Our campus hosts a variety of community events including film screenings, author talks, guest lectures, and music performances that are open to the public.
Mountainfilm Festival on Tour
Thursday, February 6, 2025 | 7 p.m.
Join us for an evening of inspiring and captivating films handpicked from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado.
Founded in 1979, Mountainfilm is one of America’s longest-running film festivals. The annual festival is held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, CO. Mountainfilm is a dynamic nonprofit organization and festival that celebrates stories of indomitable spirit and aims to inspire audiences through film, art, and ideas.
Mountainfilm on Tour in Malvern, PA will feature a collection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and engaging documentary short films that align with Mountainfilm’s mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. Watch a teaser here.
Doors open for the event at 6:30 and the show will kick off at 7 p.m.
Improvising a Life with Michele Dunleavy
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 7 p.m.
"Improvising a Life" is about how saying “yes, and” shaped Michele Dunleavy’s artistic journey and defined her career. For the last 20 years, improvisation has played a central role in her creative processes. Michele will draw on her experiences as an educator, choreographer and performer to illustrate how she uses improvisation in her work. This event includes live and recorded performance, storytelling, and the potential for audience participation!
Michele Dunleavy, Professor of Dance, Penn State Laureate 2024-2025, is an award-winning educator, choreographer, and performer. Michele teaches tap and jazz dance techniques and has choreographed and performed extensively throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Branching Out: A Conversation about the Power of Trees, Forest Ecology, and our Community Health for the Commonwealth
Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 5 - 6:30 PM
Join us to discuss the power of trees to save our lives and provide for our future!
For her entire professional life, renowned ecologist Dr. Nalini Nadkarni has pioneered climbing techniques to study “what grows back” after ecological disturbances occur in the rainforest canopy. Dr. Nadkarni – also known as “Queen of the Forest Canopy” – was appointed National Geographic Explorer at Large in 2023.
Dr. Nadkarni will be joined in conversation by Dr. Casey Sclar, Director of the Commonwealth Arboreta Network and HO Smith Endowed Director for the Arboretum at Penn State, and Thomas A. Smarr, Jr., Executive Director of Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens. This sets the stage for a dynamic conversation that follows, when Dr. Sclar will invite attendees and panel to envision the future of Penn State’s Commonwealth Arboreta Network and its critical role for Pennsylvania's public gardens, our horticulture industry, and state/federal partners in expanding our tree canopies for resilience in Penn's Woods.
Proponents, stakeholders, legislators and staff, industry professionals representing nursery, garden, and landscape enterprises, as well as those who value trees for many reasons, are all encouraged to attend.
Register
Backyard Wilderness: A Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Thursday, April 3, 2025 | 7 p.m.
Backyard Wilderness will surprise and entertain you with the unexpected wonders of nature that are right under our noses - in our own backyards. Spanning a seasonal year around a suburban home, the film displays a stunning array of unique wildlife images and behavior and reminds us that Wi-Fi is not the only connection that matters. Sometimes in ordinary places, you can uncover extraordinary things that can transform you forever - you just need to step outside. Click here to view the trailer.
A panel discussion on the importance of native plants in maintaining watershed health, building climate resilience, and creating habitat for birds and other wildlife will follow the film.
Presented in partnership with Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens, Audubon Mid-Atlantic/John James Audubon Center, and Valley Forge Park Alliance.
Uncovering The Secrets Of The Underground Railroad At Valley Forge
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 | 7 p.m.
What is the connection between the Underground Railroad and Valley Forge? Dionne Patterson will explain, educate and inspire us at this event, which is part of Valley Forge Park Alliance's Speaker Series, featuring experts, authors, and thought leaders who shed new light on the people, places, and untold stories of Valley Forge National Historical Park.
Dionne Patterson, the visionary behind UGR3DAY Underground Railroad Experiences Inc., is dedicated to illuminating the antebellum era by exploring the lives of both free and enslaved African Americans, as well as the multifaceted history of the Underground Railroad. A proud graduate of Delaware State University, Dionne is a certified cultural interpretive guide, genealogist, herbalist, forest bathing guide, researcher, and historian. Her mission is to provide a holistic education that brings to light the untold stories of landscapes, structures, and the people who exemplified faith, resilience, and community within the Underground Railroad.
Through her work, Dionne has forged partnerships with state organizations, parks, genealogical societies, school districts, and museums across the Mid-Atlantic Region. She offers immersive experiences through hands-on workshops, curriculum development, walking tours, seminars, and physical events, all focused on African American narratives. As an education consultant, she is recognized as a subject-matter expert (SME) in trauma, cultural competency, diversity, equity, inclusion, and child development. Dionne has also developed programs for institutions of higher learning, the state of Delaware, and both national and state parks.
Dionne’s expertise has led her to collaborate with Delaware State University as a content consultant and storyteller for their documentary "Women of Vision, Women of Purpose," which explores the Underground Railroad. She will be featured in a PBS documentary on the Underground Railroad through WSKG. Through UGR3DAY, Dionne also writes and produces a quarterly magazine that delves into Underground Railroad travels, Black history, and genealogy.