The Invent Penn State initiative has awarded a $50,000 seed grant to the Brandywine campus in Media for a program to encourage collaboration between campus members and small business owners, writes Haleigh Swansen for Penn State News.

The program has two main parts. The first selects up to four small business owners who will be the program’s clients. They will be given access to the faculty’s staff, student, and community expertise in areas such as web presence and marketing research. The second part will provide training workshops near the campus on small business growth and operation.

This will provide training and support to local business owners while giving the Brandywine faculty’s staff and students the chance to utilize their knowledge and skills when mentoring them.

“As we fold the program efforts into classroom projects and workshops, we will benefit the direct client and our students will also gain extra experience,” said Julie Stanton, associate professor of business at Penn State Brandywine. “That’s a multiplier effect that investors just dream about.”

Read more about the grant at Penn State News by clicking here.