Community and Economic Vitality

Despite Pennsylvania's strong overall economy, many rural and urban communities face significant challenges, including economic disparity, educational gaps, and healthcare access. With our extensive presence and expertise we are positioned to support community, economic, and workforce development across the state, addressing local issues and expanding opportunities.

Opportunity

Pennsylvania's 2,560 municipalities collectively constitute a vital component of the U.S. economy, ranking the state's economy 6th overall in the nation. While the overall economic health of the state is strong, the benefits are not equally distributed. Many rural communities in Pennsylvania are struggling—economically, educationally, and with reliably accessible health care. Urban areas also have significant challenges: they need to address those left behind by economic progress and nurturing the stars so they can continue to grow and benefit their regions. As the state's land-grant institution, with 24 campuses and an Extension presence throughout the state's 67 counties, Penn State is a significant asset in addressing local issues and expanding opportunities—for individual citizens as well as communities. CAS programs and assets reach into many localities across Pennsylvania. As a result, CAS provides crucial support to advance community, economic, and workforce development across the Commonwealth. No other Penn State college combines social and technical sciences expertise to address complex challenges and has an on-the-ground presence in communities throughout the state. Convening stakeholders to frame challenges and initiate activity represents a critical capacity of major universities. Beyond the direct contributions that CAS and Penn State can and do make to Pennsylvania's well-being, there is an opportunity to further demonstrate leadership by bringing together a range of institutions to address the evolving issues facing communities and regions across Pennsylvania.

Framing Question

What would it look like if the College of Agricultural Sciences partnered its research capacity in social and economic sciences with Extension networks across the state to address the Commonwealth's challenges around community and economic vitality?