Education category, Page 44
Hempfield Area high school project heads into bidding phase this summer
The $128 million revitalization project at Hempfield Area High School will take another step forward this summer when the district accepts construction bids and awards contracts. In an update sent to parents this week, district officials noted the project’s phased construction is set to begin in August and end in...
U.S. surgeon general calls for action on social media to ‘protect kids now’
The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens — and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now.” With young people’s social media use “near universal” but its...
Federal rule could remove chocolate milk option in some Pa. schools
Young students could soon be without chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milks as an option at school cafeterias, if a federal proposal is approved, and some Pennsylvania officials are cautioning against the potential change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently proposed banning flavored milk as a cafeteria option for elementary and middle...
Funeral arrangements announced for La Roche University President Sister Candace Introcaso
Funeral arrangements for La Roche University President Sister Candace Introcaso have been announced. A viewing for Introcaso, who died Monday, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Visitation Chapel in The Commons at Providence Heights in McCandless. A Mass will be...
8 tips for parents and teens on social media use
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, is calling for “immediate action” by tech companies and lawmakers to protect kids’ and adolescents’ mental health on social media. But after years of middling and insufficient action by both social media platforms and policymakers, parents and young people still bear most of...
Car seats and baby formula are regulated. Is social media next?
The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens — and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now.” With young people’s social media use “near universal” but its...
Tax increase included in draft Hempfield Area budget
A 2.3 mill real estate tax increase that’s included in a proposed 2023-24 budget will be used to cover expenses associated with rising health insurance rates, updated curriculum, and hiring school police officers in Hempfield Area School District. The proposed spending plan was adopted Monday by Hempfield’s school board. The...
Using ‘he/him,’ ‘she/her’ in emails got 2 dorm directors fired at N.Y. Christian college
NEW YORK — Shua Wilmot and Raegan Zelaya, two former dorm directors at a small Christian university in western New York, acknowledge their names are unconventional, which explains why they attached gender identities to their work email signatures. Wilmot uses “he/him.” Zelaya goes by “she/her.” Their former employer, Houghton University,...
Show me the money: Teachers, education experts advocate for financial literacy
Ligonier Valley financial literacy teacher Martin Hickey often hears from students about how his classes have impacted their lives, but one response from a former pupil sticks with him. “One of the kids I had in my class, I happened to see him in the street … and he goes,...
Franklin Regional recognized as model for education excellence by national association
The Franklin Regional School District was among six in the U.S. to be chosen by the School Superintendents Association as a model of positive change in public education. The association recognized Franklin Regional as a 2023 spring “Lighthouse System,” adding it to the 120-member Learning 2025 Network, a group of...
Ligonier Valley dance canceled, citing bad student behavior
A middle school dance scheduled for Friday night was abruptly canceled at Ligonier Valley Middle School because of student “disrespect and misconduct,” according to a letter sent to parents. The letter, signed by middle school Principal Paulina Burns, said that students’ behavior at recent events “has fallen short of our...
Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship hosts ‘Shark Tank’ inspired competition
Destiny Folks walked toward the judges and introduced herself and the company she founded, Rising Artists. Folks told them why she started the business. Her presentation was smooth and efficient — she talked about her vision like a veteran owner. But she hasn’t been doing it that long. Folks is...
5 IUP executives fired in move to cut costs, streamline operations
Five executives at Indiana University of Pennsylvania have lost their jobs in a move the university says is designed to cut costs and streamline operations. “IUP, like colleges and universities across the nation, is facing dramatic challenges both internally and externally (and) must accelerate its progress toward student-centeredness and financial...
The pandemic widened gaps in reading. Can 1 teacher ‘do something about that’?
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Richard Evans makes his way through rows of his students in his third grade classroom, stooping to pick up an errant pencil and answering questions above the din of chairs sliding on hardwood floors. The desks, once spread apart to fight covid-19, are back together. But...
Shapiro talks mental health, budget plans with Hempfield Area High School students
Hempfield Area High School students talked about school start times, stress, mental health, class workload and free breakfast during a Wednesday visit from Gov. Josh Shapiro. The governor listened to the students’ suggestions on ways to improve their education experience during a roundtable discussion in the high school library. Shapiro...
A Florida man living underwater won’t resurface even after breaking the recordVideo
KEY LARGO, Fla. — A university professor broke a record for the longest time living underwater without depressurization this weekend at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers. Joseph Dituri’s 74th day residing in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, situated at the bottom of a 30-foot-deep lagoon in Key Largo, wasn’t much...
Aloha! Mt. Pleasant Area hosts luau for life skills students from around the county
Westmoreland students didn’t need to go to Hawaii to enjoy a luau Friday morning. Staff at Mt. Pleasant Area Junior High School hosted a luau-themed party for life skills students from high schools throughout the county. “I think that being around kids just like them makes them feel comfortable,” said...
Washington & Jefferson to start offering bachelor’s degree in nursing
Washington & Jefferson College plans to start offering a bachelor’s degree in nursing starting in the fall of 2024. W&J leaders say the move makes sense, with nurses in high demand and the school able to partner with nearby Washington Health System’s Washington Hospital. The college plans to enroll 24...
Carnegie Mellon artificial intelligence institute to receive $20M in federal funding
Carnegie Mellon University will use $20 million in federal funding to establish an artificial intelligence institute that will look for ways to use AI to deal with public health, disaster management and other societal needs. The AI Institute for Societal Decision Making will develop “human-centric AI tools” that can respond...
Republicans continue push to restrict teachings on race in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Republicans are one step closer to restricting how teachers discuss race in K-12 classrooms. As conservatives nationwide push bans on so-called “critical race theory,” the state Senate passed a likeminded effort Wednesday in a late-night 27-10 vote after nearly six hours of debate. Parents could...
Annual health fair in Unity livens up wellness, safety education
The excited shouts and laughter of third graders filled the halls of Charter Oak Church as students from four area school districts gathered Wednesday to learn from local health care professionals and community members at the annual Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society Children’s Health Fair. The event, which began in...
Duquesne now allowed to recruit students to planned osteopathic medical school
Duquesne University is allowed to begin recruiting students to its planned college of osteopathic medicine, a significant step toward opening in the fall of 2024. The college rising along Forbes Avenue on the Bluff now has pre-accreditation status from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, campus officials said Wednesday. The...
Revised Hempfield middle school redistricting plan approved
Hempfield Area School District now has a final answer to where students will attend middle school next year, after approving a revised plan for redistricting. The plan defines where students will go to school in the wake of a February vote to condense the district’s three middle schools into two...
Westmoreland, Allegheny teachers will study how to enhance STEM programs
Educators in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties are seeking out teaching practices that best prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Faculty and staff members from five school districts in Westmoreland and six in Allegheny will participate in partnership with intermediate units, the Consortium for Public Education and...
IUP initiative garners $1.5 million grant for multi-country STEAMSHOP spaces
INDIANA, Pa. — Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been awarded a $1.5 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant to develop an entrepreneurial makerspace ecosystem with Pittsburgh-based company Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing that’ll benefit a local business. The school will lead the effort for the STEAMSHOP (science, technology, engineering, arts...
