Since it's inception in 2014, the Penn State New Kensington-led ABC CREATE collaborative has engaged hundreds of teachers in 14 Alle-Kiski Valley school districts with professional training opportunities, tools and best practices so that districts can strengthen STEM education and students can become more technologically fluent.
Students and administrators from Penn State Beaver, Greater Allegheny and New Kensington traveled to the Pennsylvania Capitol for Penn State Capital Day on March 20, 2019. The Western Pennsylvania delegation joined other Penn State community members, alumni, friends and legislators to bring awareness to the University's statewide impact and importance of accessible and affordable higher education.
Penn State New Kensington faculty, staff and students visited FedEx Ground's North Pittsburgh Ground Station in Zelienople, Pa. on March 27. The visit to the fully automated station included a keynote presentation with Henry Maier, president and CEO of FedEx Ground, and station leadership, as well as a tour of the 305,000 square foot facility.
More than 50 Penn State New Kensington students presented their research and projects at the 17th Annual Research and Creative Exposition held at the campus on April 9, 2019. Research topics included such subjects as automation, mammography, mental health, polymers, information recall and biomedical engineering technology. Each student or student team was mentored by faculty advisers, who offered guidance throughout the process.
The fourth annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event was held at Penn State New Kensington on April 16. The event, co-sponsored by the campus' counseling services and athletics departments aimed to bring awareness to the prevention of sexual assault and gender-based violence. Male students, faculty and staff participated by taking part in the high-heeled walk around campus after hearing from a keynote speaker and learning about local support services.
Seven Penn State New Kensington staff, alumni and advisory board members volunteered at the New Kensington Community Garden to prepare it for the upcoming season. The garden, which began in 2012, sits along the New Kensington campus-led Corridor of Innovation, a five-block stretch of Fifth Avenue in downtown New Kensington.
Penn State New Kensington's Police and Public Safety department held its first "Cram the Cruiser" event on Dec. 11 to collect toys and items for the Valley Points Family YMCA's early learning and school age childcare sites. The collected items were then delivered to the YMCA's New Kensington branch to be sorted for the seven childcare locations.