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.
Berks LaunchBox has announced the spring 2025 round of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund, this grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County.
Penn State Berks recently honored the Indigenous tribes who inhabited the land where the campus is currently located in Spring Township by holding a land acknowledgement ceremony. The event introduced the college’s land-acknowledgement statement, developed in partnership with the Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge. It also included remarks by Amanda Funk of the Widoktadwen Center, presentations by two representatives of the Lenape nation, Chief Bluejay Barbara Michalski and Chief Gentlemoon Chuck DeMund, and a tree dedication ceremony.
Throughout 2024, Berks LaunchBox has continued accelerating startup growth in the Berks County community. In the last year, Berks LaunchBox has assisted 229 new entrepreneurs, taught new skills to 708 community members in its Makerspace, offered entrepreneurship classes to 463 community members, and impacted 339 students.
Joy Tac LLC, a student startup from Penn State Harrisburg, won first place and $15,000 in the 2025 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition. As a kickoff to Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC, six student teams from four Penn State campuses pitched their startups to a panel of judges, competing for prizes totaling $30,000 in funding.
Penn State Global has announced the 2024-25 recipients of its annual awards that recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and academic programs at Penn State who have contributed to advancing the University’s global engagement goals.
Penn State Berks will mark its decade-long sustainability journey with a presentation titled “Celebrating our Sustainability Journey; Reflecting on the Past and Looking Ahead.” The event will take place from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. The event will include light refreshments and will be open to the public but attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance.
Sadan Kulturel-Konak, professor of management information systems and the director of the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center at Penn State Berks, has been selected as VentureWell Ecosystem Futures Fellows for the inaugural 2025 cohort.
Penn State Berks hospitality management students showcased their talent while serving the community — and won third place for their watermelon soup recipe — during Opportunity House’s 23rd annual Souper Bowl, held on Feb. 3 in the college’s Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center.
