MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg will welcome 105 high school students from local high-need school districts for the "Aspire 2 Teach" conference on Monday, Nov. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on campus.

A high-need school districts is one with a school that demonstrates a high percentage of individuals from families with below-poverty-line incomes, a high percentage of secondary school teachers not teaching in the content area in which they were trained, or a high teacher turnover rate.

Students will participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, as well as hear from keynote speaker, author Chris Emdin, who will speak about the need and urgency for students to consider becoming secondary STEM teachers.

Emdin is the author of books "For White Folks who Teach in the Hood, and the Rest of Y'All," "STEM, STEAM, Make Dream," and "Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success."

The conference is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education Aspire to Educate grant the college received in 2023.