Leadership Elk & Cameron Announces Community Improvement Projects for 2017-2018
 
The Community Education Center’s Leadership Elk & Cameron program (LEC) has selected its Community Projects for the 2017-2018 program year. The objective of the project is to provide LEC participants with an opportunity to learn how to make a direct and visible impact in their communities through service to an organization or agency. “We consistently hear that nonprofits and public agencies need added capacity and help for certain short term projects,” said Kate Brock, executive director of the CEC and Leadership Elk & Cameron Advisory Committee.
 
This year’s agencies and their projects include: Elk County Footlighters – assistance with marketing and planning of events and performances; Penn State 4H – recruitment of adult volunteers to start and lead additional 4H clubs; LIFT – marketing, awareness and fundraising for Project Lifesaver, which is a GPS tracking bracelet for individuals who tend to wander with disabilities and conditions such as autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia; West Creek Rails Trails –installation of bird box mile markers on 13 miles of the trail which connects Elk and Cameron Counties; City of St. Marys – assistance with the development of the City’s proposed Central Park area on Depot Street.
 
Three to five participants will work as a team under the direction of the organization to complete the service projects through June 2018. Charitable organizations, nonprofit agencies, schools, and municipalities which serve Elk or Cameron County were invited to apply for a team of LEC participants to assist in making progress on real projects which benefit the community. Special consideration is given to applications which address the areas of need identified in the 2015 Stackpole-Hall Foundation Long Range Planning Report and Action Plan. More information and the application can be obtained by visiting www.leadershipelkcounty.com or by calling the CEC at 814-781-3437.
 
The mission of Leadership Elk County is to educate its participants in the strengths and weaknesses of the county in order to develop informed, civic-oriented volunteers to help direct the future of Elk and Cameron Counties. More than 145 alumni have completed the program since 2007.
 
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The Community Education Center’s Leadership Elk & Cameron Program welcomed its Eleventh Class of participants this month. An evening mixer, sponsored by Northwest Bank and Straub Brewery, was held on September 12th at the Bavarian Hills in St. Marys. The first monthly session followed on September 13th at the Pines Lodge and was sponsored in part by Advantage Metal Powders in Ridgway. The ten month program is aimed at educating its participants in the strengths and weaknesses of Elk and Cameron Counties in order to develop informed, civic oriented volunteers to help direct the future of the region. 
This month’s first session focused on assessing the individual participants’ personality styles; team building activities; and communication strategies for working with diverse personalities. Terry Hinton, Advising Coordinator for Penn State Dubois led the session. In addition, Jonathan Johnson, Senior Staff Analyst for the Center for Rural PA, provided a presentation on the demographic and economic trends of the region. Five nonprofit agencies also presented their community improvement projects to the participants: West Creek Rail Trails, City of St. Marys, LIFT, Penn State 4H, and Elk County Footlighters.
The 2017-2018 Leadership Elk & Cameron participants are sponsored by their employers which include: the Boys & Girls of St. Marys, Cameron County Conservation District, the City of St. Marys, Community Links, Dickinson Center, Elk County Council on the Arts, LEDVANCE, Liberty Pressed Metals, Northwest Bank, St. Marys Area School District, and Straub Brewery.
More information about the program can be found at www.leadershipelkcounty.com, or by contacting the CEC at (814) 781-3437.

 
The Community Education Center’s Leadership Elk & Cameron program (LEC) is once again inviting local nonprofits and public organizations to apply for a team of LEC participants to complete a community project. The objective of the project is to provide LEC participants with an opportunity to learn how to make a direct and visible impact in their communities through service to an organization or agency. “Last year’s projects were hugely successful,” said Kate Brock, executive director of the Community Education Center. Last year’s participants partnered with agencies such as The City of St. Marys, Big Maple Farms Natural Therapies, and St. Marys Youth Center. The projects addressed diverse needs in the communities including the creation of a design for the revitalization of Erie Avenue landscape, establish a fundraising and marketing campaign, and development of new programs for youth center.
 
