Penn State and the State College Borough will hold their first Global Dignity Day Celebration on Wednesday, October 19.

Global Dignity Day is a celebration of unity and the belief that all people deserve to live a life of dignity. The day of dignity has been celebrated on the third Wednesday of October since 2008 in more than 80 countries. Founders Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, entrepreneur John Bryant, and Professor Pekka Himanen define dignity as a belief in your own worth and a belief in the worth of others.

The ceremony will include speeches from Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff Michael Wade Smith, and many more. The speakers will delve into dignity at Penn State, the evolution of dignity, defining dignity, and dignity in our community.

The full list of speakers includes:

• Neeli Bendapudi — president, Penn State
• Ezra Nanes — mayor, State College Borough
• Michael Wade Smith — senior vice president and chief of staff, Penn State
• Beth Seymour — co-chair, Commission for Women; professor, Penn State Altoona
• Ashley Patterson — associate professor of education, Penn State College of Education
• Kevin Kassab — community engagement manager, State College Borough

The ceremony will be held via livestream at noon on Wednesday, October 19. Anyone interested in joining the celebration must register in advance through the Penn State Outreach website.