Outreach

The university hosted its 30th Annual STEAM Day attended by 33 local high schools, 51 high school teachers, and record attendance of 481 high school students.

The Saint Francis University Community Blanketeer collected 275 beautiful quilted, crocheted, knitted, and tied blankets that will be distributed to sick and needy children in Cambria, Blair, and Somerset counties through the Healing Patch and Nurse Family Partnership (Home Nursing Agency), and through Dauntless Fire Company for comfort during emergency situations.

The Saint Francis University Community Blanketeers collection will begin September 25 and run through November 1, 2023. Since 2006, the Blanketeers have collected more than 2,337 beautiful blankets, which have been donated to local children in Blair County, Cambria County, and surrounding areas.

Physical Therapy and General Engineering students teamed up to take on the challenge of providing a custom-modified Power Wheels car for a local child struggling with physical disabilities impeding her from getting around on her own.

Brother Shamus McGrenra, a 76-year-old stage IV colon cancer survivor and a Franciscan Friar, will embark on his 13th Annual #GoBroShamus Charity Bike Ride on June 3, 2023. Cycling the local Rails to Trails in Pennsylvania and Maryland, Brother Shamus will complete the ride over the course of two back-to-back weekends.

While the teaching crisis impacts all locales, rural schools are having issues finding teachers for specific classes and grade spans, especially the disciplines of math and science. Saint Francis University's Graduate Education Department is committed to improving teacher quality by offering research-based solutions that may serve as viable solutions to the teacher shortage.

SFU's Criminal Justice Program has been awarded the 2023 CJ Program of the Year by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) on March 18. The ACJS is an international association established to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice.

A grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation will allow SFU to offer professional development opportunities for middle and high school science teachers with enhanced learning opportunities for their students at no cost.

From a clothing boutique and BBQ restaurant to a wellness center and hair salon, the SBDC has aided small business owners across the region post-pandemic.

A group of students from St. Michaels School were the first to experience the NASA-funded Space Sciences and Engineering Mobile Interactive Exhibit for Rural Areas: Earth to Moon exhibit during a soft opening on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at Saint Francis University.