Lackawanna College offering course at Abington Heights

This semester, a plan to bring an authentic college experience to Abington Heights students is in full swing.

In an effort to make college credits more accessible to students in the Abingtons, Lackawanna College is offering Introduction to Philosophy to students at the high school. Enrolled students are using a study hall period to take this three-credit course without ever visiting the college’s campus. Students are learning basic philosophical concepts through studying ancient thinkers and examining real-world, modern concepts through a lens of logic and reason.

The course is taught by Lackawanna professor John Baldino and is identical to the sections he teaches on the college’s Scranton campus. Baldino is a tenured Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies. He has been with Lackawanna College since 2016 and is local to the school district, having lived in the Abingtons for 15 years. Baldino is a graduate of Marywood University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts, Communications. He did his graduate work at Mount St. Mary’s and Excelsior Universities and holds a Master of Arts, Liberal Studies with a concentration in philosophy. Baldino holds Graduate Certificate in Catholic Theology from St. Joseph’s College and will complete a Master of Arts, Theology in May.

“Brining one of my courses to Abington students is great for so many reasons,” Baldino says. “I love offering high school students the opportunity to earn college credit, and doing it right in my own community, right down the road makes it even more special.”

Abington Heights School District and Lackawanna College have had a dual enrollment agreement in place since 2018. This program, though, takes that relationship to another level. The initiative is managed by Dr. Abbey Judge, Director of Pre-College Programs at Lackawanna. “The college received a grant through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program run through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to fund this project,” she explains. Pride Mobility and People’s Security Bank have also provided funding to support this innovative initiative.