Yes, the university offers educational programs and outreach for local or national communities on sustainable management of land for tourism.

The Extension Office offers free publicly available tourism resources including articles, news, and webinars and are all available for free. 

The Penn State Agritourism Program provides research and educational support for agritourism operators and the organizations that support them. The Agritourism program helps agritourism operators connect with consumers, build strong businesses, and foster vibrant communities.

The Outreach program at Penn State provides connections to educational programs and outreach for local or national communities on sustainable management of land for tourism through its programs. These include:

  • Fullers Overlook, 355 acres in North Abington, Pennsylvania, comprises more than 120 acres of forests, wetlands, and meadows, a 39+ acre lake, and a substantial array of buildings and infrastructure, all of which serve as a backdrop for multidisciplinary research and hands-on education. It serves as a beacon for research and practice in regenerative agriculture as well as a hub for education and community outreach and engagement.
  • The Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State connects the Pittsburgh region with the University’s faculty, staff, and programs to support healthy, sustainable, innovative, and equitable communities through research, local outreach, engaged scholarship, and educational opportunities.
  • Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center connects people to people and people to place through educational and recreational opportunities for families, schools, corporate groups, and Penn State students. Visitors to Shaver’s Creek can gain knowledge, values, skills, and experiences that enable them to achieve and maintain harmony between human activities and the natural systems that support all living species.
  • The Arboretum at Penn State features gardens, groves, and natural spaces, including the Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden and Pollinator and Bird Garden. The Arboretum is open every day from dawn until dusk and admission is free. The Arboretum at Penn State engages the academic strengths of the University in promoting scholarship and education about plants and their history and importance on Earth.

Penn State’s Department of Food Science offers an annual Ice Cream Short Course. This course teaches the ins and outs of ice cream manufacturing, which farmers can implement to provide a tourist destination. Each year about 120 students from all over the world attend the program. In its 134+-year history, the course has attracted more than 4,400 participants from every state in the nation and every continent except Antarctica. Penn State’s Ice Cream Short Course is the oldest, best-known, and largest educational program dealing with the science and technology of ice cream. It also is believed to be the first continuing education course in the United States.

 

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on SDG15 HERE.