Penn State Berks students, community members, and Olivet Boys and Girls Club children will join together to clean up Baer Park and a one-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail on Friday, April 20, 2018, from 4–6:30 p.m. The rain date is Friday, April 27.
This event continues a collaborative effort between the Penn State Berks Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research, the City of Reading, the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, the Friends of the Schuylkill River Trail in Northwest Reading, and a new partner – the Penn State Berks Student Government Association (SGA). The goal is to maintain this one-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail, from the River Road trail head across from Baer Park to the Buttonwood Street Bridge, as a safe green space for the Reading community to enjoy.
The project began in the spring of 2015 and has continued with cleanups and events held each semester. The overall goal is to foster the students’ and children’s love of nature and conservation, while working together as a team to beautify the park and trail.
Penn State Berks students, faculty, and staff members, as well as members of the community members are encouraged to join the clean-up. The group will meet at the Schuylkill River Trail intersection with River Road across from Baer Park. For directional purposed, use 825 River Rd, Reading PA 19601. Parking is available on River Rd and the streets surrounding Baer Park.
About the Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research
The Penn State Berks Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research supports faculty who involve their students and community partners in collaborative, impactful work. Service learning and community-based research are two instructional strategies that contribute to community well-being and simultaneously enrich students’ course learning. Since its founding in 2010, the Center has facilitated more than 40 academically grounded college-community partnerships. Going beyond conventional concepts of public service that emphasize a one-way process in which the university transfers its expertise to the community, service learning and community-based research is a commitment to sharing and reciprocity, partnerships, and two-way streets defined by mutual respect among the partners for what each brings to the table.
About the Schuylkill River Trail
With 60 miles of completed trail, the Schuylkill River Trail stretches portions of trail from Pottsville to Philadelphia. The trail is used for biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Trail users can also utilize the river for fishing, kayaking, and in some areas, motor boating.
