PECO President And CEO Craig Adams To Deliver 2016 MCCC Commencement Address

Blue Bell, PA—PECO President and CEO Craig L. Adams will deliver Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) 2016 Commencement address on May 19 at 7 p.m. in Blue Bell. Adams also serves on the board of directors of MontcoWorks, Montgomery County’s Workforce Investment Board.

“Partnerships between education and industry are essential for developing a comprehensive workforce development strategy. Montgomery County Community College and MontcoWorks share a vision—to build a 21^st-century workforce and to strengthen the economic vitality of our communities,” said Dr. Kevin Pollock, MCCC president.

MCCC’s graduates provide much-needed human resources to the County and Commonwealth. According to a 2014 graduate survey, 68 percent of MCCC alumni are employed in Montgomery County and 97 percent are employed in Pennsylvania. In addition, a 2013 study by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) reveals that the average income at the career midpoint of someone with an associate’s degree in Montgomery County is 35 percent higher than someone with only a high school diploma.

The partnership between PECO and MCCC is an outstanding example of education and industry working together to strengthen the community’s workforce. For more than a decade, the organizations have collaborated to enhance student access and success and to help students complete their education and find gainful employment in their careers.

In honor of MCCC’s 50th anniversary in 2015, PECO awarded $25,000 in scholarships to 50 high-achieving STEM students to help defray the cost of tuition, textbooks, lab supplies and other program-related costs. PECO also supported Engineering Innovation, a collaborative effort between MCCC and Johns Hopkins University that provides an academically challenging summer program to high school students who aspire to pursue careers in engineering.

In addition to these, PECO has supported MCCC’s LEAD Institute, a program for underserved, at-risk high school juniors and seniors; Minority Student Mentoring Initiative, which helps African-American and Latino students reach their educational goals; Upward Bound, a program that encourages Norristown and Pottstown high school students to pursue higher education; and Gateway to College, a national initiative that helps at-risk students graduate from high school and earn college credits.

“PECO values education and is especially supportive of Montgomery County Community College’s efforts to improve college readiness and to build a pipeline of professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” said Pollock. “I have no doubt that Mr. Adams’ keynote will motivate and inspire this year’s graduates.”

As president and CEO of PECO, Adams is responsible for leading PECO’s overall performance, delivering innovation and advancing smart energy to provide safe, reliable, affordable and clean energy and energy services to customers. He also guides the company’s philanthropic efforts, which provide more than $5 million annually to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the region.

Civically, Adams holds board positions with a number of educational and community organizations in the Philadelphia area. He is president of the board of directors at Camphill Special School and chairman of the board of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia. He also is a board member of WHYY, the American Gas Association (AGA) and the Energy Association of Pennsylvania (EAP). He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from the State University of New York in Albany.

Dance Emerge At Muhlenberg College, Opening April 13‏

Allentown, PA  — Muhlenberg College dancers tell their stories through movement, as the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance Department presents “Dance Emerge,” a showcase for dance works created by emerging choreographers, April 13-16 in the College’s Studio Theatre. Jeffrey Peterson is the artistic director for the concert.

“Choreographers in this year’s ‘Dance Emerge’ are honoring their own unique voices as they create personal dances which celebrate the joys of life and unearth the depths of their souls,” Peterson says. “The journey for the audience will undoubtedly juxtapose the human experience with quirky character-driven studies and more intimate work — all blending physical skill with choreographic imagination.”

“Dance Emerge” will showcase 8 choreographers and 60 dancers from the department’s dance program, which is among the most highly regarded programs of its kind. The concert features costume and lighting designs by the department’s acclaimed professional staff.

The eight original dances include contemporary jazz, dance theater, and modern works that investigate such topics as aging, censorship, and the individual vs. the whole. Choreographers drew inspiration from such diverse sources as dance history, travel, personal relationships, and college experiences.

Muhlenberg College’s Theatre & Dance Department offers one of the top-rated college performance programs in the county, according to the Princeton Review rankings.  Muhlenberg is a liberal arts college of more than 2,200 students in Allentown, Pa., offering Bachelor of Arts degrees in theater and dance. It has been named annually among The Fiske Guide to Colleges’ top 20 small college programs in the United States, and the American College Dance Festival Association has consistently recognized dances premiered on the Muhlenberg stage for excellence in choreography and performance.

“Dance Emerge” runs April 13-16 in the Studio Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown.

