PLCB Awards $11,500 Grant to College

Pennsylvania College of Technology has been awarded an $11,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to help efforts to prevent underage and high-risk alcohol use among students.

Penn College is among 62 organizations throughout the commonwealth to receive a share of more than $664,000 in funding announced Sept. 11 for comprehensive, community-based initiatives.

"This grant money will bolster the collaborative effort between the PLCB and Pennsylvania College of Technology and expand the resources in the fight against underage and high-risk consumption," said PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman.

More than half of Penn College's grant funds are earmarked for additional enforcement hours by Penn College Police, providing an opportunity to increase the number of officers on days when there is a high probability of alcohol abuse and to target locations identified as problem areas. The funds will also help purchase a bicycle for police patrols.

The funds also will be used for activities coordinated by the College and Community Coalition, which was formed in the fall of 1999 with the help of a grant from the PLCB. The coalition includes faculty, staff and administrators from Penn College; law-enforcement and government officials; and various community leaders.

Coalition activities to be funded by the grant include:

• Two training sessions for members in alcohol abuse prevention and education and other areas of concern
• The production/printing of two College and Community Coalition newsletters during the 2006-07 academic year
• "e-CHUG," (an online self-assessment tool for students) offered on the Web site of the college's Counseling Office

In addition, the PLCB grant will partially fund a seminar for off-campus landlords that will be held at the college on Oct. 5.

Statewide, this year's total grant award is an increase of 34 percent over the 2005-06 funding level. The PLCB grant funds will support a range of initiatives including law-enforcement training and community and youth outreach and prevention programs.

The PLCB is an independent state agency that manages the alcohol beverage industry in Pennsylvania. Among its responsibilities are providing education and prevention services to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol misuse. The PLCB grant program is administered by the board?s Bureau of Alcohol Education.

For more information, visit online .

For more information about Penn College, call toll-free (800) 367-9222 or visit on the Web.