Have you heard the news? HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is offering 10 (YES, 10!) full-ride scholarships to continuing and future HACC students. This means, all of YOUR HACC-related expenses, including tuition, books and fees, would be covered, and you could focus on earning your education. The best part is… You would not have to repay these funds. 

Does this interest you? #HACCyeah! To learn more and apply for the full-ride scholarship, please visit hacc.edu/AWD. Applications are due April 2, 2023. 

The HACC Foundation has completed its #HACCFirstResponderClub crowdfunding campaign to recruit, engage and provide a possible career pathway for future first responders, thanks to a $10,000 contribution in 2022 from AT&T Foundation.

HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is one of the largest public safety training organizations in our region. Many recruits for HACC’s public safety programs are graduating high school students, but the junior first responder club will spark interest as early as middle school and early high school.

During this crucial time when students are exploring potential careers, junior first responder club members will explore all facets of public safety by engaging in hands-on, experiential learning in the areas of law enforcement, fire and rescue and emergency medical services. Some examples of this type of learning include:

• Engaging with HACC students in public safety programs and with public safety professionals

• Learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, self-defense and situational awareness

• Participating in team-building and leadership activities

• Using a fire extinguisher

Students also may have opportunities to earn credentials by participating in this club.

Across all sectors of public safety, there is a need for new, diverse employees. By involving students in experiential learning and offering these opportunities, the club potentially will attract underserved and underrepresented students to public safety programs. Our community will benefit from having a more diverse future workforce. 

Thanks to the generous support of multiple donors, the HACC Foundation has received more than $108,000 for its #HACCtrainsHeroes crowdfunding campaign to prepare emergency medical services (EMS) workers in Central Pennsylvania for life-saving situations in which seconds count.

This critically important project will allow EMS students at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, to safely learn and practice real-life emergency skills on state-of-the-art simulation equipment. Students will gain a high-level understanding of anatomy and physiology, pathology and essential life-saving procedures through hands-on experiences and receive real-time feedback. This kind of realistic simulation has been proven to provide efficient field care and improve EMS treatment outcomes.

Students from HACC’s EMS programs, such as Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic certificate programs, as well as current EMS providers in the region who are seeking continuing education will benefit from this in-depth training.

Major contributors to this project include Arlene Utz Hollinger Foundation, John Crain Kunkel Foundation, Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation Inc. and LFH Foundation.

The HACC Foundation provided funding for the purchase of a cardiac and hemodynamic simulator for HACC’s Respiratory Therapist Program. The addition of this simulator was vital in helping the College’s diverse student population prepare to meet the rigors of the ever-changing and competitive healthcare employment market. The instructors were better able to simulate real-life situations while the students practiced with the mannequins. The purchase of the equipment allows students to:

• Visualize cardiac rhythms and interpret potentially life threatening arrhythmias

• Identify when pressures within the heart are changing, which can lead to faster interventions and better patient outcomes

• Prepare for taking care of real patients with more confidence

• Increase response times and patient outcomes  

Employers are looking for respiratory therapists who are highly skilled. The inclusion of this equipment allows the Respiratory Therapist Program to continue providing high-level education to the students and continue their stellar 100% job placement rate for graduates seeking employment. HACC is proudly known in the industry for having the most educated therapists in Central Pennsylvania. This, in turn, provides confidence to future students that HACC is the best place to gain the education that can lead to a career as a respiratory therapist.

The HACC Board of Trustees has approved the permanent closure of the swimming pool at the J. W. Evans Physical Education Building on the Harrisburg Campus. The pool has been closed since December 2020 because of system failures and the need for multiple repairs and upgrades.

The decision was made Dec. 6, 2022, after careful consideration, an extensive feasibility study and consultation. The plan is to repurpose the space for wider student and community use, with work to begin this year.  Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

“Perceiving Emptiness” by internationally known artist Jayoung Yoon will be displayed in the Rose Lehrman Art Gallery at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, from Feb. 20 to March 17. The public is invited to a free lecture by the artist on March 2 at 6 p.m. in room 214 of Whitaker Hall on HACC’s Harrisburg Campus. A reception will follow the lecture at the Rose Lehrman Art Gallery.

The work of Yoon, a New York-based artist born in South Korea, draws upon the mind-matter phenomenon, exploring memory, perception and bodily sensations. The primary medium in her work is human hair, a material that is intimately corporeal, tactile and focuses the viewer’s attention on the body. 

Yoon’s work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries and has appeared in various publications.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact Shawn Williams at 717-780-2478 or smwillia@hacc.edu.

You are invited to participate in the exciting HACC events we have coming up.

Please visit the HACC Events Calendar for more information.  We will see you there!

We are #HACCproud of our students, alumni, Board members, donors and employees! We want to hear about how HACC changed your life and the people who helped you on your path to success. 

It only takes a few minutes to share your story with us. You can record a short video or complete a short questionnaire. When you are ready, please go to hacc.edu/Stories.

Please note that your story may be featured on:

• Ads (including Facebook and TV)

• Billboards

• Emails

• HACC’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages 

• Websites (hacc.edu and haccfoundation.org)

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at releaseform@hacc.edu. Thank you!

HACC is looking for high-performing professionals ready to serve and transform the lives of students. 

If you are interested in being a part of the HACC employee community, please visit our career site to view available positions.