Reading, PA – On Wednesday, December 18, 2019, a group of Berks County community leaders announced a newly created non-profit organization called the Berks Latino Workforce Development Corporation (BLWDC). The mission of the BLWDC is to move Latinos out of poverty by providing self-awareness, education, and workforce development training, and empowering them to create greater economic wealth.

Recently appointed to the board of directors is Reading Area Community College President Dr. Susan D. Looney. “It is an honor to be selected to serve on the board of an organization with a mission that so closely ties in with Reading Area Community College’s mission of building communities of learning which are committed to educational growth and the economic vitality of our region,” Dr. Looney says. 

The BLWDC will serve as a platform to foster cooperation and investment between the community, business, government, education, and philanthropy sectors. The purpose is to resolve the Latino workforce development gap for marginalized individuals.  

“This organization will facilitate community improvement, provide culturally appropriate training and increase employment opportunities for economically and socially disadvantaged members of our community,” says Board Chair Jonathan Encarnacion.

The BLWDC plans to develop a bilingual technology center that will serve as the vehicle to provide training and increase employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged in the Latino community.  The training center’s curriculum will include language development courses to advance English Language proficiency, adult education that allows students to achieve their high school equivalency certificate, job readiness training to facilitate entering the workforce, and practical skills training for high demand occupations. It is expected that training programs and other supportive services will be provided in collaboration with other local educational and non-profit organizations.

The organization has launched a regional search for an Executive Director and is projected to begin providing services by the second quarter of 2020. Board members for the newly formed BLWDC include: Jonathan Encarnacion (Chair) Administrative Director, UPMC; Nereida Villanueva (Vice Chair) HR Director, Berks Community Health Center, Jobany Bedoya (Secretary) Coordinator Latino Outreach, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance; Bill Jennings (Treasurer) President and CEO, Reading Hospital; Daniel Betancourt, President and CEO, Community First Fund; Dayana Blandon, Human Resource Generalist, Reading Truck Body; Lizette Epps, Director of Impact and Engagement, Visions Credit Union; Angel Figueroa, CEO, I-LEAD Charter School; Carlos Graupera, President, Spanish American Civic Association, Ramon Melecio, CEO, LinkTech; Pamela Shupp, EVP & COO, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, and John Weidenhammer, President, Weidenhammer Systems Incorporated

To learn more about the Berks Latino Workforce Development Corporation, call 610.207.3691.

Reading, PA –December 12, 2019 – Reading Area Community College (RACC) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the promotion of Jodi Corbett to the newly created position of associate vice president of community and academic partnerships. Ms. Corbett has held several positions at RACC since 2007, most recently serving as director of academic partnerships since 2014.

In her enhanced leadership role, Ms. Corbett will oversee the development and strengthening of educational partnerships, and develop and oversee college and university transfer partnerships. She will also seek and secure grant opportunities for scholarships and innovative academic projects. She will continue to work collaboratively with faculty and staff to build seamless academic pathways from early college programs to bachelor’s degree programs through the college.

"I am delighted to have Jodi in this new role at the college," says RACC President Dr. Susan D. Looney. "Her exceptional record of success in developing and maintaining key educational and community partnerships, combined with her passion for higher education, will continue to increase the value of our efforts as we expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education in Berks County."

Ms. Corbett led National Endowment for the Humanities professional and curricular development programs focused on increasing content knowledge and infusion of Latino history and culture into curriculum. RACC is Pennsylvania’s only Hispanic Serving Institution in higher education. As an administrator, she completed the Presidents’ Leadership Institute (PLI) in 2017, and is currently co-coordinating the 2019-2020 cohort.

She serves as a member of multiple Chapter 339 school counselor advisory councils, Berks Career & Technology Advisory Council, CareerReadyBerks Pathway Alliance leadership team, and the Reading Science Center Board.

Ms. Corbett is an alumna of Reading Area Community College and Kutztown University.

To learn more about community and academic partnership opportunities with RACC, call 610.607.6219.

Reading, PA – December 7, 2019 – The Practical Nursing Program of Reading Area Community College celebrated its Commencement on Thursday, December 6, 2019 at 4PM in the Miller Center for the Arts on the Reading Area Community College campus.

