~Community Service~
Blue and Gold Week
Participating Members
Jenna Aleski
Matthew Grayo
Olivia Larson
Brittani Malik
Kendra Moxon
Allison Popelas
Mioni Robb
Rowan Alexander
Shirley Petropoulos
Each fall, our university has a homecoming weekend celebration called Blue & Gold weekend. Each year, our SPSEA chapter is asked to do more. This year, we built a piece of the mini putt putt course, helped children carve and decorate pumpkins, and run one of the carnival-style games. Student government knows that all of our members have clearances, are professional, and are willing to lend a hand!
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
College Day
Participating Members:
Lucas Ali
Jenna Aleski
Katherine Andrews
Brandon Cross
Maura Carr
Leta Cirigliano
Chyna Cunningham
Peyton Clark
Abby Cox
Randy Duke
Casey Fortuna
Kyle Harper
Chelsea Holmes
Hunter Humenik
Mackenzie Janda
Megan Kirkpatrick
Brittani Malik
Latoshia Maurer
Andrew McDonald
Kendra Moxon
Larissa Nemchik
Jeffrey Pauch
Allison Popelas
Brittany Peddicord
Sarah Raptosh
Tyler Reese
Megan Schmucker
Angela Schwartz
Samantha Taraboletti
Kaylee White
Jessica Williams
Lucinda Wracher
​
​
College Day is an annual event sponsored by the UPG SPSEA chapter. For the day, students aged 14 to 21 from the Clellian School for Exceptional Children come to our campus for a full day of activities planned and organized by chapter members. The professors and staff on campus are asked for donations to accompany the swag we put in their bags. This year's theme was Board Games -- and it we had a monopoly on the fun!
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
Hallow-Boo Halloween carnival
Participating Members
Jenna Aleski
Rowan Alexander
Lucas Ali
Miranda Anker
Amber Bright
Courtney Cambal
Maura Carr
Leta Cirigliano
Peyton Clark
Cameron Collins
Brandon Cross
Tiffany DeMartino
Alainah Early
Jenny Espinoza
Casey Fortuna
Carly Franks
Alyssa Fry
Chelsea Holmes
Hunter Humenik
Mackenzie Janda
Olivia Larson
Mindy Olive
Summer Lash
Kendra Moxon
Samantha Nagel
Nicola Queer
Alyssa Sadler
Natalie Sarnese
Megan Schmucker
Amanda Sepp
Molly Staszak
Haley Stonebraker
Matti Tyskewicz
Kaylee White
Jessica Williams
Lindsey Wittkopp
Lucinda Wracher
Allison Popelas
Amanda Stein
Brittani Malik
Tori Hochendoner
Luther Womack
​
​
​
Our annual Hallow-Boo event was held on October 27, 2017, for about 100 students from grades 1-3 from three Greensburg Salem elementary schools. Students were invited to our campus for a night full of activities, such as collecting candy, face-painting, Halloween-style bingo, creating “goo," and various other games. They had the opportunity to get their photo taken with superhero characters and Disney princesses.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
JDRF Walk
At the University of Pittsburgh of Greensburg, it’s a tradition to host a walk for the JDRF foundation for our students and the community around Westmoreland county. This year our chapter of SPSEA had been given the opportunity to enjoy the smiling faces as the JDRF’s fun crew. SPSEA’s fun crew encouraged the walkers to ensure everyone felt like a winner that day. As a member of the fun crew, you supported amazing people who were fighting to end this disease.
