Announcements
- Orientation is April 2 and April 5, 4-6 pm at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Room 112. You only need to attend one session!
- 2025 Season begins May 2!
Quick Links
Onboarding: Clearances and Training
Cost: free for volunteers
How to Submit an Application
There are two methods of requesting a Pennsylvania Criminal record:
Online Request
The Pennsylvania State Police have established a web-based computer application called "Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH)". Results are often received immediately when applied for online. If results are not immediately received, please note the following:
- If you provide your e-mail address in the application, PATCH will send messages stating:
- That the clearance request was received; and
- When your clearance results are completed and ready to be reviewed and printed.
- If you do not provide an e-mail address, then please document the control number so that you may log back into the PATCH system to obtain the clearance results when they are completed.
Paper Request
If you need a paper version of the application, please complete the following steps:
- Go to
"Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH)"
- Go to the "Help" option on the top of the page
- When you hover over the "Help" option a drop down menu will appear
- Scroll down and click on the form that you want to review and print
Cost: free for volunteers
How to Submit an Application
Online Submission
The Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certification can be submitted and paid for online through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) self-service portal. Submitting
an application online allows individual applicants to receive their
results through an automated system that will notify them once their
results have been processed. Applicants will be able to view and print
their results online.
Paper Submission
Paper
submissions of the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certification application will still be accepted for anyone who may not
have access to the internet, or who may be unable to access the
self-service portal due to their attempting to access the system from
outside the United States. Please note, results will be received more
quickly if applied for electronically through the self-service portal.
Submit paper applications to:
ChildLine and Abuse Registry
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
PO Box 8170
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8170
Jackie Tammaro Resource Library
Below are helpful links to connect you to more information about Lighthouses and Erie history.
United States Lighthouse Society
Light Hearted is the US Lighthouse Society's podcast. Lake Erie Lights is featured on Episode 230: "Lake Erie Lighthouses of Pennsylvania; Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, Illinois."
Federal Agencies
Our Resources
Audio Tours
Diorama Journals
These journals detail the construction methods of the dioramas constructed by volunteer Jerry Longo.
Fresnel Lens
Keepers
The button above will redirect you to a folder in our organization's OneDrive. There, you can access photocopies of original log books and transcriptions completed by our own volunteers. This is an ongoing project.
Oral Histories
Our organization's oral histories record the stories of individuals with ties to Erie's lighthouses. This includes, but is not limited to, descendants of lightkeepers and former residents. This is an ongoing project.