A Campus Where Everyone Has the Tools to Create, Explore, and Lead.
At Penn State Greater Allegheny, innovation is the expectation. Every student, faculty, and staff member receives an iPad® as part of our Digital Fluency Project—an initiative designed to build the skills and confidence needed to thrive in today’s digital world.
Our shared technology connects us, reduces costs, and makes innovation part of everyday life, in class, at work, and in the community.
We’re proud to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022–2025
What Is Digital Fluency?
Digital fluency means more than just knowing how to use a device, it’s about using technology to:
Collaborate and create
Solve problems and think critically
Communicate across platforms
Learn, teach, and lead in new ways
Students at Greater Allegheny are using iPad to create video essays, build interactive presentations, design portfolios, write code, collaborate with classmates, and explore augmented reality. From the first semester, all students receive:
An iPad to use throughout their academic journey
Free access to software provided by Penn State
Remote access to Penn State lab software through WebLabs
24/7 digital library resources — including academic journals, ebooks, and streaming content
We make it easy to stay connected and keep your out-of-pocket expenses low.
Faculty Innovation = Student Impact
Our faculty use digital tools to transform the classroom. Many adopt free or open and affordable educational resources (OAER), or even create their own digital textbooks to replace costly materials.
My students no longer need to buy any textbook. The digital fluency project motivated me to write my own interactive textbook with embedded videos and quizzes that I share to the iPad along with lecture notes and videos. Before, it cost $150 to $200 per course. Now, they don’t pay anything because of the iPad. In the classroom, it is all interactive and focused on student trying and understanding. I am also able to implement augmented reality so students can see the image using their iPad. We weren’t able to do that with paper and pencil.
Support That Meets Students Where They Are
Whether you’re meeting with your academic adviser, chatting with the registrar, or getting help from Financial Aid—digital tools make communication easy and accessible.
Staff use shared tools like iPad, Zoom, and more to stay connected with students and support their success every step of the way.
A Culture of Creativity and Collaboration
The Digital Fluency Project reaches beyond tech, it shapes how we learn, teach, and connect.
One of the key ideas related to Digital Fluency is that you're always experimenting. It’s not about mastering particular software or knowing exactly how to do everything. It’s about finding ways to do what you want with different kinds of technologies.
If you are a student coming to Greater Allegheny, you are guaranteed a device that other people have experience using and are also there to help you. You are in a community of people who are working with similar devices. Everyone having the same device really sets you up for success with experimenting.
You’ll see this spirit in our:
Reimagined classrooms and learning spaces
Collaborative lounges and group work areas
Courses that blend creativity, research, and design thinking
Powered by Support
The Digital Fluency Project is made possible by generous alumni and donors, including a $50,000 Digital Fluency Challenge Grant from Jim and Megan Minarik, which is being matched to reach a $100,000 goal. These gifts help students gain the tools and skills they need to thrive.
