I have learned once we can identify a child’s strength, we are then entrusted to grow that child into their full potential. That may mean it doesn’t always look linear or traditional, and that may be exactly what your child needs.

When weighing the options of education, it would be remiss for parents and guardians to discount cyber learning. Here in Pennsylvania, Reach Cyber Charter School is a state-accredited alternative to your child’s intellectual growth, including social and independent development. It’s a place for those who seek an adaptable, high-quality educational experience for their children in grades K-12.

CEO Jane Swan knows all too well the benefit of individualized learning, as this former teacher became an advocate for her daughter Rebecca, who was born with special needs. Standing for change within the education system, Swan eventually found herself in the world of cyberlearning — not just for Rebecca but for thousands of other students to come.

Reach proudly shares that all of their almost 600 teachers are certified when the state requires only 75% to be certified. Their school board is led by an independent board of trustees, which oversees the school’s operations. Reach includes counselors, career readiness counselors, mentors, anti-cyberbullying and community coordinators, to name a few.

Reach stands apart with its STEM integration throughout the curriculum in ways that aren’t offered within a traditional classroom. The school provides STEM camps, kits and clubs run by teachers who specialize in this department. If you’re lucky enough, you may even catch the STEM program on wheels with their STEM trailer. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to meet and collaborate with others while working in group settings with educators.

In addition, Reach’s career readiness program sets it apart. There are numerous specialized courses students can take when they have a vision for their future and career endeavors.

Reach educators believe in fostering socialization through a variety of methods throughout the year, both educational and extracurricular. A fun fact: Reach also hosts proms!

Reach offers year-round pacing so students can go to school all year. It also offers open enrollment, so parents and guardians can make an educational switch when the time is right for their student. If they need to take things a little slower, or if they want to go accelerated and are bright and want to find and learn more things, they can do that as well. They have the option to accelerate once they enter high school.

“It’s a place where you can come and belong. Discover your gifts. It’s a place for children to be who they are. Maybe to come to a safe place for the first time in their lives. It is a place to grow and to learn. And sometimes it’s a place to just come for a short period of time. But overall, it’s a place of culture of caring. And it’s a place where we’re dedicated to inspiring and nurturing students,” said Swan.

To learn how Reach can help your child “reach” their full potential and learn more about enrollment, visit Reach Cyber Charter School’s website.

As a result, Harris fell short and ended with nearly a 2% gap between her and Trump in Pennsylvania.

Trump performed better in Pennsylvania this election than in 2020 among younger voters, white men, Black men and Latin Americans. Black women voted a few points higher for Harris and, interestingly enough, a larger share of older voters also voted for Harris than in 2020.

Results from individual voting precincts help to map some of this out. For example, Harris received fewer votes in many precincts in neighborhoods like Kingessing and North Philly while Trump won more. That’s also the case in Berks County, which has a large Puerto Rican population, particularly in Hispanic-majority Reading.

The blame and infighting has already begun among Democrats but the reality is that there weren’t enough additional doors to knock in Philly to cover Harris’ deficit. The Harris campaign regularly touted their state campaign structure and ground game, regularly boasting about their 50 satellite offices. The campaign hired hundreds of staffers and recruited thousands of local volunteers. For months, they held daily events — often several in the same day — with prominent surrogates, including Republicans for Harris, and were in regular contact with local reporters to spread their message.

Harris herself appeared in Philadelphia some 15 times to motivate her base and made several visits to other parts of the state.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign’s apparatus was much slower to launch and appeared to lack a consistent ground game. Part of that was likely a simple lack of resources. The Harris campaign was flush with cash, having inherited the Biden campaign’s account and managed to raise more than $200 million after she was elevated to the top of the ticket.

In the end, Harris raised and spent more $1 billion, 2.5 times that of the Trump campaign. Outside PAC spending helped reduce that gap but, ultimately, that imbalance meant few staff on the ground.

“They just didn’t have the resources,” Dr. Tim Blessing, a professor at Alvernia University in Reading, said of the Trump campaign. “And frankly — and I’m trying to be tactful about this — I don’t know that the Trump campaign was overly gifted with skilled volunteers.”

Pettigrew says that there is evidence that the Harris campaign’s efforts did make an impact. The shift toward Trump was much higher in non-swing states — even as high as 6% in deep blue California — than in swing states where they spent all their resources.

“That is suggestive that the ground game was kind of effective and that had it not been as effective then we may have seen an even more pronounced shift in the favor of Trump,” he said. “So maybe they did all that they possibly could, and they just were fighting such an uphill battle.”

Decision comes after unsuccessful attempts to renew current lease, which expires September 2026

As part of its steadfast commitment to delivering behavioral health services that are greatly needed in central Pennsylvania, Penn State Health will relocate Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s (PPI) inpatient services to Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill at the end of its lease in September 2026.

November 7, 2024Penn State Health News

Penn State Health had intended for PPI to remain at its current location at 2501 North Third Street in Harrisburg, and made efforts to secure a new lease with UPMC, which holds the master lease for the site. However, UPMC has not been responsive to Penn State Health’s requests, resulting in the decision to relocate in order to maintain ongoing access to these essential services.

“Given the circumstances, we must act now to ensure a successful relocation of PPI by September 2026,” said Kim Feeman, president of PPI. “We are committed to making the transition as seamless as possible and to minimize disruption of care and services for patients and their families, clinicians, staff, educators, students and researchers.”

Late last year, Penn State Health assumed 100% governance control of PPI after the departure of UPMC as a 50% joint venture partner.

PPI inpatient services will continue unchanged through the end of the lease. PPI outpatient psychiatry and therapy services and the Advances in Recovery clinic, which offers comprehensive services for people with opioid use disorder, will also continue to operate at their current locations in Harrisburg until September 2026. Penn State Health is working to identify a new location for these services near the present site.

Later this month, architects and contractors will begin work to renovate the third and fourth floors at Holy Spirit Medical Center. Leaders are working on a plan to retain all employees and transition some of the hospital’s medical and surgical services to nearby Hampden Medical Center.

“We will continue providing all of the important behavioral health services and resources we currently deliver in Cumberland County,” said Kyle Snyder, president, Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers. Holy Spirit Medical Center provides an acute inpatient and partial hospitalization program, and intensive outpatient and dual-diagnosis programs. “Combining these existing services with PPI will create even greater impact for our communities, as we leverage the benefits of our integrated academic health system to offer the best possible behavioral health care across central Pennsylvania.”

The PPI team will work side by side with the Holy Spirit Behavioral Health team and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health throughout the transition process.

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