6th Annual Carpentry Auction Raises $5,970 for Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA

Johnson College’s Carpentry Auction held on campus on April 12, 2023, raised $5,970 to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

More than 60 items were auctioned off, including cutting boards, tables, cabinets, a bookcase, and more. All items were created by students in the Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology program. Most of the items were made from re-purposed materials.

Photo Caption:  Pictured left to right: Kneeling: Andrea Marques, Johnson College student, Ken Stucker, Johnson College student, Aiden Martelli, Johnson College student, and Roger Orlandini, Johnson College student. Standing: Cheryl Friedman, CRNP, SANE-P, SANE-A, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, Darrielle J. Carter, AS Events & Public Relations Coordinator, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, Abbey Bowen, Johnson College student, Caitlyn Phillips, Johnson College student, Todd Campbell ’82, Capentry and Cabinetmaking Technology Program Director, Johnson College, Marsha Pigga, MA, Executive Director, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, Brendan Jarosh, Johnson College student, Michele Smith, BSW Project Safe & Smart Educator, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, Tony Kreutz, Johnson College student, and Austin Norris, Johnson College student.

Closer Look at Opportunities at Tobyhanna Army Depot Event

Johnson College is hosting a Closer Look: Opportunities at Tobyhanna Army Depot event on April 27, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. inside Woolworth Hall at its Scranton Campus.

Prospective students and their families can meet with representatives from Tobyhanna Army Depot to learn more about their facility and available careers. Johnson College’s Faculty members will be available to provide information about the curriculum and to answer questions about the academic programs. Members of the College’s Enrollment and Career Services departments will also be available to speak about the application and internship processes.

Programs that will be showcased at the event include two-year associate degrees in Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology, Electrical Construction Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Technology, and Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning Technology.

For more information or to register, contact the College’s Enrollment department at (570) 702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

To learn more about Tobyhanna Army Depot, visit https://www.tobyhanna.army.mil/.

College to Host 6th Annual Carpentry Auction for Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA

Johnson College’s Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology program will host an auction to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, inside the Moffat Student Center on the Johnson College Scranton campus. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the auction starts at 6:00 p.m. The auction is open to the public.  

More than 60 items will be available to bid on, including cutting boards, tables, cabinets, a bookcase, and more. All items were created by students in the Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology program. Many of the items were made from re-purposed material. The 2022 Carpentry Auction raised $5,781 to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA.

To learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, visit https://cacnepa.org/.

College Receives Grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission for Workforce Training

Johnson College has been awarded two Area Development Grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). These grants will support regional workforce training capabilities with campus-wide equipment upgrades and the development of two mobile training laboratories for STEM technology and building trades technology. The grants total $430,000 and include College matching funds of $215,000.

The mobile laboratories include 35’ trailers outfitted with student workstations and equipment for training in STEM and the building trades. Equipment is interchangeable and the laboratories will be configured as needed for hands-on education. While identical in the scope of flexible training capabilities, both the first and second mobile laboratories will be deployed in two unique equipment configurations depending on the location and need for each. They will serve different training needs at the same time.

The mobile training laboratories will be used to help develop a pipeline for students entering the trades by providing remote, hands-on learning to high school students that are enrolled in the College’s Dual Enrollment and Industry Fast Track programs. Using the latest tools and technology, younger students from rural school districts will experience first-hand, the wider range of STEM-related and building trades education and career opportunities available to them. Additionally, the College plans to deliver short-term, customized training programs at industry partner locations to enhance the skills of essential workers.

“These mobile labs will allow us to bring opportunities to those in rural areas who don’t currently have access to hands-on education due to barriers including distance and transportation,” said Dr. Katie Pittelli, Johnson College’s President and CEO. “I am excited that with support from the Appalachian Regional Commission, more people will have access to STEM and building trades training.”

The two cutting-edge mobile laboratories will serve Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties. Both will help Johnson College reach more students and industry partners in rural locations and provide access to education and jobs that may not have existed, or been more difficult for them to previously obtain.

The new equipment funded under the grant will enable Johnson College to upgrade campus technology and deliver the most up-to-date training to students to prepare them to enter Appalachia’s growing essential workforce. Programs receiving technology upgrades include automotive technology, civil design, electrical engineering technology, heavy equipment technology, welding technology, electrical construction technology, biomedical equipment technology, and computer information technology.

This project will build the College’s capacity to help regional employers meet the growing demand to fill essential positions in the workforce and promote economic development, thus improving the economic prosperity of this region’s students, workers, industry, and communities.

About the Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation. For more information, visit www.arc.gov.

CEO of AllOne Foundation & Charities to Deliver 2023 Commencement Address

Johnson College has selected John W. Cosgrove, Chief Executive Officer of AllOne Foundation & Charities to give their 2023 commencement address to graduates on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 10 a.m., at the College’s Scranton campus.

As CEO, Mr. Cosgrove has implemented the distribution of over $35.4 million in philanthropic resources to communities in all corners of the Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania region. AllOne Foundation & Charities supports health care programs achieving high impact in Mental Health and Behavioral Health, Access to Care for Women & Children, Autism Services, Substance Abuse Disorder, and Food Security.

Mr. Cosgrove has nearly 40 years of experience in the private, non-profit, public and community service arenas. 

Before becoming CEO of AllOne Foundation & Charities in 2016, he was Vice-President of Condron & Cosgrove, a public relations and communications firm in downtown Scranton.

Mr. Cosgrove served as Executive Director of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas; a Washington, D.C.-based national non-profit association of economic and community development entities designated by the U.S. Congress.

