WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Hundreds of thousands of visitors will soon flock to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center to celebrate the Commonwealth’s leading industry, and Pennsylvania College of Technology students and employees will be on hand for an interactive peek into the real-world applications of “degrees that work.”
“A beloved tradition of Penn College, the Pennsylvania Farm Show continues to be the highlight of the new year. During the weeklong festivities, members of Admissions, Alumni Relations and Academic Affairs bring Penn College to Harrisburg and showcase all of the amazing opportunities that await students on campus,” said Claire Z. Biggs, coordinator of admissions events and services. “Through our interactive and hands-on activities, we hope that friends of the college will come to learn what makes applied technology education so special.”
The college’s presence at the 102nd annual showcase actually begins in advance of the official opening, as two faculty and 10 students from the School of Business & Hospitality prepare for the busy week ahead.
They will spend the first two days — Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 6 and 7 — working at the Culinary Connection stage in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and guest/celebrity chefs, preparing all of the menu items needed for on-stage demonstrations and providing on-stage assistance. Among the chefs they will work with are Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, executive chef at Butter in New York City and a Food Network Iron Chef and regular “Chopped” judge, and four Penn College alumni chefs who work at some of the state’s top restaurants.
On Saturday, Jan. 6, Farm Show visitors can try their hand at spray-paint application — with none of the mess! — thanks to the automotive side of the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies. The virtual-reality SpraySim paint simulator will gauge participants’ technique and efficiency, while projecting their attempts on a large-screen monitor in the display area.
Also on hand will be an English wheel, used by restoration students in metalforming, and a “glass engine” in which patrons can easily view the process of internal combustion.
On Sunday and Monday, Jan. 7-8, the latter being Ag Careers & Education Day at the Farm Show, the college’s School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies will offer demonstrations and hands-on activities in forestry and horticulture. Guests can choose among pine, vegetable or flower seedlings to assemble into containers, with instructions on how to plant and nurture them in the spring.
The school will also proudly hang the college’s “Tree Campus USA” banner, display a mannequin wearing a forester’s personal protection equipment, and explain how tomatoes and lettuce can be grow hydroponically.
The School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications — and Penn College’s new brewing and fermentation major — will be spotlighted on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Farm Show visitors will employ industry-standard instruments to determine bushel weight and kernel size of malted barley samples, and a sieve to mill malt and evaluate grit-size distribution.
The School of Health Sciences will be at the college booth on Wednesday, Jan. 10, giving attendees a practical appreciation of surgical technology through mock laparoscopic procedures. They can also feel for a pulse and listen to heart/lung sounds on “Sim Jr.,” and younger attendees can use wraps to bandage arms and legs.
On Thursday, Jan. 11, young builders stopping by the School of Construction & Design Technologies display can get an early start on exploring construction careers by assembling pre-cut wooden toolboxes to take home.
The School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies will feature its information technology majors on Friday, Jan. 12, with a fun hands-on activity: Virtual Reality Bowling!
On Saturday, Jan. 13, visitors can chat with Admissions Office staff about all things Penn College. From hands-on programs to athletics and more, staff will share what makes Penn College such a great place to learn.
For more detailed information about Penn College’s 2018 Pennsylvania Farm Show participation, visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us/.
For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.