Each month we hope to give an update on the 3rd Way Collective experience at Penn State! Follow this blog to learn more about how we’ve been creating spaces for peace, justice, and faith at Penn State.
The arrival of May brings the arrival of the week of finals, and graduation celebration.
This year we said good-bye to three of our student officers who have led our organization over this past year. We wish them well as they head out beyond the Penn State campus and shape the world with their efforts for faith-based peace and social justice.
I (campus pastor Ben) was invited and able to participate in an overnight event with some fellow campus ministers as a resourcing and peer support time away from campus. This was held in the nearby Penn Stater hotel and conference center and was a wonderful way to end the school year.
We held our first summer event in May – a home cooked meal which drew 18 people and ended up being one of our largest gatherings of its kind! This was a surprise given State College’s reputation for being completely quiet and empty during the summer months. We are hopeful that continuing to offer ways to connect will allow a sense of belonging to build for students who may have been only loosely connected with our organization. On this occasion, we enjoyed a great backyard barbecue at our hosts home, and had great conversation about what the summer held for people. 
The summer months offer opportunities to connect with students who have stayed in the area for the summer, to reflect on the past year, and to plan and dream for the coming year. I have been able to use some vacation and compensation time to do projects around the house and take a short camping trip with my family – things that are much harder to do when the school year is in full swing!
If you would like to support the work of 3rd Way Collective, head on over to our giving page!