PHE and CEC Host Healthcare Professional Networking Mixer
 
On December 19th, Penn Highlands Elk partnered with the Community Education Center’s (CEC) DISCOVER Partnership to offer a “Healthcare Professional Networking Mixer” for local college and high school senior students pursuing degrees in the healthcare field.  The evening began with a panel of Penn Highlands Professionals who discussed their specialty, career path, and education advice for the attendees.  The panel included areas of Nursing, Physician, Physician Assistant, Anesthetist, Pharmacist, Therapist, Radiologist, and Administrator. Several Panel members spoke highly of their love for working in the rural setting.  Many of them grew up in the area and wanted to return to take care of the people they know and love.  They stressed that you won’t find this in the big hospitals and it is a pleasure not only working with people you know, but taking care of people you know.  Dr. Tim Vollmer, Anesthetist and Pain Management, stated “We could have gone anywhere, but an opportunity to take care of people from your hometown is special.”  Job shadowing was another area that many panelists recommended.  Megan Bolden, Nursing Home Administrator at Pinecrest, stated that “Books don’t teach you an experience. Job Shadows are important.”  Students were also encouraged to find opportunities to work throughout their education and to not be afraid to ask questions.  Students learned of the opportunities at Penn Highlands Elk that includes Loan Forgiveness programs, sign on bonuses and summer job opportunities.  Following the discussions, students were given time to network with the panel of professionals.  Brad Chapman, President of Penn Highlands Elk was pleased with the turnout for the event and remarked “Thank you to all who help make the Healthcare Professional Networking Mixer a tremendous success.  It was great to see the energy and enthusiasm of our local college and high school seniors for the healthcare profession.  They are the future.” Many of the students and parents that attended found the evening to be very beneficial to their future careers.  A parent commented “It was very informative and my daughter is so happy that she went, as well as I am.  Those who did not attend missed an excellent program that Penn Highlands provided”. For more information on this and similar programs offered by the DISCOVER Partnership, contact the CEC at (814) 781-3437 or visit communityedcenter.com. For more information on careers at Penn Highlands Elk, visit www.phhealthcare.org or contact Curtis Weisner, Human Resources, at (814) 788-8000 or CJWeisner@phhealthcare.org.
 
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Various healthcare professionals discuss their careers at Penn Highlands Elk with local college students and high school seniors.

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.