PHC
Summer 2019
Pennsylvania Humanities Council
HUMANITIES MATTERS Your gifts at work.
PHC has been on the move, in more ways than one!
I
n January, we moved our offices from Old City to the Avenue of
the Arts and we have already settled in to our new space and neighborhood. Our staff did not miss a beat, continuing to give Pennsylvanians opportunities to connect with their communities
PHC Staff on the move to new offices on the Avenue of the Arts
and each other.
We were also on the move to Washington D.C. for Humanities on the Hill where we shared the significance of our work with elected representatives. It is critical for them to hear directly from us about the importance of the humanities, and the demonstrable and meaningful impacts our programs have on people all over Pennsylvania. Every day we hear stories from program participants that reinforce our commitment to put the humanities
Laurie Zierer, Executive Director Photo: Mark Garvin
into action. We are motivated to work even harder when we see Teen Reading Lounge youth who are inspired to help the homeless or Leadership Philadelphia alumni who are energized to bridge divides and work collaboratively. I hope you will be as inspired as we are after reading just a few examples of PHC’s reach and impact throughout the state. We thank you for the part you play in our work, as it could not be done without your support!
Sharing our impact on Capitol Hill
I
n early March, a group of PHC staff and board members traveled to Washington, D.C. for Humanities on the Hill, which is an annual
opportunity for humanities councils and their friends from all over the country to meet with members of Congress, advocate for the value and impact of the humanities and for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) – which in turn increases funding for state humanities councils like PHC. This funding is crucial for PHC, which receives no annual support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “Humanities on the Hill is a wonderful opportunity for PHC to meet with our state representatives and senators to share with them the good work that PHC is doing to uplift communities in Pennsylvania, thank them for their support and of course seek their continued support as they head into Congressional budget hearings.” said PHC
Representative John Joyce (Right), PHC Board Member Jane Sheffield (Left), and PHC Executive Director Laurie Zierer at Humanities on the Hill 2019.
board member Christina Saler. “It is a true pleasure to see how well PHC is received on the Hill and the recognition
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Sharing our impact on Capitol Hill
and community arts and culture groups—together generate $1.6
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billion in revenue annually.
that the humanities can enrich people’s lives.”
PHC is able to deliver exceptional humanities programming all over
Special thanks to board members Christina Saler and Jane Sheffield, who joined Zierer and PHC staff members Mary Ellen Burd and Donna Scheuerle. The group met with 17 members of Pennsylvania’s
the state thanks to funding from all sectors; government, corporate, foundation, and individuals and we thank all of you for being a part of our work!
congressional delegation and/or their staffers, highlighting PHC’s
For the third year in a row, President Trump’s budget proposal
programs that meaningfully impact citizens.
requests elimination of NEH and other federal cultural agencies,
In addition to reporting on the direct impacts that programs such as Teen Reading Lounge, Pennsylvania Heart & Soul Communities, and Chester Made create, our team also highlighted the humanities’ significant economic impact. Pennsylvania’s 4,500 humanities organizations—from libraries and historical societies to museums
which would put PHC’s work and the entire humanities sector in jeopardy. Please contact your elected officials today - Visit http:// pahumanities.org/initiatives/advocacy to describe the impact of the humanities in your community and to advocate for strong NEH and PHC funding!
Leadership Philadelphia’s CEO says the humanities are critical to civic engagement
L
eadership Philadelphia is now celebrating 60 years of mobilizing and connecting the region’s brightest talent to better serve the
community. To honor the occasion, they launched “Move in Closer,” a year-long series of events and activities that “discuss our shared humanity and pulse those discussions out into the community.” The series is partially funded in partnership with the Pennsylvania Humanities Council through a National Endowment for the
Liz Dow, CEO, Leadership Philadelphia. Photo: Leadership Philadelphia.
Humanities Chairman’s Grant. CEO, Liz Dow believes the secret to getting things done starts with rethinking how we navigate our human relationships. Effectively connecting with others means listening more, giving selflessly, and taking ownership of your community’s challenges. Dow explains the “Move in Closer” Program in this way, “For our 60th anniversary we created a series of five Master Classes – on Empathy, Compassion, Connection, Common Ground, and Caring. At least half of each session involved sharing deep stories with strangers. The rooms of 100 people were intentionally diverse by race, age, and economic sector. Storytelling… creates the ties that bind us. Stories are Sharing them builds bridges of compassion, empathy, and trust.”
Move in Closer workshop participants working diligently on the prompt, learning to better communicate with mutual compassion and understanding. Photo: Leadership Philadelphia.
