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Schedule for 2011/2012 Sessions
| Details about the sessions:
This session introduces the participants to one another and to the director and the board. It provides an overview of the program, the schedule and the upcoming retreat. Class photos will be taken, and class autobiographies will be distributed. What events and people have shaped Warren County? You will find out what has happened here for the past 10,000 years so that you will have a clear basis for building your knowledge about the County. Speakers will talk about prehistory, recorded history, and the physical environment—the architecture—which has shaped our community. The Allegheny National Forest occupies a huge section of Warren County, and its influence on our lives here cannot be underestimated. Find out about how the Forest is supervised, who comes to visit it, why it even exists here…and more. There is Warren County but, within it, there is a city, boroughs and townships. Why? How do these organizations differ? What are the concerns of local civic leaders? Learn about governments and how they function. What is strategic planning? Why is it important in reaching a goal? The information gained in this session is transferable to your workplace and to volunteer organizations. Learn the steps which lead to consensus and real progress. Warren County is blessed with many wonderful institutions: the Struthers Library Theatre, the Crary Art Gallery, the Summer Music Program and a host of volunteer organizations such as Civic Orchestra, the Young Professionals Group, Players’ Club, Scouts, and civic and faith groups. All of these assets make the community a worthwhile place in which to live…and bring people here to visit as well. Beginning in the early 1800’s, Warren County boomed with timber. Later, in the later part of the 19th Century, it boomed again with oil and gas. After decades of decline, these industries have come roaring back as mainstays of our local economy. Learn about the current state of each of these industries and their impacts on the County in the future. Every organization needs money, and this session will give you insight into how it is done. The second part of the day begins the study of the Justice System in Warren County, beginning with how the world looks from inside a patrol car. We travel through all layers of the justice system, from the District Magistrate to the Senior Judge. Find out about how each layer interacts with the next and what a journey through the system really looks like. What is a nonprofit organization? Why do they exist? How are they faring in difficult economic times? Where does their money come from? These questions form the basis of this session as we hear about the United Fund, the Library and the Community Foundation. How can you be an effective board member? Why do people volunteer? How can you present yourself effectively as a leader, and how can you use the media to your advantage? These are important questions, and the information presented in this session will help to make you a more effective leader. The educational system always generates interest and controversy. Who are the leaders of the Warren County School District and how do they plan to meet the continuing challenges of education? Can you receive a college education in a County without a college campus? You will receive the information you need to make informed judgments about these and other educational concerns. Few towns the size of Warren still have an active local hospital, but Warren General is actually growing. How is that possible? Find out what it is like to be a physician in rural Pennsylvania. Learn about the Rouse Estate and its many programs. What is the status of the Warren State Hospital? And how did a modern cancer treatment center in Warren come into being? You’ll be surprised by what is here. Several sessions are devoted to understanding the economy of the County. This understanding arises from tours of businesses and industries and from presentations by leaders in the County’s industrial sector. You’ll discover what is being done to recruit businesses here and how young entrepreneurs are building their lives and their businesses in Warren County. Basic to all of our lives, agriculture is the bedrock industry of Warren County. You’ll be surprised at how traditional agriculture survives and how “niche” agriculture is thriving. You may even decide to become a “localvore.” |