Jayné Park-Martinez began volunteering with Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward Program in 2018 and has been making an impact on the surrounding community ever since.
Penn State Berks recently established the Office of Community Engagement, with the mission to build relevant and meaningful relationships within the community and to connect to the community through service opportunities.
Some of the projects that culminated at the end of the semester included holding a sustainable self-care fair on campus, a film screening of “The Story of Plastic,” the creation of a campus garden, and students presenting their engagement in environmental outreach projects — all to help educate the campus community on the importance of developing environmentally-friendly practices.
When the Berks LaunchBox first opened nearly seven years ago, it provided a glimmer of hope to Berks County entrepreneurs and innovators. Since then, its impact has grown to be more than its staff could have imagined.
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.
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.
"A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence" concluded on June 30, raising more than $2.2 billion for the three key imperatives of a modern land-grant institution: opening the doors of higher education to students from every background; creating transformative experiences for both students and citizens; and impacting the larger world through research, outreach and service. While the nearly $844.5 million raised for the last imperative advanced a wide range of priorities across the University, the campaign focused attention on three opportunities for impact: economic development, resource security, and human health.
