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Penn State Conferences and Institutes

A young woman points as she speaks in front of a group.

Extending Learning Through Collaborative Partnerships

As part of Penn State Outreach, we work with faculty, community organizations, and external partners to develop and coordinate learning experiences that reach far beyond traditional boundaries. Our mission is to help our partners extend learning:

  • Outside the classroom through experiential learning and community- and field-based education
  • Beyond the school year with summer programs, youth camps, and year-round learning
  • Past graduation via conferences, professional development, and continuing education
  • Across the lifespan for students, professionals, and lifelong learners
  • Throughout the commonwealth and country by connecting the University with communities and organizations
Youth Programs and CampsA group of teens participating in a Penn State summer camp board a big blue bus.
Youth Programs and Camps - We partner with Penn State colleges to develop and execute educational, engaging, and (most importantly) safe programs for young people.
Course-Embedded Experiential LearningStudents smiling in canoes on a lake.
Course-Embedded Experiential Learning - We partner with Penn State faculty to enhance student success by integrating experiential learning into courses through domestic travel experiences.
Conferences and Professional ProgramsParticipants sit on stage at the TGIF conference.
Conferences and Professional Programs - We partner with subject matter experts throughout the University to plan both large and small educational programs across a broad range of fields.

Extended Learning Impact

  • 2,800+

    Students in courses with experiential learning

  • 6,600+

    Adults in noncredit educational programs

  • 4,000+

    Youth in summer camps and school-year programs

It is truly a pleasure working with Penn State Conferences and Institutes. For 32 years, they have helped make the Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference a success, taken the complexity out of hosting, and helped to deliver an experience our attendees look forward to year after year.

—Vikash Gayah, Director, Larson Transportation Institute

I have worked with Penn State Conferences for more than 10 years, with three conference planners, and have found their assistance invaluable.

—Bill Syrett, Director, Penn State Weather Camps

Teaching a course through (Conferences and Institutes) allowed me to concentrate fully on the  pedagogical aspects of the course, since all of the logistics were handled so smoothly and efficiently.

—Jim Nolan, Ph.D., Professor of Education, College of Education