A total of twenty-two students received Certificates in Practical Nursing, which then makes them eligible to take for the PA State Board of Nursing Licensing Exam. Students in the 2019 graduating class are: Samuel Bandle, Pamely Dejesus, Sophie Desrosiers, Karon Dockery, Leimy Dotel DeJesus, Rashana Harris, Olivia Huertas, Jarrice Jones, Anusha Liyanage, Sonia Mendoza, Diana Morales-Camargo, Marisa-Ashlee Morris, Sophiane Mouscardy, Gerardine Murassaint-Orelien, Victoria Najarian, Loise Otieno, Beverly Ramirez-Oliva, Princessca Rene, Bianca Rodriguez, Catherine Rogers, Yomaris Torres and Christina Waltman.

Awards were presented to students who excelled academically and exhibited outstanding clinical performance throughout the Practical Nursing Program. The Frances Troutman Award for Nursing Excellence was presented to Loise Otieno. The Award for Outstanding Performance and Nursing Professionalism was presented to Sophia Desrosiers, and the Country Meadows Award for Academics and Leadership was presented to Rashana Harris. Congratulations to the Class of 2019. Good luck in your nursing career.

To learn more about the Practical Nursing Programs at RACC please call 610.236.3944.

Reading, PA – Reading Area Community College hosted over 130 Berks County middle school students, teachers and administrators for their third annual STEM Day on Friday, November 8th.

Students from Tulpehocken, Reading, Wilson, Kutztown, Brandywine, Oley Valley, Conrad Weiser, Antietam and Daniel Boone School Districts conducted hands-on experiments using techniques and procedures in the areas of geocaching, chemistry, robotics, physics, medical lab technology, respiratory therapy and even simulated crime scene investigations using forensics technology. The experiments were designed to help get students excited about how fun science can be as a career path and encourage them to make positive future life and career choices.

“We’re focused on developing strategies and fun programming for young people that encourage a passion for STEM. This is our third annual STEM Day and it’s a wonderful chance to show the students from Berks County school districts and the Berks community what is happening in STEM at RACC; and how our young people can prepare to take these areas to an exciting new level in the future,” says RACC President Dr. Susan Looney.

After extensive renovations in the spring and summer of 2017, RACC’s labs are dedicated to every segment of the STEM division, incorporating applied engineering and technology, physical and life sciences, and health sciences. The chemistry and physics labs were relocated into the Schmidt Training and Technology Center to better integrate both areas into the workforce development and applied engineering programs.

“In just three years, STEM Day has become a beloved RACC tradition for our K12 partners’ middle school students and teachers. Our faculty and staff have as much fun as the kids, and I’m especially proud of RACC colleagues who share their talents and time on STEM Day. A truly remarkable day for STEM education in Berks County,” says RACC Director of Academic Partnerships, Jodi Corbett. 

To learn more about the STEM programs at RACC please call 610.607.6224 or visit RACC STEM programs.

READING, Oct. 31 – State Reps. Tom Caltagirone and Mark Rozzi and Sen. Judy Schwank announced Reading Area Community College will receive almost $43,000 in state funding from a Preschool Development Grant as part of a $1.5 million investment from the state to improve the quality of early childcare education.

“This grant will ultimately help provide a seamless pathway for students attending Reading Area Community College to pursue a Bachelor of Science in education at Kutztown University,” said Caltagirone, D-Berks. “The program will not only benefit college students by helping them earn teacher certification, but it has the potential to have a great impact on our region by improving the quality of the education our future teachers receive.” 

Reading Area Community College will receive a grant totaling $42,947.

“This grant will help provide a stronger relationship between a local college and local university, developing project partners that will ultimately benefit all of the students in our region,” Rozzi said.

The grants will allow the universities and colleges to design specific courses related to Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood Infant and Toddlers and Pre-Kindergarten.

“We are fortunate in Berks to have institutions of higher learning that are willing to work together for the benefit of students,” Schwank said. “Well-educated early childhood teachers are a necessity if we are to properly prepare future generations of learners, and this grant will help pave the way for those teachers.”

The grant is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Human Services Office of Child Development and Early Learning and the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education.