LEHMAN, Pa. — Amy Cheresnowsky, who has taught Continuing Education courses for Penn State Wilkes-Barre for 12 years, knows that Continuing Education provides valuable professional development training for members of the community.
“CE courses provide teachers who are currently in the teaching field with professional development opportunities,” she said. “Sharing the latest research and instructional methods with our active teachers in the community helps serve the students in our community. Most teachers enrolled in my classes work in rural school districts and Penn State Wilkes-Barre has afforded them the opportunity to stay well-versed in the education profession.”
Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education offers numerous courses and programs that have been specially designed to support the workforce development needs of companies and organizations in northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as the professional development needs of individuals who want to gain or improve skills in certain areas.
“As a teacher by trade, I love education. I became a teacher to actively work with students and help them grow academically,” said Cheresnowsky, who also teaches in the Athens Area School District and is pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership. “I enjoy trying new techniques in my classroom and engaging students in the process. I have always been a teacher who has been very flexible with my teaching style. I feel as a CE educator, this everyday teaching experience helps us practice what we preach.”
Through Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education, Cheresnowsky teaches several courses that fall under Pennsylvania’s Act 48 requirement, which says that all Pennsylvania educators who hold Pennsylvania public school certification must participate in ongoing professional education. Each individual who holds a Pennsylvania professional educator certification must complete continuing education requirements every five years in order to maintain an active certificate.
She comes from a large family of educators, including her brother, Judd Vanderpool, who also teaches Continuing Education courses for Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Vanderpool teaches Continuing Education classes in Information Technology and has served as a special education teacher for the Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York for the past 16 years. He also works as the IT instructional coach for the district.
“I have been very used to working with my siblings in multiple aspects of my career. We have all remained very close and supportive of one another,” Cheresnowsky said. “Judd and I both are huge Penn State fans and supporters, so this position is a perfect fit for Judd. Working for Penn State has been one of my proudest career successes.”
Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education offers a variety of professional and workforce development programs, professional certifications and non-credit certificate programs. Programs planned for 2022 include:
- Workforce Development Certificate
- Project Management Certificate
- AutoCAD Level 1 and Level 2
- Supervision Essentials
- Spanish in the Workplace I
- SHRM Human Resources
- Learning Systems
- Essentials of HR
- Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
- APICS-CLTD (Certified Logistics Transportation Distribution)
- APICS-CPIM Exam Prep Part 2
- APICS-CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional)
- Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep
- Post Baccalaureate Credit Courses for Educators
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) with SAP Certificate
- Teaching Writing and Literacy Certificate
- Math Coach Endorsement Certificate
- Nursing Management Certificate
Additional CE offerings in 2022 include ladies’ golf clinics, summer camps for kids and SAT preparation courses. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education can also help customize and implement a training plan for companies, either at the company or on campus.
To learn more about Continuing Education at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, email wbce@outreach.psu.edu or call 570-675-9253.