College Receives Grant to Support Veterinary Animal Care Clinic   

Johnson College has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, managed by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This grant will support low-cost spay and neuter surgeries as well as vaccines for low-income pet owners in our community.  

As many people struggle to feed their families every week, family pets, while loved dearly, are not always updated on rabies vaccines and spay/neuter procedures until finances are available. This grant will help these families take proper care of and responsibility for their pets covering blood work, surgery, anesthesia, and pain medication. The grant will also provide low-cost rabies vaccines.

Johnson College’s Veterinary Nursing Program prepares students to join an animal care team as entry-level technicians. Their tasks can include collecting samples, performing lab tests, taking radiographs, preparing the surgical suite, assisting in surgery, monitoring anesthesia, and providing general nursing care to patients. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredits the program. Students become Certified Veterinary Nurses upon passing the Veterinary Technician National Exam.  

“This grant will greatly support both our Veterinary Nursing Program students and low-income pet-owning families within our community,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College. The care and treatment of these pets will give our students hands-on training to prepare them for their national exams and to enter the workforce.”

For more information about Johnson College’s Veterinary Nursing Program, visit johnson.edu/divisions-of-study/health-and-animal-sciences/veterinary-nursing/.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation has served as administrator for the Robert H. Spitz Foundation since 2016. To date, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $4.6 million in grant funding to the community. Learn more about the Robert H. Spitz Foundation at www.safdn.org.

Pictured left to right: Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants and Scholarship Manager, The Scranton Area Foundation, Karen Baker, Senior Director of College Advancement, Johnson College, Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO, Johnson College; and Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO, The Scranton Area Foundation.

Johnson College Receives Grant from PPL Foundation For Stem Outreach Program

Johnson College is pleased to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the PPL Foundation. These funds will support a STEM outreach program to teach 75 high school students about renewable energy and build their own solar cell phone chargers. 

The goal of the workshop is to introduce participants to solar power concepts with an object that is suitable for everyday use.  Participants will build a solar-powered cell phone charger and learn about solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and various electronic modules that construct a cell phone charger. The workshop gives the participant an understanding of all the components required to produce a portable solar-powered cell phone charger. The program also introduces the students to occupations in Electrical Engineering and Electrical Construction.

“The PPL Foundation grant gives local high school students the opportunity to experience the real-world, hands-on learning Johnson College is known to provide its students,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, Johnson College President & CEO. “Our STEM Outreach Program provides local students an introduction to in-demand careers within essential industries throughout our region and beyond.” 

The PPL Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. 

About Johnson College: Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912 and is the region’s premier technical college, offering 17 associate degrees and 4 academic certificate programs. A low student-to-teacher ratio supports an emphasis on hands-on instruction. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional businesses and industries to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

About the PPL Foundation: Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation supports organizations working to create vibrant, sustainable communities; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; and empower each citizen to fulfill her or his potential. The PPL Foundation contributes more to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations in eastern and central Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit pplcares.com.

Photo Caption: Johnson College receives a $5,000 grant from the PPL Foundation to teach high school students about the benefits of STEM-related programs. Left to right: Alana Roberts, Regional Affairs Director, PPL Electric Utilities; Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO, Johnson College; Kellyn Williams, Dr. Kellyn Williams, Associate Vice President of Special Programs, Johnson College.

College Receives $5,000 EITC Contribution from Pride Mobility

Recently, Johnson College received a $5,000 EITC contribution from Pride Mobility in support of the College’s STEM Outreach and Industry Fast Track Programs.

Pride Mobility’s contribution to Johnson College is part of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The program offers businesses a tax credit for supporting state-approved educational improvement programs. Johnson College is approved to accept EITC contributions in support of its STEM outreach and Industry Fast Track programs.

Through its STEM Outreach, Johnson College utilizes its experience in providing industry-focused, hands-on technical education to expand its outreach to elementary, middle, and high school students. The outreach raises awareness of the benefits of STEM education and the possibilities of achieving economic independence through employment in a STEM career field.

Johnson College’s Industry Fast Track program offers high school students from participating area school districts an opportunity to enroll simultaneously in secondary and post-secondary coursework at Johnson College. The course meets state requirements for high school graduation while providing college-level courses. Students remain enrolled full-time at their high school while attending classes at Johnson College.

Pride Mobility has been a trusted manufacturer in the mobility products industry since 1986. The organization is dedicated to providing expertly designed, engineered, and tested products incorporating technologically innovative features enabling consumers to achieve the best quality of life and mobility goals. Part of Pride’s vision is to be a long-term Olympic gold medalist within its industry by combining market-leading products with being the friendliest company in the industry. Pride Mobility continues its mission of manufacturing quality, technologically advanced mobility products for people with disabilities and mobility impairments.

Johnson College Receives Grant from Women in Philanthropy

Johnson College has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Women in Philanthropy Initiative Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This grant will support Girls on Fire, a unique one-day STEM event designed for 6-9th grade students to learn about career opportunities in non-traditional STEM fields.

