Wyomissing Foundation bestows $300k grant for CollegeTowne initiative
BCTV finds new home on Penn Street
Collaboration with 17勛圖厙 brings community media to CollegeTowne campus
17勛圖厙 partners with Royals to bring hockey back to Reading
Students gain access to experiential learning
17勛圖厙 partners with ReadingFilmFEST
OPake Institute provides business services as part of arts expansion
President's Column: To improve is to change...
President John R. Loyack shares his thoughts in the President's Column in the Winter 2021 issue of the 17勛圖厙 Magazine.
Visions joins Reading CollegeTowne
17勛圖厙 students gain access to micro lending training
New workplace development certificate programs meet local demand
O'Pake Institute programming allows professionals to remain competitive
17勛圖厙 breaks ground on $20 million CollegeTowne renovation project
Starbucks coming to 401 Penn Street
17勛圖厙 secures record-breaking $4 million grant
PA RACP grant funds Reading-based initiative
Three-year award provides support for student powered business incubator
17勛圖厙 receives a $300,000 grant from the to support the student powered business incubator, the flagship program through the universitys OPake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.
This grant is another step forward for the Reading CollegeTowne movement, 17勛圖厙 students, local business and entrepreneurs, community organizations and future Reading residents, said 17勛圖厙 President John R. Loyack. We are grateful for the partnership with the Wyomissing Foundation and for their generous support of this transformational initiative in downtown Reading.
The student powered business incubator is central to the Reading CollegeTowne initiative, the innovative strategy of expanding the campus into the downtown area to continue its Franciscan mission of serving the underserved through education and economic development.
The incubator is student-run and provides experiential learning opportunities for students of all disciplines. This initiative will allow students to create, collaborate and lead while providing hands-on support to new ventures and entrepreneurs in the community.
The Wyomissing Foundation is always seeking to invest in catalytic initiatives that produce long-term and game-changing outcomes for our community, said Wyomissing Foundation President Karen Rightmire. Reading CollegeTowne and the student powered business incubator have the potential to accomplish that by transforming economic and community development in the heart of downtown Reading for decades to come. In addition, both 17勛圖厙 students and current residents living in Reading and Berks County will have increased educational, employment and economic opportunities because of these initiatives. Were pleased to be a partner with 17勛圖厙 in helping make all this happen.
The grant will be awarded over three years and will support the expansion of the student powered business incubator, including new staff and student fellow positions, training and resource expansion for incubator clients.
Previously this year, the OPake institute announced partnerships with SCORE Berks Schuylkill Chapter, Lehigh Valley Angel Investors, Kutztown Universitys Small Business Development Center and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as the institutes first corporate sponsors, and Customers Bank.
17勛圖厙 has partnered with RLPS Architects and Warfel Construction to begin the renovation and retrofitting of the former CNA building this year after it was purchased by the university on June 30. The university recently announced the addition of three engineering programs that will be housed at the location. 17勛圖厙's communication and business programs, student powered business incubator and OPake Institute will also be located at the downtown location.