Pittsburgh, PA – The day after unveiling a plan to create the strongest workforce in the nation, Governor Tom Wolf was joined by Pittsburgh Penguins President and CEO David Morehouse to announce a $442,000 PAsmart advancing grant has been awarded to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. The state grant will help expand the foundation’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) Lending Library to benefit thousands of students across western Pennsylvania.

“Over the next decade, seven in ten new jobs in Pennsylvania will require workers to use computers and new technologies in a constantly changing economy,” said Governor Wolf. “I launched PAsmart last year to help students and adults get the skills for those emerging careers.

“Investing in projects like the STEAM Lending Library will help students from our cities to our rural communities gain the skills for good jobs here in Pennsylvania that will make our communities stronger.”

The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, the Citrone Family, and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit established the STEAM Lending Library in 2015. The library is the first of its kind in the nation and allows school districts to borrow the latest educational technology equipment to enhance classroom learning.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation is honored to be the first recipient of a PAsmart advanced grant,” said David Morehouse, president and CEO of the Penguins. “We salute Governor Wolf for his commitment to workforce development and expanded classroom instruction for our students. This amazing grant will enable the Foundation to extend its STEAM education work across 22 counties, encompassing 206 school districts.”

Governor Wolf launched PAsmart last year as a groundbreaking approach to prepare students and workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow through STEM and computer science education, apprenticeship and job training.

Last month, the Wolf Administration announced the initial wave of PAsmart competitive grants. The $8.7 million in targeted grants will expand computer science classes and teacher training at 765 schools across the commonwealth. Additional PAsmart advancing grants for STEM and computer science, apprenticeships and job training will be announced in the coming weeks.

Governor Wolf’s budget expands on the successful launch of PAsmart to create the strongest workforce in the nation that drives the strongest economy. The governor’s Statewide Education, and Accountability Program (SWEAP) provides opportunities for Pennsylvanians from birth to retirement.

The proposal expands access to early childhood education, increases investments in schools, and partners with the private sector to build on the PAsmart initiative, a groundbreaking approach to workforce development for Pennsylvania’s economy. Governor Wolf’s goal is to develop innovative solutions that close the skills gap and rapidly meet the needs of employers.