With 5 colleges and universities in the Berks County footprint, it is easy to understand why Greater Reading has bragging rights to add LEARN to Live, Work, Play. Meet Greater RDG is always looking for the positivity in our community storytelling. Our five institutions provide that positivity, and each has devised unique value propositions for their students and for our community.
Penn State Berks: The Berks LaunchBox located at the GoggleWorks is a downtown anchor and a premier destination for the emerging entrepreneur community. The mission of the Berks LaunchBox is to strengthen the Greater Reading area’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by inspiring a growth mindset and assisting early stage entrepreneurs and start-up companies with accessing the tools and resources they need to launch and scale in this region. The LaunchBox specializes in supporting technology-based, medical innovation and social enterprise start-ups.
Alvernia University has launched the Reading CollegeTowne development which will be another anchor within Reading’s downtown. Located at 4th and Penn Streets, this endeavor will ultimately provide a home to Alvernia students and the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. With an eye on creating real-life experiences for students who can assist start-ups in young businesses, means that Alvernia will serve as a strategic enabler for strengthening the local economy downtown.
Reading Area Community College (RACC) provides a profound physical and programmatic anchor to the Greater Reading community. With world famous Schmidt Training and Technology Center (STTC) and the Miller Center for the Arts, RACC’s beautiful campus sets the stage for a commitment to learning and practical applications in an academic setting. They not only bring together a diverse student population, but the STTC provides customized training programs that adjusts to the changing needs of our local employers. These training programs use evolving instruction methods and technologies that are highly individualized.
Albright College already boasts a beautiful and well-appointed campus in Hampden Heights. Earlier this year, the college announced that they were bringing the Science Research Institute (SRI) on campus. SRI uses a scientific research methodology that can be applied to all disciplines. Students are encouraged to create research projects in the biomedical, genetic, environmental, agricultural, biotechnology and materials sciences as well as dance, art, music, the humanities, culinary arts, and fashion. SRI at Albright offers state-of-the-art scientific summer and after-school programming to middle-and high-school students, who learn to function in a high-level scientific research setting while preparing for college and graduate-level research.
Kutztown University is already well known for its outstanding liberal arts majors, and, just this spring, announced a Bachelor of Arts in music with a track in music business. It is the newest track introduced to Kutztown University’s growing Department of Music. Designed for students interested in working behind the scenes in the music or entertainment industry, the program builds necessary skills for students with or without traditional music backgrounds who want to be successful in the music entertainment industry.
With all of these unique and outstanding academic programs and environment, I think you will join me in saying, “Yes! We are a community to Live, LEARN, Work and Play!”
