PITTSBURGH — Life is often about lessons learned the hard way. One Pittsburgh area learner said she is getting out ahead of that one.
“When I have an opportunity, I’m going to grab it because it could turn out to be something as amazing as this program,” said Tavia, a senior from West Mifflin Area High School. Tavia attended the Readiness Institute (RI) at Penn State Summer Program in 2022 — which like other RI programs is aimed at preparing students for community and future readiness.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from this is that I cannot stay holed up in my room. I must reach out and get out there,” Tavia said. “Meeting all the different people in Pittsburgh while in this program has been my favorite part. Everyone has something different about them. I know this because I go to a public school, but this experience is about people outside of the people I’ve grown up with, meeting others and learning where they came from and what their experiences are.”
High school juniors living in the Pittsburgh area can work with guardians to submit their applications to enroll in the six-week paid RI at Penn State 2023 Summer Program. Applications will be accepted online from Jan. 30 until March 31.
Ethan, a senior from Taylor Allderdice High School in the Pittsburgh Public Schools District is a 2022 RI at Penn State Summer Program alumnus.
“My favorite part of the program has been building relationships with my cohort and the instructors, and the presenters that came in,” Ethan said. “I think I’ve learned a lot, matured, and progressed as a person just by being around them and learning.”
Forty-five learners from Allegheny County will be accepted into the 2023 RI at Penn State Summer Program, which will run June 26 to Aug. 3 and focus on future career paths, financial management, mentorship and digital literacy, applying lessons toward the growth and development needed to become a responsible member of a team and community.
Each learner will receive a $2,000 stipend and a laptop computer to utilize while enrolled in the program. Funding is provided by the Heinz Endowments with assistance from collaborators within the community.
Justin Aglio, interim vice president for Penn State Outreach and executive director for the RI at Penn State, said support has been critical to the program’s success.
“We are so fortunate to collaborate with so many community, education and industry leaders to offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for learners in southwestern Pennsylvania,” Aglio said. “The program is helping learners to grow and thrive as a part of the region’s future.”
Since its inception in 2021, the RI at Penn State — located in the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh — has worked with more than 37 high schools in Western Pennsylvania to facilitate outreach on behalf of students and cultivate experiences working with businesses and organizations in the city and surrounding region. Companies such as Google, Northwest Bank, TEAMology, and EverFi; cultural sites and community initiatives like Carnegie Science Center, Moonshot Museum, Andy Warhol Museum, BUILD and Sunny’s Community Garden, along with neighboring universities such as Carnegie Mellon, all contribute to a learning-rich environment for students enrolled in the RI programs.
Visit the RI at Penn State website to learn more about other opportunities available to learners and educators in western Pennsylvania.