Exploring the UN Sustainable Development Goals — Goal 2: Zero Hunger

One of the biggest questions facing our world today is “how can people still be hungry when there is so much food available?” The short answer: poverty and lack of resources. Though there is enough food in the world to feed everyone in it, many individuals cannot afford food for their family.

Exploring the UN Sustainable Development Goals — Goal 1: No Poverty

How is poverty connected to sustainability? How does one affect the other? Why is it important and relative to all, not just those experiencing poverty? The issue is a multifaceted relationship that requires us to look at the structural economic, environmental, and social causes and impact of each.

National Green Infrastructure Certification Program Has Lasting Impact on Participants

Throughout the year, Penn State Center Pittsburgh hosts the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP) for industry professionals interested in engaging with their peers and learning more about local trends in green infrastructure. The comprehensive program covers the design, installation, inspection, and maintenance of green stormwater infrastructure relating to the Pennsylvania Best Management Practices manual and positions certified professionals for possible career advancement opportunities.

City Semester Registration Now Open for Spring 2021

Registration for the spring 2021 City Semester program is now open. This program for undergraduate Penn State students provides the opportunity to spend an entire semester studying urban sustainability, interning virtually or in-person with a Pittsburgh partner, and making valuable connections to community leaders and potential future employers.

Students Work to Educate Pennsylvanians about Benefits of Renewable Energy

Penn State Center Pittsburgh’s City Semester students are working virtually on the Pennsylvania Solar Center’s Renew PA Works campaign in an effort to educate Pennsylvanians about the benefits of renewable energy, including job creation. Sharon Pillar, founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Solar Center — a nonprofit organization committed to helping Pennsylvania businesses, nonprofits…

Landscape Architecture Project Develops Plans to Improve Parts of Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Students in the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program at Penn State made the community their classroom by designing a system of restorative and interactive public spaces in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Hazelwood. Their project is a collaboration between the Penn State Center Pittsburgh, the College of Arts and Architecture, and most importantly, the…

Newsletter Spotlight: Jordyn Hinkle

Get to know more about Jordyn Hinkle, a 2020 Penn State graduate (Earth Science and Policy major, minor in Sustainability Leadership) and former participant in Penn State Center Pittsburgh’s City Semester program. Jordyn joined 3 other students in the fall of 2018 for the program and became an ambassador for City Semester upon her return…

CITY Program at Home

During the school year, a group of Pittsburgh high school students met twice a week at the Penn State Center Pittsburgh to explore their future and improve their community. The students were a part of the Community Innovation Training for Youth (CITY) program, which aims to provide local students with a unique out-of-classroom learning experience…

City Semester Pittsburgh Goes Virtual This Summer

Penn State Center Pittsburgh’s City Semester program kicked off last week, looking a little different than in years past. The program is a unique experience that provides Penn State students with an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the Pittsburgh community and their future. Typically, students are fully immersed in the program — living…

Pittsburgh Landscape Architecture Studio Spring 2020 Goes Virtual

For spring semester 2020, Penn State Center Pittsburgh helped landscape architecture students from Ken Tamminga’s Landscape Architecture Design and Theory V (LARCH 414) course with their Pittsburgh Studio project by connecting them to the neighborhood of Hazelwood. At the beginning of the semester, students met with residents and partner organizations to discuss the future of three sites in the community — Hazelwood Green, Southwest Hazelwood, and Gladstone to…