This Week's HappyValley Industry eLetter

Happy Valley has long been defined by the academic heft of Penn State and the natural charm of Central PA. But the region’s educational DNA is evolving. As national trust in four-year degrees wanes, a new model is gaining traction—one that prioritizes credentials, adaptability, and workforce alignment.

A quiet revolution is underway in Central Pennsylvania—and it’s happening not in lecture halls, but in welding booths, nursing labs, and HVAC classrooms. At the forefront of this transformation is the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI).

The collapse of local journalism is not hypothetical. It is history.

Since 2005, more than 2,900 newspapers in the U.S. have shut down. Entire counties now go without a single local outlet. And even those that “went digital” often chased scale, clicks, and trends—losing their connection to the people they once served.