The event, part of Johnson College’s new Women in Industry Initiative, will be conducted in conjunction with International Women’s Day in March 2023. The event will include tours of the Johnson College campus, presentations on various STEM-related programs, a keynote speaker who is a successful woman in her field, lunch, and fun hands-on activities in 3D printing, carpentry, and more. Students will learn about mechatronics, computer science, HVAC-R, healthcare, and carpentry – all areas where women have a variety of opportunities for successful careers.

Studies show that when the women’s labor force participation rises, so do the economy and the GDP. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes in “Women in the Labor Force: A Databook” that women may represent more than half of all workers within several industries. Despite this, women are substantially underrepresented in industries such as construction, manufacturing, utilities, and other industrial types of employment such as agriculture and mining. They are also underrepresented in services such as repair and maintenance, automotive repair, and commercial and industrial machinery repair. Women’s participation in the U.S. labor force has been a complicated narrative, especially in skilled trades.

There are many opportunities, pathways, and resources available to women looking to enter skilled trades. Girls on Fire will help students understand the many pathways for women’s economic equity and increase participation in well-paid, skilled jobs traditionally held by men.

Women in Philanthropy is an initiative of the Scranton Area Community Foundation dedicated to transforming the lives of women, girls, and their families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.supportnepawomen.org.

Johnson College Receives $250,000 from the City of Scranton

Recently Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Mayor of the City of Scranton, joined Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College, to announce that the City of Scranton’s Office of Economic and Community Development awarded Johnson College a $250,000 grant to improve Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance across the College campus. 

Improving Johnson College’s ADA compliance will increase accessibility for faculty, staff, visitors, and, most of all, students, as the College strives to be inclusive to all. The funds will be used to install automatic door openers, access ramps, and ADA-compliant restroom improvements to President’s Hall and the Lemon Street Continuing Education Lab.

This grant was made possible through the Federal Community Development Block Grant Program and the Housing and Urban Development Administration.

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public accommodations to provide goods and services to people with disabilities on an equal basis with the rest of the general public. The goal is to afford every individual the opportunity to benefit from Johnson College and to afford Johnson College the opportunity to benefit from all students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus. Last year, 12.5% of students attending Johnson College registered disabilities with the College. The campus use is increasing with space being used for community events, continuing education activities, community sporting events, and scouting. It is our desire to increase community use of the Johnson College campus and make our facilities accessible to all who visit.

All new college buildings have been designed and constructed to be ADA compliant. Some of the initial retrofitting work to existing campus structures has already been accomplished through a City of Scranton Community Development Block Grant several years ago. As guidelines and campus use have evolved, it is prudent to engage a firm experienced in ADA compliance audits to perform a system-wide survey of the Johnson College campus/facilities and make recommendations for improvements to bring us into full ADA compliance.

Johnson College Receives $7,500 Grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation

Johnson College has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, managed by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This grant will support the College’s Animal Care Clinic and pet owners in our community.  

Johnson College will purchase medical equipment that will help enhance the safety and comfort of patients receiving surgical care. The grant will give Johnson College Veterinary Nursing Program students valuable clinical experience preparing them to enter into the workforce or advance their careers.  

As many people struggle to feed their families every week, family pets, while loved dearly, are not always updated on vaccines and spay/neuter procedures until finances are available. This grant will help these families take proper care of and responsibility for their pets by providing up to 20 reduced-cost spay/neuter surgeries for qualifying low-income families. The grant will also provide low-cost rabies vaccines.

Johnson College’s Veterinary Nursing Program prepares students to join an animal care team as entry-level technicians. Their tasks can include collecting samples, performing lab tests, taking radiographs, preparing the surgical suite, assisting in surgery, monitoring anesthesia, and providing general nursing care to patients. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredits the program. Students become Certified Veterinary Technicians upon passing the Veterinary Technician National Exam.  

“Through this grant, we are excited to give low-income pet-owning families peace of mind that their pet is cared for without incurring financial hardships,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College. “Equipment purchased will help our Veterinary Nursing Program students with the hands-on training they need to pass their national exams and enter the workforce.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Johnson College has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, managed by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This grant will support the College’s Animal Care Clinic and pet owners in our community. Pictured left to right: Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO, Johnson College, Karen Baker, Sr. Director of College Advancement, Johnson College, Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants and Scholarships Manager, The Scranton Area Community Foundation, and Jack Nogi, Trustee, Robert H. Spitz Foundation.

Johnson College Receives $75,000 Grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation for Health Care Careers Project

Johnson College has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation. This grant, which will be disbursed over a three-year performance period, will support the Foundation and College’s goal to address the critical growing need for health care professionals by promoting opportunities for careers in health care and training for traditional and non-traditional students.

Using a motorhome shell customized to demonstrate various health care training modalities, Johnson College plans to give potential students a hands-on experience to see and feel what it would be like to work in a health care environment. In addition to the hands-on encounter, Johnson College staff will be available to answer questions and help potential students resolve or eliminate common barriers to educational access.

