A two-year Penn State Alumni Association project, which was launched in September, will establish a new Alumni Walk -- consisting of about 6,500 sponsored and inscribed bricks.

Money raised from this project will be used to build the association's new Student Program Fund. The fund will help the Blue and White Society, the Lion Ambassadors, the FastStart program for underrepresented first-year students and the Lion Link mentoring program, said Roger Williams, executive director of the association.

"It will also be used more generally for programs and events that bring students into greater contact with the Alumni Association," Williams said.

About $1 million is expected to be raised from the walk, Williams added.

"The Alumni Walk is a walkway at the Hintz Family Alumni Center that will honor loyal and dedicated alumni and give them their own little spot on campus, while at the same time raising money for current and future student programs," said Kate Poorman, associate director of strategic communications. The walk will be located between the historic University House and the newer part of the Hintz Family Alumni Center.

"The Alumni Walk is the third and final phase of the construction and beautification plans for the Hintz Family Alumni Center," Williams said. "It is a visible tribute on the University Park campus to alumni and those who have supported the university through their membership in the Penn State Alumni Association."

The walkway will have the names of the association members and deceased alumni throughout the history of Penn State, he added.

There are three sizes of bricks, each with a different location within the walkway and amount of engraving space available for purchase. They cost $250, $1,000 and $5,000, he said. The more expensive bricks will be larger with additional features, he said. The bricks will be available until all are sold.

There is not a specific timetable for the completion of the project, Poorman said.

The first phase of inscribed bricks might be placed into the walkway in late April or early May 2007, Williams said.

"We expect the project to last approximately two years, perhaps more," he said.