Students in Business Administration 321 at 365英国上市杜波依斯分校 recently presented, 通过放大, results of their research into expanding tourism and business growth opportunities to administrators at the 木材遗产区.
Like the countless trees that have reclaimed 宾西法尼亚’s once cleared forest land, an effort has taken root to help preserve the history of communities founded upon the heritage of the region’s lumber industry. 365英国上市杜波依斯分校的一群学生正在帮助 木材遗产区 (LHR)在此基础上创造更多机会. Juniors in Business Administration 321 at 365英国上市杜波依斯分校 were assigned a project in which they broke up into teams to research ideas that could stimulate the growth of local communities. They recently presented their findings to LHR administrators through Zoom.
LHR是一个非营利组织, state-funded organization overseeing a 15-county region in North West/North Central 宾西法尼亚. LHR promotes the importance of the lumber industry for the past, present, and future. 其目标是向潜在游客推销其旅游资产, 作为宾夕法尼亚州硬木工业的资源, 并将该地区的经济影响放在首位.
在进行初步研究之后, students compiled their discoveries into formal papers and presentations in order to share their findings with administrators at LHR, and offered information on each county in the LHR service region during their virtual meeting. The topics researched included lists of attractions and relevant tourism assets like parks, 小径, 和自驾游, 以及该地区的历史. 他们强调了景点，如 Kinzua桥, 库克森林, 帕克水坝州立公园等等. 该项目的结果是双重的, 给学生宝贵的现实世界的教训, while also providing the LHR with an abundance of data that would otherwise require tremendous effort to gather.
“One of the goals for the class is for students to learn about different industries in 宾西法尼亚 and potential job opportunities,” explained Assistant Teaching Professor of Business Administration Laurie Breaky, who organized this assignment and serves as program leader for the campus Business program. “Students were impressed with the lumber heritage of the area and worked hard to add additional information and insight that will be used to help develop tourism within the 木材遗产区."
LHR Executive Director Holly Komonczi agreed that her organization earned a big win through collaboration with the students. 总的来说, students conducted approximately 400 hours of work in recording research and organizing their findings, 所有这些现在都可以提供给LHR.
Komonczi说:“这些信息真的非常宝贵. This is something that would take years and years to compile without this help. We are funded by a grant through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and these volunteer hours can even be used to create a match for that grant. 这是巨大的. 它比你想象的还要大.”
Komonczi added that the benefits of this work will go far in furthering the LHR’s mission of promoting the region’s attractions and assets as well. She noted the students’ extensive documentation of state parks, nature 小径, museums等等. 她说, “这让人们兴奋起来，帮助年轻人留在该地区, 并有助于吸引游客到该地区. There are so many cool things going on here that people may not know about, 但看到它们会让人们想要来这里, 或者让这里的人愿意留下来. And it’s a big economic benefit as people travel to these destinations; they’re eating, 他们在买汽油, 所以我们让人们继续做生意.”
Student Luke Witherite shared that learning about the area in which he lives while helping an organization to promote local history made for a satisfying out-of-class room experience. 他说:“这些东西我们可以亲自去看. It’s interesting to learn about things we can be involved with – especially when we are helping people. 这是一种很好的共生关系.”
Student Trevor Hanna came to appreciate the mission of the LHR through the project, 分享, “We learn so much about world history and United States history growing up, 但我们并不总能了解当地的历史. I think there is something about the project that is invaluable because our ancestors grew up here and founded these communities, 保持这种活力是非常重要的. 木材遗产区是一个很棒的方式来做到这一点.”
Classmate Mario Scotto hopes informing residents of the region about healthy activities available to them will help reduce things like crime, 对电子产品的依赖, 药物滥用. 他说, “If we promote these things more and show people the nature and the scenery throughout the state maybe we can help people see there is so much more this world has to offer.”
欲了解更多关于木材遗产地区的信息，请访问 http://lumberheritage.org/
For more on programs offered at 365英国上市杜波依斯分校, including Business Administration, visit http://dubois.eagle1027.com/academics