This year, three to five participants will work as a team under the direction of the partnering organization to complete a service project. It is expected that four to six projects will be selected through the application process. Charitable organizations, nonprofit agencies, schools, and municipalities which serve Elk or Cameron County are invited to apply for a team of LEC participants to assist in making progress on real projects which benefit the community. Special consideration will be given to applications which address the areas of need identified in the Stackpole-Hall Foundation Long Range Planning Report and Action Plan. (Found at: www.stackpolehall.org/publications). More information and the application can be obtained by visiting www.leadershipelkcounty.com or by calling the CEC at 814-781-3437.
 
The mission of Leadership Elk Cameron is to educate its participants in the strengths and weaknesses of the county in order to develop informed, civic-oriented volunteers to help direct the future of Elk County. More than 150 alumni have completed the program since 2007.

Recently, the Emporium Rotary sponsored the “Rotary Days Career Cruise” for the Cameron County and Austin High School 9th graders.  Students spent the morning touring Embassy Powdered Metals and the Cameron County Court House, plus a stop at Andrews Farms for an educational experience from Ryan Magaro of Rich Valley Apiary on bee keeping.  Some words of wisdom the students received include “keep your head held high when walking in the community and say “hi” to those you have met today.  Networking and getting to know people is a great opportunity…you never know when a person can be a resource for your future.”  The students learned a lot about the awesome opportunities in our area and plan to use what they learned as they prepare for their future jobs. In addition to enjoying the company tours, the students spent the afternoon at Sizerville Park with a lunch provided by the Rotary.  They had a blast learning about the Rotary Club and enjoying the activities provided by the local 4H and the Sizerville Environmentalist.  A great big "Thank You" goes out to the businesses that participated and the sponsors of this event! This event was coordinated by the Community Education Center's (CEC) DISCOVER Partnership and is aimed at supporting career education and creating an awareness of local employment opportunities.  If your school or company is interested in participating in a similar event, please contact the CEC at (814) 781-3437 or cec@communityedcenter.com.

High School students from St. Marys, Ridgway, Johnsonburg, ECC and Cameron County participated in the High School Job Fair on April 21st at the St. Mary’s High School.  Local businesses and organizations were on hand to talk to students about job opportunities they currently have available for 16-18 year olds.  This included full time, part time, summer work, co-op/school to work, and apprenticeships. Students learned there are a lot of job openings throughout the county in a variety of fields including manufacturing, healthcare, food service, communications, and store operations.  Employers enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the students.  The River 98.9 was also present doing “on air” live feeds from the event.  A great big "Thank You" to all those that participated! This event was sponsored by the St. Marys High School and the Community Education Center's (CEC) DISCOVER Partnership.  The DISCOVER Partnership is aimed at supporting career education and creating an awareness of local employment opportunities.  If your school or company is interested in participating in a similar event, please contact the CEC at (814) 781-343  7 or cec@communityedcenter.com.

St Marys, April 14, 2017 - Leadership Elk & Cameron gathered Wednesday, April 12, for Economic and Community Development Day. The class met in St Marys at the Community Education Center for a welcome from Kate Brock, Executive Director of the CEC.
The morning began with a presentation from Eric Wolfe, Founding Board Member of Manufacturers for Employee Education and Advancement, Inc. (MEEA) and President of Horizon Technologies. Discussion included the impact of manufacturing in this area, and how MEEA has identified and is working to combat local barriers to economic development. Wolfe emphasized the value of the LEC program in economic development, as it is designed to market the community and execute community-driven projects.
A presentation from Amy Kessler, Director of Community Development for the North Central Regional Planning and Development Commission, informed the class about a new website for the six county North Central Pennsylvania region, as well as her role in transportation development.  Blythe Brunner followed with a presentation of PA CareerLink® services, explaining how CareerLink® works to build skilled workers and connect job seekers to available work.
 
The class then traveled to Kersey to tour Horizon Wood Products. A LEC Alumni and an important part of the family business, Pete Terbovich, walked the class through the company’s entire process of the sawmill, from log-buying in northwest and northcentral PA, processing of lumber on-site, to executing sales all over the world.
 
