Left to right, Penn State DuBois' Director of Development Jean Wolf and Chancellor Melanie Hatch accept a check from Phoenix Sintered Metals Chief Operating Officer Steve Leuschel and Community Initiatives Coordinator Nick Hoffman.
Phoenix Sintered Metals of Brockway, Pennsylvania, has contributed support to youth programs at Penn State DuBois through a Pennsylvania state tax credit program. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program is administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development, and allows businesses to contribute to specified educational institutions in lieu of regular state tax payments. Specifically, EITC requires that businesses support scholarship funds for youth.
At Penn State DuBois, programs that benefit from the Phoenix gift include Kids in College and Math Options. Kids in College provides fun learning opportunities in reading, science and art for thousands of youngsters. The main objective of the program is to increase students' interest and knowledge in the arts, science and technology, and to provide challenging experiences which are not part of the regular school curriculum.
Math Options is designed to teach middle schoolers how math skills apply to a variety of real-world situations and rewarding careers. The hope is that they stay interested in mathematics by learning about the opportunities and success that they can realize through its’ use. The program is aimed at the specific seventh grade demographic, especially girls, because statistics show that they are at the greatest risk for losing interest in these essential subjects.
"The DuBois campus of the Pennsylvania State University has been a major player for post- secondary education in our area. Phoenix has been working with the local university on specialized programs over the last four years," said Steve Leuschel, chief operating officer and general manager of Phoenix Sintered Metals. "These programs have been a tremendous benefit to the educational needs of our employees. We are grateful to have this significant resource right in our back yard. We are pleased to contribute to Penn State DuBois’ innovative educational programs such as Kids in College and Math Options."
Upon receiving the check from Leuschel, Penn State DuBois Chancellor Melanie Hatch remarked, "We are very grateful for the gift; the programs it supports are going extremely well and are so important to the youth of this area. One of our favorite ways to reach out to our community is to support our area youth, and provide opportunities for learning that they may not have available in their regular curricula. Our programs supplement what children learn in local schools, and give them an edge in their educational pursuits; an edge they’ll maintain throughout their student career."