With this new program, Johnson College will be able to show participants that there is a path to meet their needs. Johnson College offers pathways to healthcare careers with associate degree programs such as physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology, and biomedical equipment technology as well as continuing education programs like certified nursing assistant and medical billing and coding.

With the focus on engaging non-traditional students, Johnson College will broaden opportunities for students who represent diverse age, economic, educational, and cultural backgrounds. These potential students include displaced workers due to COVID-19, non-English speaking individuals, those who want/need to return to the workforce post-retirement or family, and those seeking a new career path.

“This project illustrates exactly what we do so well here at Johnson College. We think of innovative and new ways to provide people with the education and job training that they need to obtain a family-sustaining career,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College. “With this mobile lab, we will be able to demonstrate to people in the region that a career in health care is attainable and give them a taste of what hands-on education at Johnson College is like.”

Photo Caption: Johnson College has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation which will support the Foundation and College’s goal to address the critical growing need for health care professionals by promoting opportunities for careers in health care and training for traditional and non-traditional students. Left to right: LaTida Smith, President & CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation, and Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College.

Johnson College Receives $490,381 Grant from the USDA for Rural Distance Learning Program

Johnson College has been awarded a $490,381 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the agency’s Telemedicine and Distance Learning Program. This grant will support the College’s goal to implement a distance learning program improving access to higher education opportunities for rural areas in Wayne, Pike, and Susquehanna counties.

The project will link Johnson College with four rural high schools: Forest City Regional High School, Honesdale High School, Wallenpaupack Area High School, and Western Wayne High School.  As well as three libraries: Lakewood Library, Newfoundland Library, and Pleasant Mount Library by high-tech telecommunications equipment.

Both high school and adult students will have interactive, two-way access to Johnson College faculty and will participate in remote education, discussions, testing, and skill demonstrations. Laboratories and classrooms at Johnson College will be similarly equipped to enable maximum interaction between faculty and students. In addition, the three rural libraries will be equipped with laptops to give community residents access to career exploration services and information about courses at Johnson College. Students participating in the distance learning program will be able to work towards completing any one of the 15 academic programs Johnson College offers.

The project will create a direct route to career technology education (CTE), a college degree, and ultimately a fulfilling career with family-sustaining wages for students in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania. For many families, this will be the first generation empowered to attend college and removes several barriers like transportation to make college possible. We will focus on a distance learning platform using the latest in two-way interactive telecommunications technology to create an environment that is as close to the Johnson College onsite classroom and laboratory experience as possible while being delivered in the high school community.

The rural nature of the region presents several barriers to students and community residents in accessing higher education. The high schools collaborating on this project are between 21 and 31 miles from Johnson College. Because of family responsibilities, cultural norms, or factors related to working while enrolled in school, many students stay close to home for college. When there are no institutions of higher education close by, transportation and distance become barriers to upward mobility, fulfilling careers, and financially rewarding positions. This program can change that through distance learning and telecommunications. This strategy has several benefits for the individual student, the community, the industry partners needing more workers, and the state/regional/local economic development efforts.

This project also benefits Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education which is integral to the College’s curriculum for all students attending Johnson College, whether through distance learning, online learning, or on-campus learning. The specialized STEM training made possible by this grant funding will give students the opportunity to start their college degree while still in high school and complete earlier for in-demand positions throughout the region, as well as provide an opportunity to train non-high school students for new careers due to job loss or the desire for positions with higher family-sustaining wages.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with these schools and libraries to bring the Johnson College experience to those who otherwise might not be able to take advantage of it,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College. “Everyone should have the opportunity to learn skills that can lead to family-sustaining wages for in-demand careers.”

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) congratulated Johnson College and applauded the project. “As the internet fuels more innovative higher learning options, we need to invest to make sure they are accessible,” said Cartwright. “Projects like this open the door to exciting educational opportunities that give more students a shot at a fulfilling career, regardless of their zip code. I want to congratulate Johnson College on this well-deserved federal award.”

In addition to the distance learning opportunity this funding provides, students will also have access to Johnson College’s full array of on-campus support services including tutoring, counseling, career advisement, financial aid, internship opportunities, and exposure to industry from day one. Distance learning will help high school and adult students reach their full potential, and connect with the region’s essential careers already in demand.

Johnson College Receives a $25,000 Grant from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust

Johnson College was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust to support the College’s efforts to perform a comprehensive, campus-wide audit to ensure its campus is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Johnson College’s staff want to make sure that the campus is welcoming to all who visit. It is paramount to the College’s institutional goal of promoting equity and inclusion as part of its Strategic Plan. Identifying and resolving accessibility issues throughout campus will achieve this important goal and affirm the College is in compliance with current ADA requirements.

“While our buildings were either designed or retrofitted to be ADA-compliant, we’re always working to improve our campus,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, Johnson College President & CEO. “We are grateful to the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust for this grant that will ensure our campus is accessible to everyone who is enrolled, works and visits Johnson College.”

Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912, and is the region’s premier technical college, offering associate degrees in 15 programs and 3 academic certificates. An emphasis on hands-on instruction is supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional business and industry to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.