Move in Closer embodies the work that PHC does in all our programs,
As Dow says, “The humanities speak to the human experience. They
which always begin with listening to others’ stories and experiences.
engage hearts, minds, and souls.”
the glue that binds us and the window into each other’s life experience.
Only after we understand others’ perspectives can we begin to share our own stories, find common ground, work through differences, and improve our communities.
We thank our donors for your engagement with PHC and your support of worthwhile programs such as Move in Closer!
We put the humanities in action.
Teen Reading Lounge youth put the humanities in action for Erie’s homeless
storm -- they remembered the harshness of their own weather. The winters in Erie County can be severe and the teens figured that the people most impacted by bad weather would be those facing housing insecurity. “There is a lot of need in the area,” said Logan Blount, a junior at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy. They searched online for realistic, impactful ways to help and came up with the idea of making “blessing bags” -- small bags stuffed with essentials. Once their project was publicized at the library, the donations poured in. The teens got to work, filling the blessing bags with donated socks, hats, gloves, and toiletries. They also created nonperishable food bags with water, granola bars, packs of nuts, and beef jerky. In January, all the bags were delivered to the Upper Room of Erie, where they were handed out within 1 hour.
Teens and TRL facilitators at Erie County Public Library put the humanities into action, working together to create “blessing bags” for area homeless.
Similar humanities-inspired service projects are happening at Teen
W
Reading Lounge sites throughout Pennsylvania. At the Erie County
with the characters’ plight. The tense drama takes place in the 1940s
“Our discussions about The War Outside showed me that even the
in a Texas internment camp and raises topical questions about justice
smallest bit of kindness can go a long way,” said Tupitza. “I wanted to be
and the politics of fear. Teen Reading Lounge is a place where teens
able to give that kindness.”
can discuss complex issues with one another with support from library
Thanks to PHC’s generous donors, TRL is generating positive impacts
staff, and then plan and implement a community service project
not only for teens and library staff, but for their communities as well!
inspired by those discussions.
Teen Reading Lounge is made possible by a grant from the Institute of
“They were talking about how awful it would be to live in an internment
Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania
camp and not have access to the things you need,” said Tammy Blount,
Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries,
the Teen Services Librarian who facilitates the group. “The kids were
and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, Governor. Additional
asking themselves, ‘Where do we see that nowadays?’”
support is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and
Blount says she appreciates how TRL has helped her to develop
geographically and programmatically restricted gifts from individuals
hen teens at the Erie County Public Library read Monica Hesse’s acclaimed YA novel The War Outside, they immediately identified
meaningful relationships with many of the new young people coming
Public Library, the teens say they just wanted to do the right thing.
and businesses.
to the library. “We get to have important discussions that teens are not typically having,” she said. “The topics are weighty and that builds a deeper bond.” TRL started at the Erie Public Library in the fall of 2015 and has been part of their recent growth in youth programming. The library is currently undergoing an expansion that will feature a new teen space with its own book collection, makerspace, and tech area. “Teen Reading Lounge has opened me up to many new viewpoints and has taught me how to think about other people’s perspectives,” said Clara Tupitza, a regular to the group. She says the opportunity to meet youth outside her usual social circles is a big plus. When the group reflected on the book’s main characters’ first interaction at the Texas internment camp -- during a powerful dust
pahumanities.org
Teens and TRL facilitators at Erie County Public Library put the humanities into action, working together to create “blessing bags” for area homeless.
17.5% 7.5%
Pennsylvania Humanities Council FY 2018 Expenses by Category Your gifts overwhelmingly go directly to supporting activities in communities across
75%
the state – from Erie to Chester and many places in between. Thank you!
Total Program Services
Management & General
Fundraising
PHC salutes you for putting the humanities into action!
With support from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Chester Made organized community paint parties to create mural boards that were recently hung up in Overtown as part of a tactical urbanism beautification project.
Congratulations to Teen Reading Lounge student Tamia Lawrence who was named an After School Champion by the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network.
PHC, Chester Made, and PECO representatives including President & CEO Mike Innocenzo join the family of Walker Carter in celebrating his legacy at the screening of “Remembering Walker ‘Baby’ Carter,” a recent film in the Illuminate Chester Series directed by Ulysses Slaughter.
The Cumberland County Historical Society was awarded the Institutional Award of Merit by the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations for their pioneering work with Greater Carlisle Heart & Soul. Photo: Courtesy of Cumberland County Historical Society.
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Contact Ken Dinitz Director of Development 215.925.1005 x114 or kdinitz@pahumanities.org