Performances are April 13-16: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 16, at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for patrons 17 and under, and $8 for students, faculty and staff of all LVAIC colleges.  For groups of 15 or more, tickets are $13

Tickets and information are available at 484-664-3333 or http://www.muhlenberg.edu/dance.  

Ribbon Cutting, Sustainability Festival On Tap For MCCC Earth Day 2016‏

Blue Bell/Pottstown, Pa.—Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) will join communities across the world in celebrating Earth Day 2016 with a series of activities that engage students, faculty and community members with the institution’s sustainability efforts.

MCCC’s celebration kicks off on Monday, April 18 with the grand opening of the college’s Sustainability and Innovation Hub, located 140 College Drive in Pottstown. The opening marks the completion of the multiphase Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center project, which transformed a former energy substation and three-acre Brownfield site into a state-of-the-art center for STEM education, conservation and recreation.   A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m., followed by tours of the Sustainability and Innovation Hub, as well as tours of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area’s Interpretative Center.

Prior to ceremony, MCCC’s West Campus will host a Sustainability Fair in its South Hall, 101 College Drive, from noon-1 p.m. The fair will highlight many of the College’s green practices and STEM-related academic programming.

MCCC’s observation of Earth Day continues on Wednesday, April 20 at noon with a Sustainability Festival in the Advanced Technology Center at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The festival will feature sustainable student and College exhibits, as well as information and activities from green vendors and community organizations. Assistant Professor of Biology Jerry Coleman will also offer a walking tour of a proposed trail route that will pass through MCCC’s Central Campus, weather permitting.

Following the Sustainability Festival on Wednesday, April 20, MCCC’s Student Environmental Sustainability Club will host a discussion with Montgomery County Recycling Coordinator Veronica Harris in Science Center room 308 from 2-3 p.m.

During Earth Day events at both campuses, MCCC’s Ceramics Club, in collaboration with the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance in Ambler, will be selling handmade bowls as part of its Empty Bowls Project—an international grassroots effort to raise awareness in the fight to end hunger. Individuals who purchase a bowl—or who bring their own bowl—can receive a 25-cent discount off the purchase of soup in MCCC’s cafeterias.

Since signing the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007, sustainability has become a core value at Montgomery County Community College and is incorporated into the institution’s strategic plan, core curriculum, and in everyday best practices as they relate to facilities management, campus operations and transportation. A team of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members comprise the Climate Commitment Advisory Council, which guides MCCC’s sustainability efforts toward attaining carbon neutrality by 2050.

It’s Spring!‏ At the Althouse Arboretum

Volunteer Day!  We need YOU!

It’s time to start creating our community center! The basement has been cleared out, beams added, April 23rd we’ll be installing stud walls. We can use people with some “construction” experience to help.  We will also be painting, working on trails, clearing areas for our “playground features”,  and more…. something for everyone! Please come!

Saturday, April 23rd, starting at 9am
We’ll be there all day.
Picnic lunch provided!
Rain date:  Sunday, 24th

We have some but can use more if you’d like to bring them!
If you’re willing to work on the house:  Nail gun, electric saw, tools in general
Outside work:  Need shovels, rakes, clippers
Painting:  Bring extra brushes, extension roller, scraper
Everyone:  Work Gloves!

Friends of the Arboretum

Monday, May 2nd, 7pm
2019 Mimosa Lane
(around the corner from the Arboretum, off Snyder Road)

So much going on! Find out what’s happening, add your ideas!

(Here’s more about the Friends)

And the Winner Is…

PENN”S WOODS TRAIL!
Watch for your chance to participate in making this a model of native plants and education.

Summer Camp

Time to sign up for Summer Camp! Three choices this year: Water Week, Wildlife Week and Outdoor Science Week. Discount when you sign up for all three!

 

GreenAllies News

• GreenAllies received a grant to complete the Arboretum’s Master Plan including a Low Ropes Course and a Children’s Forest Trail.  Work will begin this spring and continue throughout 2016.
•  Franklin Institute will provide the funding for GreenAllies to run a Climate Change Action Summit for college students at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. College volunteers will be trained in climate action projects for middle and high school students for the purpose of serving as mentors during the upcoming school year.  The goal is to inspire student environmental projects across the region.
• Emerald Ash Borer:  The invasive insect is forcing the township to cut down all the ash trees near trails and other “targets” throughout the township. Althouse Arboretum has over 200 ash trees on its property.  Plans are being formulated to cut some trees immediately; monitor and cut other ash trees when needed in the future; and to SAVE some of the most important trees through chemical treatment.  Looking for supporters to sponsor a tree and help fund the chemical treatment to SAVE THE TREES.