 |  |  |
|---|
Participating Members:
Alex Poellnitz
Alyssa Sadler
Jenna Aleski
Kendra Moxton
Lindsey Wittkopp
Matthew Grayo
Mioni Robb
Rowan Alexander
​
​
Head Start Christmas party
Participating Members
Jenna Aleski
Kate Andrews
Eric Baer
Courtney Cambal
Cameron Collins
Luke Falbo
Casey Fortuna
Carly Franks
Matthew Grayo
Jay Grubb
Alexis Hepler
Mackenzie Janda
Summer Lash
Frank Laspin
​
Each winter, Pitt-Greensburg's Resident Housing Department (RHD) sponsors a toy and clothing driving specific to the children at Jeannette Head Start Program. For each child, a piece of clothing or outfit in their size is chosen as well as a gift (based on their letters to Santa). Our SPSEA chapter partners with the RHD to plan and execute a Christmas-themed program with games, activities, and our own Santa (played this year by Frank Laspin) who passes out the toys to all the "good boys and girls." Our SPSEA also buys and wraps gifts for the Head Start teachers, who are often underpaid and under-appreciated.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |
Amber Lukcik
Kendra Moxon
Colleen Murphy
Alex Poellenitz
Mioni Robb
Alyssa Sadler
Amanda Stein
Haley Stonebraker
Kaylee White
Lindsey Wittkopp
Luther Wormack Katelyn Zanotti
NHS Autism Dance
Participating Members:
Alexander Rowen
Abigail Bechtell
Amber Bright
Leta Cirigliano
Abigail Cox
Randall Duke
Carly Franks
Hayley Hubert
Mackenzie Janda
Olivia Larson
Brittani Malik
Latoshia Maurer
Kendra Moxon
​
Jeff Pacuch
Shirley Petropoulos
Allison Popelas
Darian Quarles
Nicola Queer
Sarah Raptosh
Tyler Reese
Megan Schmucker
Angela Schwartz
Samantha Taraboletti
Kaylee White
Jessica Williams
Lucinda Wracher
Each year, students from the NHS Schools for Autism are invited to Pitt-Greensburg for an afternoon dance. As in the past, NHS Students can dance with Pitt-Greensburg students (mainly line dances), sing karaoke, play board games, eat snacks, and attend a social event that is different than any they have ever atteneded. Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA members plan and implement the NHS Dance each year.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Pitt Pals
Many elementary school children need assistance with daily routines, like putting their belongings in their cubbies, changing from boots to shoes, or getting their pencils out for work time. Our SPSEA Members who volunteer as Pitt Pals act as assistants in the classroom, working with the students on these mundane tasks so that the classroom teacher can focus on bigger issues and on instructing the class as a whole.
Participating Members:
Abigail Bechtell
Amber Bright
Brittani Malik
Hunter Humernik
Kaylee White
Kendra Hudachek
Latoshia Maurer
Lily Jennings
Lindsay Carpellotti
Madison Ramsdorfer
Natalie Lowery
Olivia Larson
Shannon Valore
​
Read for Lifelong Learning
Head Coordinators:
Brittani Malkic
Amanda Stein
​
READ Coordinators:
Allison Popelas
Kendra Hudachek
Abigail Cox
Megan Berg-Swope
​
​
Olivia Larson
Nadia Louis
Emily Monahan
Kimberly Ruffner
Natalie Sarnese
Angela Schwartz
Molly Staszak
Kaylee White
Gina Wojtowicz
Read for LIFElong Learning is an after-school reading enrichment program at two nearby elementary schools. Serving students in grades two through five, our SPSEA members act as the "Tutors" who choose the age-appropriate books and design reading group activities. Upper classmen SPSEA members are chosen to be "Supervisors" to help guide the "Tutors", giving hints, suggestions, and strategies. Additionally, our SPSEA chapter obtains funds each year to replace old book sets and buy newer titles.
READ Leaders:
Miranda Anker
Abigail Bechtell
McKenzie Brooks
Kelsey Butler
Conor Cortazzo
Jennifer Espinosa
Chelsea Holmes
Tori Lynn Jackson
Lilly Jennings
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| | |
|
Collection for Uniontown
Pitt-Greensburg is located in Westmoreland County. Fayette County, which vies each year as one of the two poorest counties in Pennsylvania, is the next county over. This year, in February, a huge storm blew through Uniontown, one of the towns in Fayette County. Whether it was a tornado according to the Weather Services is irrelevant: people had sides blown off their homes, trees on their homes, and massive destruction. Of course, school children and schools were affected.
The Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA sent out a university-wide plea for assistance: cash, blankets, warm coats, cleaning supplies.