He is a former Executive Director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, a State and National Heritage Area. In 2004, Lackawanna Heritage Valley received the Preserve America Presidential Award – the nation’s highest honor for historic preservation – presented in a White House ceremony by the President of the United States.

Mr. Cosgrove served in the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Citizen Service. He was instrumental in initiating the national service program, AmeriCorps, in Pennsylvania.

He served on the faculty of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., and was an early pioneer in the KAIROS Student Retreat Program. He was a co-chair of the Gonzaga International Volunteer Experience at the Ciudad de los Ninos orphanage in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Mr. Cosgrove is a Trustee of the Margaret Briggs Foundation, a member of the National Board of Directors of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, and a former Chairman of the Board of NeighborWorks NEPA. He is the founding Chairman of First Night Scranton, the Housing Services Collaborative of Lackawanna County, and CityPride!  He has received the national J.C. Penny Golden Rule Award and the Founders Honor Roll Award from The Scranton School for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children.

Mr. Cosgrove holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Southeastern University in Washington, D.C., and has completed the Executive Education programs in Health Care Management at the Yale University School of Management and in Nonprofit Profit Executive Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

He lives in Scranton with his wife, Eileen, and is the very proud dad of three grown daughters, Bridget, Molly, and Erin.

College Hosts Annual 3D Printing Competition

Johnson College hosted its annual 3D Printing Competition for local high school students on Friday at its Scranton campus.

The competition was an opportunity for students from Forest City, Wallenpaupack, and the Wilkes-Barre STEM Academy to showcase their abilities and creativity using science, technology, engineering, and math. Using 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) skills, participants designed and printed gravity hooks that picked up objects of various weights and sizes.

The student who placed first, Michael Andrews from the Wilkes Barre Area STEM Academy, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Johnson College as well as a $50 gift card from Matterhackers. Second place was awarded to Danielle Holzapfel and third place to Kai Puma Stehlilk, both from Wallenpaupack Area High School.

The event, which was sponsored by OpenBuilds, The New Jersey Chapter of SAMPE, GreenGate3D, and Automated Lifestyles, featured a keynote address given by Stephanie and Isaac Budmen, founders of Budmen Industries, the manufacturer of the award-winning Buildini 3D printer. Some of the College’s local industry partners were also in attendance to discuss future employment opportunities with the students.

To learn more about Johnson College’s STEM opportunities for local school districts, visit johnson.edu.

New Two-Year Associate Degree in Aviation Technology

Students can now enroll in Johnson College’s new two-year Aviation Technology associate degree program scheduled to begin with the Fall 2023 semester.

The Aviation Technology program prepares students as entry-level technicians with the latest information on diagnosis, repair procedures, preventative maintenance, and necessary safety application in aviation technology. Through a partnership with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, students will complete airframe and power plant instruction in a lab located at the airport, pending approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. This opportunity will provide students with a very unique and hands-on learning experience in industry.

The program will provide students with the knowledge and skills outlined in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Mechanics Airman Certification Standard (ACS) in preparation for the FAA licensure exam for general, airframe, and powerplant knowledge.

“The aviation technology industry expects rapid-paced growth within the next decade,” said Dr. Katie Pittelli, Johnson College’s President and CEO. “Johnson College is prepared to meet that demand by offering our students hands-on experience and training on campus and at in-field labs, giving them an advantage to succeed in this in-demand industry.

Students within this program will be prepared for careers in the aviation technology industry as aircraft mechanics, airframe mechanics, aviation technicians, aircraft specialists, and similar roles. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the aviation technology field has a 6% growth potential through 2031. Graduates have the opportunity to earn a median annual income of up to $65,550.

“We’re excited to have this new partnership with Johnson College”, said Carl R. Beardsley, Jr., AVP Executive Director. “This new degree program will greatly benefit the aviation industry, and we support Johnson College in its efforts to meet the demand in these fields in the world of aviation.”

Johnson College has received a three-year Advanced Technological Education grant for $307,706 from the National Science Foundation to support the Aviation Technology program.

For more information about or to enroll in this program, please contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu or visit johnson.edu/divisions-of-study/transportation/aviation/.

College Earns 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School Designation

Johnson College has earned the 2023-2024 Military Friendly ® School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-2024 survey with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard.

The 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly ® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer), and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“Johnson College remains committed to helping our servicemen and women and their families further their education,” said Bill Burke, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs at Johnson College. “The College’s dedicated staff assists with needs specific to military students. We provide dedicated space as well as priority scheduling and registration for our service members and veterans.”

“Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process. Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunities for the Military Community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard.” – Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®.

For more information about Johnson College’s student veteran programs, visit johnson.edu/veterans.

About Military Friendly ® Schools

The Military Friendly ® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

About Viqtory:

Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs® and Military Friendly® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about VIQTORY at www.viqtory.com.

College to Host Women in Industry Event

In honor of Women’s History Month, Johnson College’s Special Programs Department will be hosting a Women in Industry event on March 29, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Health Science Center on the Johnson College Scranton campus.

The theme of this event will be women’s entrepreneurship, with a focus on how women can start their own businesses. It will feature two speakers: Donna J Kane, Branch Manager for Fidelity Bank, and Maggie Calpin, owner of Nibbles and Bits, a gourmet chocolate shop in Dunmore. They will use their expertise as fierce supporters of the community to inform, encourage, and inspire attendees to pursue opportunities in entrepreneurship.

The event will also feature an interactive chocolate-making activity with materials supplied by Nibbles & Bits.

This event supports the College’s Women in Industry initiative and its goals to provide networking opportunities, collaborate on industry-related projects, and support women in industries that are still considered “non-traditional.”

To learn more or to register for the event, visit johnson.edu/women-in-industry.