Participants of the Community Education Center’s Leadership Elk & Cameron program (LEC) completed installation of bird box mile-markers on the final 13 miles of the West Creek Rails Trails. This project was selected as one of LEC’s 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. Three to five participants work as a team under the direction of the organization to complete the service projects through June 2018. The Rails Trails team included Kate Morgan, Maurice Coudreit, Ginette LeStrapes, and Mary Ann Lindgren. They worked on the project with the assistance of Tina Solak and Sheila Singer.
 
In addition to the Rails Trails project, 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; City of St. Marys – assistance with the development of the City’s proposed Central Park area on Depot Street.
 
The mission of Leadership Elk Cameron is to educate its participants in the strengths and opportunities of the region 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. For more information, go to www.leadershipelkcounty.com or contact the CEC at 814-781-3437.
 
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LEC participants Ginette LaStrapes (left) and Maurice Coudreit (right) install a mile-marker bird house at Mile 7 on the West Creek Rails Trail.

The Community Education Center’s Leadership Elk & Cameron session on Communications was held on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 in Cameron County. Participants began the day at Memorial Hall in Emporium where members of the Elk County Toastmasters Club provided lessons and tips on effective communications. Participants completed a variety of speaking and listening activities, including a 4 minute “Ice-Breaker” speech.
Following a lunch at the Pizza Palace, which was sponsored by St. Marys Insurance, the class toured The River 98.9 station. Tina Solak, director of the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce and part-time announcer for The River, discussed changes in radio communications over the decades and participants recorded advertisements for the LEC program.
The session concluded at the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce with an overview of social media and public relations, also provided by Tina Solak.
The ten month Leadership program is aimed at educating its participants in the strengths and opportunities of Elk and Cameron Counties in order to develop more informed, civic oriented residents to help direct the future of the region.  More information about the LEC program can be found at www.leadershipelkcounty.com, or by contacting the CEC at (814) 781-3437.
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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.