Penn State Shenango students collaborated with the Mercer County Commissioners on a civil service project to inform Mercer County property owners about county revenue sources compared to rising expenses.
SHARON, Pa. — Community engagement is a cornerstone of the Penn State Shenango student experience both inside and outside of the classroom. This fall, Penn State Shenango students partnered with Mercer County Commissioner Ann Coleman on a civic project to benefit Mercer County residents, while also enhancing the student’s classroom experience.
The goal of the project was to inform Mercer County property owners about county revenue sources compared to rising expenses in light of a possible increase in property taxes announced in the commissioner’s 2025 budget plan.
“This project enabled the students to connect the dots between what they are learning in class and how it works in the world outside of their classroom,” said Robin Zambrini, Penn State Shenango lecturer of business, whose marketing and graphic design classes were involved with the project.
As part of the project, talking points were assigned to each marketing student which they researched and compiled into their own unique PowerPoint slide, while students in the graphic design class provided photographs representative of Mercer County and offered preliminary presentation design ideas. For Penn State Shenango students Sarah Mallek and William Perry, having the opportunity to collaborate with the commissioner's office on a project that helps to educate the entire community was beneficial.
“Projects such as this, have lessons of time management and team collaboration that can be used in future classes or jobs,” Mallek said. “I personally live in Mercer County, so the topic of the project was especially important to me which made it even more rewarding.”
Perry agreed, saying, “I thought it was very cool we got to do a project on something that means something in the real world. I thought that idea was very positive for an individual with my major.”
The students’ collection of slides was organized into a cohesive presentation before being submitted to the commissioners in October. According to Zambrini, the presentation materials can be used by the commissioners in any way they feel is appropriate.
“Overall, this was a win-win for both the county and Penn State Shenango,” Zambrini said. “The county incurred little expense to produce the materials, and the students gained valuable real-world experience that they can apply to their career objectives.”
