The Summer Olympic Games open in Rio de Janeiro later this week. The Olympics is a spectacle that the world looks forward to every two years. More than 200 nations competing in peace and harmony is still the ideal of the Olympic Games.

We often remember when that was close to happening or when athletic history was made, but today the world is a different place. Politics, the threat of terrorism and the high cost of staging the events often tarnish the ideals. Our guest on Wednesday's Smart Talk is an expert on the Olympic games and their history.

Appearing on the program is Mark Dyreson, Ph.D. Professor of Kinesiology at Penn State. He authored the books Crafting Patriotism: America at the Olympic Games and Making the American Team: Sport, Culture and the Olympic Experience.

Also on Wednesday's show, college students want internship experience to boost their resume and learn the tricks of the trade. Cities in Pennsylvania could use an extra set of hands to help out around the office.

Enter a new Penn State program that matches those two groups. It's called the Scholarship, Sustainability and Civic Engagement Program. Eleven students participated this summer and several Pennsylvania cities and their taxpayers reaped the benefits.

To tell us more are Tim Kelsey, Ph.D. Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Community Development at Penn State and Alexandra Sorce, a Community, Environment and Development major at Penn State, who spent the summer in McKees Rocks working on food access and nutrition issues.