KEYSTONE INITIATIVE FOR NETWORK BASED EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

PARTNERSHIPS & PROGRAMSKINBER EXPANDED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH TECH2 ELEVATE, EXPANDING DIGITAL NAVIGATOR SERVICES FROM EIGHT TO ELEVEN SITES IN BEAVER AND ERIE COUNTIES. THIS ALLOWED THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE 637 INDIVIDUALS WITH DIGITAL TRAINING TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND ONLINE HEALTH CARE. KINBER'S NEXTUSE TECH PROGRAM COLLECTED 121 USED LAPTOPS, THEN REFURBISHED THEM WITH THE HELP OF VOLUNTEERS AND LOCAL STUDENTS FROM TWO HIGH SCHOOLS. LOCAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS HELPED DISTRIBUTE THE REPURPOSED COMPUTERS TO INDIVIDUALS IN NEED IN SEVERAL COUNTIES. KINBER'S MOR LEADERS PROGRAM GRADUATED THIRTY-TWO PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING TWO FROM DIGITAL ACCESS NONPROFITS AND TWO FROM LIBRARIES. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED MENTORING IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, FOSTERING BOTH THEIR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND CROSS SECTOR COLLABORATION ON DIGITAL ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY IN THE STATE.KINBER BECAME THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR STEM-UP NETWORK, AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES WOMEN IN STEM WITH REAL-WORLD STRATEGIES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUPPORT THEIR ABILITY TO FLOURISH, PROSPER AND ADVANCE PERSONALLY AND IN THEIR CAREERS. THE STEM-UP NETWORK WORKS TO NARROW THE GENDER TALENT GAP IN THE STEM WORKFORCE, BY BUILDING CAPACITY AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RESEARCH- AND EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND RESOURCES. THROUGH STEM-UP AND KINBER'S PARTNERSHIP, BOTH ORGANIZATIONS PLAN TO WORK TOGETHER ON INITIATIVES THAT ENCOURAGE THE DIVERSE PARTICIPATION OF STEM STUDENTS, EARLY CAREER PROFESSIONALS, AND INDUSTRY LEADERS. KEY STEM-UP NETWORK ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: THE SPRING 2025 MENTORING COHORT HAD OVER 60 WOMEN IN STEM; THE LARGEST COHORT EVER WOMEN IN STEM LEADERSHIP SUMMIT WAS HELD FOR THE 5TH YEAR IN APRIL 2025 IN HARRISBURG WITH APPROXIMATELY 80 WOMEN IN STEM ATTENDING; M&T BANK SPONSORED IN-KIND PARKING SPACES FOR UP TO 50 ATTENDEES NEXTGEN WOMEN IN STEM WAS PILOTED IN SEPTEMBER 2024 IN HARRISBURG WITH 11 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION PARTICIPATING; ABOUT 120 NEXTGEN WOMEN IN STEM ATTENDED; 18 STEM ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN CENTRAL PA PARTICIPATED AND PROVIDED OVER 20 MENTORS FOR THE EVENT. NEXTGEN WOMEN IN STEM WILL BE HELD IN HARRISBURG AND PITTSBURGH IN OCTOBER 2025. STEM-UP BOOK CLUB ESTABLISHED A ROBUST SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN LAUNCHED; POSTING ON AVERAGE 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK STEM-UP SPONSORED 3 WOMEN IN SCIENCE RESEARCH AWARDS WHICH GAINED STEM-UP VISIBILITY AS A SPONSOR AT THE 100TH MEETING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE (PAS). STEM-UP AND PAS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A MOU THAT WILL CREATE A PARTNERSHIP AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE 41 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE ACADEMY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BILI MATTES WAS THE FEATURED SPEAKER IN DECEMBER 2024 AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LANCASTER SOCIETY OF HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS; IN MARCH 2025 WITH PENNDOT'S VIRTUAL SERIES HONORING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH; IN MAY 2025 AT THE ONEHR CONFERENCE. ADDITIONAL SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ARE PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER 2025 WITH THE WOMEN IN BUSINESS OF THE LEBANON VALLEY CHAMBER AND IN OCTOBER 2025 AT KINBERCON. BILI MATTES WAS NOMINATED AND IS A FINALIST FOR THE WOMEN IN TECH ALLY AWARD BEING PRESENTED ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 BY THE TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WOMEN IN TECH GROUP.KINBER CONTINUED ITS MULTICHANNEL SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, A STRATEGIC EFFORT FOCUSED ON PROVIDING CONTENT THAT INCREASES PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE BARRIERS FACED BY MANY IN ACCESSING THE DIGITAL WORLD, AND THE RESULTING LOSS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND CIVIC AND SOCIAL CONNECTION. KINBER IMPROVED ITS VISIBILITY AND GAINED NEW DONORS BY PARTICIPATING IN THE LANCASTER COUNTY' COMMUNITY FOUNDATION'S EXTRA GIVE, A REGIONAL DAY OF CHARITABLE GIVING. THE EVENT INSPIRED INCREASED GENEROSITY FROM EXISTING DONORS AND FIRST-TIME GIFTS FROM NEW SUPPORTERS. KEYSTONEREN GREW SERVICE REVENUE GREATER THAN 40%, LAUNCHING KEYSTONEREN CONSULTING SERVICES AND KR TECHNICAL AFFINITY GROUP. IN THE FISCAL YEAR KEYSTONEREN ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 100G CONNECTION WITH A RESEARCH 1 UNIVERSITY AND ESTABLISHED A NEW NETWORK POP IN STATE COLLEGE, PA. ADDITIONALLY, KEYSTONE REN LAUNCHED THE FOLLOWING WEBINARS AND TRAINING COMMENCING IN JANUARY 2025: LEVERAGING STATEWIDE AND NATIONAL CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR INNOVATION IN SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION WEBINAR PROTECT YOUR INSTITUTION'S INTERNET CONNECTION CREATING RPKI ROAS WEBINAR MODERN CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR RESEARCH DATA 2-DAY WORKSHOP OVERVIEW OF INCOMMON AND EDUROAM WEBINAR