effective procedures in the control of the invasive planthoppers through support from both the U.S. and Pennsylvania departments of agriculture, as well as other grant funding.
Philanthropists with roots in the Reading region have stepped forward with gifts that will establish a total of $2.4 million in endowed support for the Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State. The LaunchBox delivers a range of entrepreneurship and economic development resources for the Reading community.