In honor of Black History Month, Penn State Berks will hold the following events in February. All events are free and open to the public.

Ricki Kay Deeter enrolled in the Business degree at Penn State Berks because she wanted to help establish and grow her family’s farm in Pine Grove, PA. Her studies have paid off by enhancing her agricultural skills. As a result, she was recently honored with the National FFA (Future Farmers of America) American Degree.

The innovators of tomorrow will be practicing imaginative thinking and teamwork during the FIRST LEGO League Challenge, set to run from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, with a snow date of Saturday, Feb. 10. This is the second consecutive year for the event at Penn State Berks.

Penn State students, faculty and staff are invited to compete for $100,000 in funding during the Nittany AI Challenge. The challenge, sponsored by the Penn State EdTech Network, will give participating teams the opportunity to explore artificial intelligence in higher education to improve the student experience at Penn State, solve real-world problems at the University, and generate startup ideas. The deadline for idea submissions is Jan. 29.

Penn State Berks Benefiting THON, a student organization, is inviting the community to take the “Polar Plunge” to raise funds for THON, the world's largest student-run philanthropy dedicated to supporting children with pediatric cancer and their families, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, at the beach at Blue Marsh Lake. Attendees may register in advance before Jan. 14 for $20, or after Jan. 14 for $25. Those who register before Jan. 14 will receive a t-shirt.

The Berks County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, the Penn State Berks Benefiting THON student group, and the Reading Royals are teaming up for the eighth consecutive year to hold a fundraising event to benefit THON, the world's largest student-run philanthropy dedicated to supporting children with pediatric cancer and their families. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Kendall Phillips, professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University, will present a lecture titled "A Certain Tendency in Post-Occupy Cinema: The Purge, The Cabin in the Woods, and Snowpiercer” at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room at Penn State Berks. This lecture will explore the intersection of politics and cinema in the 21st century. The event is free and open to the public.

As part of its 60th anniversary, Penn State Berks will hold a year of special events in 2018. The kickoff event will be held at 12:15 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium, followed by a reception in the Freyberger Gallery and the Perkins Student Center lobby.

In honor of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, Jan. 15, Penn State Berks students will volunteer in the local community and complete community service activities on campus in an effort to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights leader.

The AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program at Penn State Berks will host a civic and community engagement event on Friday, Jan. 19, in the Perkins Student Center Lion's Den.