An application for an ARC grant for Penn State DuBois and North Central Pennsylvania Launch Box, which would benefit high school seniors considering careers in advanced manufacturing, technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and more, was discussed at Tuesday’s Clearfield County Commissioners meeting.
Jodi Brennan, director of Clearfield County Planning explained that the county has acted as a pass through for grants for the Launch Box in the past and they are asking the commissioners to do the same again.
This is not a formal grant application but a “per-application,” and if the ARC likes the proposal, they will then ask for a formal application to be submitted.
Brennan said that the proposal is for an existing program, Industry 4.0 Academy, which prepares students for careers in a variety of technological fields.
The Launch Box is looking for a grant of $750,000 to purchase equipment related to robotics.
The grant is a 50-50 matching grant, so the other $750,000 would come from in-kind services such as existing equipment and personnel, so the county will not be responsible for any of the funding.
The commissioners raised concerns regarding the fate of Penn State DuBois campus, which could close, and Brennan said the program would continue regardless of what happens to the campus.
The commissioners voted to move forward with the per-application but do want to know what exactly the steps will be with the program should the campus close.
A salary board meeting was also held and judges Frederic Ammerman and Paul Cherry requested the creation of a summer intern position to work as a clerk for both judges from May 28 through about Aug. 31 with a salary of $3000.
Ammerman explained that they have an intern lined up, a student from Penn State Law School named Anna Krol, who just finished her second year of law school.
The salary board approved the position, and it was noted that the judges have had interns in the past, but the positions were for credit at the school and so there hadn’t been a cost to the county.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers asked that the salary for the new assistant DA be set at $57,500 effective April 14.
Salaries for the new administrator at Children and Youth Services and for the new warden were also set, with the CYS position at $75,000 and the warden at $71,000.
