SRI and Susquehanna University Build Partnership Through Hands-On Student Collaboration

SUNBURY, PA — September 2026 — Sunbury’s Revitalization Inc. (SRI) and Susquehanna University’s Sigmund Weis School of Business (SWSB) are continuing to build a partnership that brings students, faculty and the downtown Sunbury community together through hands-on projects and real-world learning opportunities.

SRI has worked with Susquehanna University classes and students on a variety of projects over the past several years, creating opportunities for students to apply what they are learning in the classroom to actual community development challenges and opportunities.

Most notably, a project with Professor Erik Anderson’s Data Collection and Modeling class last semester sparked an idea that would eventually become Sunbury’s Screams & Scenes event taking place this October 9th & 10th.

Anderson’s class had been split into groups and tasked with pitching event proposals that would help draw students to Sunbury and engage the university as well as the downtown community. One group of students developed the concept for a fall-themed event that could bring people downtown, create opportunities for local businesses and give the community something new to experience. SRI saw potential in the idea and began developing it beyond the classroom. Through the summer they began the planning for this event and decided that they wanted it to become a reality. 

This year, SRI is continuing its work with SWSB and is partnering closely with Lauren Smith’s marketing class to help prepare for and organize Screams & Scenes. Students are taking on real projects to support the event, including developing marketing strategies, identifying ways to reach new audiences, recruiting student vendors, planning social media and event-day content, coordinating volunteers, supporting community outreach and more.

The collaboration is also extending into Susquehanna’s entrepreneurship program, creating opportunities for student entrepreneurs and organizations to participate in Screams & Scenes as vendors. Students can use the event to sell products, promote their businesses or organizations, share resources and connect with the community. Through the generosity of the Troutman Foundation, Sigma Nu Tau is covering the student vendor fees, removing one of the barriers for students who want to participate. The goal is to encourage students to take a chance, try something new and put their entrepreneurial ideas into practice in a real community setting. 

“This is one of the really exciting things about working with Susquehanna University,” said Sarah Bower, Downtown Manager for SRI and a Susquehanna University alumna. “Students came up with a theoretical idea for an event, and the professors believed in it enough to continue building on it. Now, a year later, that idea is becoming a real event, and students are getting hands-on experience working with an actual marketing client, developing real-world skills, learning about community development and getting to know the community right in their own backyard.” 

“Projects like this give students an opportunity to take what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it to something that is actually happening in their community,” said Lauren Smith, lecturer at Susquehanna University’s Sigmund Weis School of Business. “Working with SRI gives students a real client and a real event to work towards. They’re learning how to develop a marketing strategy, communicate with different audiences and think creatively about how to engage with people." 

SRI continues its work with sections of Anderson’s data collection and modeling class again this semester, tasking them with market gap research of downtown businesses and potential reuse proposals. The partnership benefits both the university and the community. Students gain hands-on experience working on a real community project, while SRI gains new ideas, perspectives and additional support as it develops the event.

SRI is incredibly grateful for the continued partnership and support of Susquehanna University and the Sigmund Weis School of Business. The university has been open and willing to collaborate in ways that go far beyond a traditional classroom experience, creating meaningful opportunities for students while bringing new ideas, creativity and energy into the Sunbury community. SRI is especially grateful for the faculty who continue to champion hands-on learning and look for ways to connect their students with the community around them. The willingness of Susquehanna’s faculty and students to engage with Sunbury has made this partnership incredibly valuable, and SRI looks forward to continuing to build on it for years to come. 

Screams & Scenes will bring a family-friendly fall and Halloween atmosphere to downtown Sunbury, with spooky scenes, entertainment, vendors, activities and opportunities for local businesses and organizations to participate. What began as a student idea is now becoming another opportunity to bring people together in downtown Sunbury and the students who helped inspire the concept are now part of the team helping make it happen.

For more information about Screams & Scenes, including opportunities for businesses, organizations, vendors and volunteers to participate, visit ThinkSunbury.com.