Our sidewalks suck. What can the City do about it?
The 1900 block of Ringgold Street appears as many other blocks in North Philadelphia. A few people stand on the corner or lean against rowhomes and talk.
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This new giving circle funds struggling Philly schools
It was about a year and a half ago when Andy Toy read an article about a school in Germantown that was struggling with funds. The principal, Toy recalled, had only $34 and couldn’t afford to purchase many amenities for his students. However, within a few days of the article being published, the school received thousands of…
City youth need outlets and discipline
With the onslaught of recent flash mobs taking place in Center City, many are asking, “Why?” Are the youth of this city so bored with themselves, and so angry, that they find entertainment in hurting innocent bystanders for no reason at all? And are the adults of this city doing enough to engage them in…
Who is Philly’s first digital director?
Under Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration, the city of Philadelphia has its first digital director. Stephanie Waters, the former digital director for Kenney’s campaign, officially took the reins of her new title just last week. She’s still getting used to her new position, learning the ins and outs of City Hall — and getting use to…
Camelot Schools Making a Difference
“One thing about the teachers here is that they will never give up on you,” says Klarice Reed. The 11th-grader begins each day at Shallcross Academy attending Townhouse, a social gathering in which students from different grades come together to discuss their issues and brainstorm on how to make the day successful. Like most of…
Butkovitz unveils plans for potential drone usage
As part of an ongoing effort to explore how technology can be utilized to improve government function, City Controller Alan Butkovitz announced Wednesday that the city has been using drones to inspect dangerous buildings in neighborhoods across Philadelphia. Butkovitz and his team selected four locations around the city to test the drone’s capacity to make…
Warehouse on Watts, Philly’s Best Kept Secret
Gavin DiRusso had a few challenges before opening Warehouse on Watts (WOW), “a grassroots events space” in North Philadelphia. Initially, he had purchased the space in late September of 2013 for its garage so that he could develop and work on his own projects. The purchase was made around the time that the city switched…
Philly Grad Aims For New Chapter In Life
It happened earlier this month when Shawn Jorden, 25, was handed his degrees in Psychology and Liberal Arts from the Community College of Philadelphia, a goal that he had initially thought was out of reach. Jorden attended Indiana University before attending CCP but because of the university’s tuition and cost of living, he was forced…
Indah Nuritasari: ‘I believe that stories, journalism is very powerful’
Indah Nuritasari was born and raised in Indonesia. She ran away from her home and to Germany in 1994, establishing the first independent journalist union soon after, when Indonesia was still under the Suharto regime. She is a writer, journalist and has been the recipient of the Leeway Foundation’s transformation grant for work connecting immigrants and refugees to…