JOIN US FOR THE 2024 CELEBRATION!
On and surrounding November 8, Penn State joins colleges and universities across the nation in recognizing the National First-Generation College Celebration. National First-Generation College Celebration Day aims to build community, raise awareness about the first-generation experience, and uplift the voices of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who were or will be the first in their immediate families to achieve a college degree. This year's Celebration will mark Penn State’s fourth consecutive year promoting University-wide events and recognition opportunities for our first-gen community.
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:
Recognize a First-Gen Trailblazer (student) or First-Gen Champion (faculty/staff)
We are proud to introduce the inaugural First-Gen Recognition Awards, celebrating the outstanding contributions of first-generation students, faculty, and staff at Penn State. Nominations are now closed, but join us at Community Night on November 7 to learn who the recipients are!
If you are making First-Generation Celebration plans, please share them with us so we can add them to the all-University event list below. By completing our collaboration form, we will share the details of your Celebration plans on our website.
Share Your First-Generation Story!
We invite faculty, staff, alumni, and students to share their first-generation stories. Leading up to and during the November 8 Celebration, stories of success, resilience, and growth will be highlighted through the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success Instagram account (@psu_success).
Attend one or more of the events:
Signature Events:
First-Generation Community Night
Thursday, November 7, 2024
6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Lion's Lair (HUB 008)
Join first-gen students, faculty, staff, and alumni for a mixer with free food, networking, first-gen recognition awards, and awesome door prizes. Community Night attendees are encouraged to bring an item for the Lion's Pantry and to register here to save a spot at the event.
HUB Takeover
Friday, November 8, 2024
11 a.m. to 3 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center
Celebrate being #PSUFirstGen with food, activities, giveaways, and prizes. There will be opportunities to meet members of the First-Gen Advocates (FGA) student organization and the Eta Psi chapter of Tri-Alpha honor society to find out how to support or join Penn State’s first-generation community. Also on hand will be representatives from the Chaiken Center for Student Success, University Libraries, Career Services, the College of Education, the College of Health and Human Development, and the Sokolov-Miller Family and Life Skills Center to share resources, events, and programs for first-gen students.
Events Across the University:
Free Planetarium Shows
Eberly College of Science, University Park
Friday, November 8, 2024
8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Davey Lab Observatory
Join volunteers from the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics for an evening of planetarium shows and telescope observing at the rooftop observatory atop Davey Lab. Several planetarium shows will begin at 8 p.m., and the telescopes will remain open (weather permitting) from 8:00 – 10:30 p.m. The planetarium is on the 5th floor (room 541A), and the observatory entrance is on the 6th floor of Davey Lab. Come see the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and deep sky objects through our telescopes and to take a live, night sky tour in the planetarium. Register for this event here.
Faculty Story Time
Penn State Behrend
Monday, November 4, 2024
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Reed 114
Free food and first-gen stories from Behrend faculty.
Piñata with OLAS
Penn State Behrend
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
12:15 p.m. to 2 p.m., Reed Fundraising Tables
Behrend First-Gens Meeting
Penn State Behrend
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Reed 112
Trivia with Lion Ambassadors
Penn State Behrend
Thursday, November 7, 2024
5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Bruno's Stage
First-Gen Bash
Penn State Behrend
Friday, November 8, 2024
5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Reed Fundraising Tables
Follow #PSUFirstGen on socials to stay up to date on all Celebration-related news and stories, and return to this page for updates on other events happening across the University!