After lunch the group traveled back to St Marys, where LEC member Roseann Chrisman gave a tour of Straub Brewery. She explained Straub’s rich history and noted the brewery as a staple in the community and economic development of Elk County since 1872.
 
The group ended the day in Cameron County at Embassy Powdered Metals. The company is truly a dynamic testament to economic development, doubling in size twice in the past few years. President Steve Aharrah and Logistics Coordinator Ron Hammersley spoke to the group about the importance of Powdered Metals to the region, and led the group on a tour.
 
Leadership Elk & Cameron is a program of the Community Education Center (CEC).  Applications for next year’s class are now available. If you would like to learn more about the class or would like to register, please contact the CEC at (814) 781-3437 or visit cec@communityedcenter.com or (814) 781-3437.
 
2017 Leadership Elk & Cameron Participants include Amy Anderson, Warren Beck, Michelle Brooks, Roseann Crissman, Yvonne Gerber, Jessica Herzing, Fritz Lecker, Ann Marie Pfoutz, Christopher Pletcher, Bri Pursley, Alyse Renwick, Tina Solak, Lisa Sorg and Cathy Walters.

Recently, Ridgway Area High School students participated in their final “Career Cruise” for this school year. Ms. Schaut's 10th grade students have been exploring careers in the classroom in attempts to plan for life after high school.  Students met with local employees from the State Police, Horizon Wood Products, Elk County's Emergency Services, American Axle and Manufacturing (formerly MPG), and Ridgmont.  Students had the opportunity to tour and meet with the employees, get a glimpse of the local job opportunities and learn about employment expectations.  “Good grades, good attendance and a good work ethic” were continually emphasized throughout the day. At many of the stops, employers advised students to “Find a career you love to do”.  Several of the companies explained they provide “on the job” training, which meant they could start up right after graduation.  Students also have the opportunity to return and job shadow a certain company if they have an interest in that field. The students enjoyed the day and will use the information they gained as they plan their futures.  A great big "Thank You" goes out to the businesses that participated and the sponsors of this event! This event was coordinated by the Community Education Center's (CEC) DISCOVER Partnership and is aimed at supporting career education and creating an awareness of local employment opportunities.  If your school or company is interested in participating in a similar event, please contact the CEC at (814) 781-3437 or cec@communityedcenter.com.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Goode
P: 814-781-3437
amy@communityedcenter.com
 
 
Local Educators Visit MPG Ridgway
On March 23rd, the Potter County Education Council and Community Education Center DISCOVER Partnership held an Educator in the Workplace event.  Educators from Ridgway and Johnsonburg school districts spent the day at MPG (Metaldyne Performance Group) Ridgway to get a hands-on opportunity in the powdered metal industry to connect their subject area with relevant business practices such as the challenges, new technologies, and use of academic skills in the workplace.  The Educators spent time in each department learning the roles within the company, career paths, job opportunities, and skills required for the job.  MPG put an emphasis on the need for skilled labor positions like Die Setters, Tooling and Robotics Operators.  They recommend students research these career paths that require Certifications or Associates Degrees that would get them working in a short bit of time with the ability to work in a state of the art facility and live right in their hometown.  Many times throughout the day, MPG informed the educators they are looking for “students with communication and presentation skills.  They need to know how to talk to people.” 
This workplace experience gives the Educators an opportunity to modify their lesson plans and instructional approaches so that students are learning skills they need to get a job and so they can relate what they are learning in the classroom to the world of work.  According to Mrs. Rosemarie Schaut, Ridgway High School English Instructor, “I spent a great day at Metaldyne Performance Group in Ridgway, today through the CEC "Educator In the Workplace " Program. There are so many opportunities for our young graduates throughout Elk County, at so many educational and interest levels in the metal-formed components industries. These industries provide further training, international travel opportunities, and problem-solving team environments. It was fun to meet people passionate about what they do and interested in sharing how their roles help contribute to the shared vision of this global operation. This was a terrific experience.”
The next Educator in the Workplace Event is scheduled for April 7th at the Elk Country Visitors Center.  Educators can contact the CEC at 781-3437 or register online at http://www.pottercountyedcouncil.org.