Coats, Hats, & Gloves for kids
Members who helped collect/organize:
Jenna Aleski
Peyton Clark
Brittani Malik
Allison Popelas
Angela Schwartz
Early in January, the temperatures were well below zero -- and local students still had to walk to school. After hearing from a prior SPSEA members about students entering school with frostbite at a nearby school, our chapter created a two-week coat, hat, scarf, and glove drive. We put boxes in four locations around campus and were listed as part of the "Make a Difference" campus campaign.
We divided the donations into elementary sized and secondary sized clothing and brought them to the schools for school personnel to distribute.
JAYS After-School Program
Participating Members:
Rowan Alexander
Eric Baer
Andrew Barnhart
Ashley Brantley
Courtney Cambal
Cameron Collins
Luke Falbo
Matthew Grayo
Jay Grubb
Summer Lash
Andrea McGinnis
Kendra Moxon
Nick Papson
Shirley Petroupolous
Alex Poellenitz
Mioni Robb
Haley Stonebraker
Derian Quarles
Alyssa Sadler
JAYS is an after-school mentoring, enrichment, and homework support program at the Jeannette Middle School, which is located in a high poverty area near the university. Our SPSEA chapter provides the mentors to work with the students in grades 6-8 and to create and implement projects like building birdhouses, learning new computer technologies, reading books, and designing art.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |
Relay for Life
Participating Members:
Lucas Ali
Rowan Alexander
Andrew Barnhart
Ashley Brantley
Carly Franks
Matthew Grayo
Chelsea Holmes
Kendra Moxon
Shirley Petroupolos
Mioni Robb
Lindsey Wittkopp
Lucinda Wracher
Relay for Life is a university-wide initiative aimed at raising money for cancer prevention and cure research. During Relay for Life, survivors and supporters are invited to walk the campus, listen to powerful speakers, celebrate life, and remember those who are not longer with us. Luminaries that are personalizable are also sold to raise money for this great cause.
Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA was asked to run the "Playtime" in the gym area. Although mainly aimed at younger children, people of all ages are invited to play games, decorate ribbons, leave messages on the "wall", and "live life large".
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
WQED day / Read Across America
Participating Members:
Rowan Alexander
Miranda Anker
Eric Baer
Kelsey Butler
Luke Falbo
Matthew Grayo
Kendra Moxon
Colleen Murphy
Joseph Ortman
Allison Popelas
Shirley Petropoulos
Kimberly Ruffner
Kaylee White
Lindsey Wittkopp
Gina Wojtowicz
Lucinda Wracher
WQED is the local public television channel in Western Pennsylvania. Each year, they sponsor a writing contest. In order to get second and third grade students ready for the contest, they ask Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA to run a program to teach the various parts of a story. We hold this in conjunction with Read Across America Day each year.
​
Two sets of students, one set in the morning and one set in the afternoon, arrive to Pitt-Greensburg for some writing fun,
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
Outreach to Teach 2017
Participating Members:
Jenna Aleski
Samantha Cook
Francesca DeCarlos
Paul "PJ" Dumnich
Michelle Etling
Frank Laspin
Latoisha Maurer
Brittani Malik
Mindy Olive
Allison Popelas
Megan Schmucker
Amanda Sepp
Matti Tyskewicz
Jessica Williams
Lucinda Wracher
Each year at the statewide SPSEA conference, we participate in the Outreach to Teach activity. This year's project at Connellsville K-12 allowed us to paint at our own abilities: the more creative members were able to free-hand draw and then paint murals, words, saying on the wall. The less creative members were able to paint the auditorium.
We were also super excited because three of our older members -- Dave Postlewaith, Bryan Edwards, and Ashley Muscarella -- joined us.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
Box Tops for Education
Boxtops for Education is an easy program: when a product is used that has a BoxTop coupon, you cut it off and bring it in. These BoxTops are then collected and given to a school that can trade them in for resources.
Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA collects BoxTops from everyone on the campus and donates all of our BoxTops collected throughout the year to a local elementary school. It is one more way that we can help improve education in our community.
