We put people first.
Our work champions the humanities — centering growth, equity, and community as a pathway to positive, lasting change.
We believe in contributing our learnings to the larger conversation about the role of the humanities in creating lasting change. We put participatory research at the forefront of all our work and partner with scholars, consultants, and a cross-sector of leaders including Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania’s PennPraxis, Elizabeth Myrick + Associates, and Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
An independent nonprofit that puts people first, PA Humanities relies on financial support from people like you. As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, your support will help more Pennsylvanians experience the humanities and put them in action through civic engagement, education, building community, and however they are inspired to make change.
Thank you to the @PARoute6 Alliance for inviting us to their 2024 Educational Workshop and Annual Meeting. Jen Danifo, our senior manager of programs, spoke about our PA Heart & Soul work along Route 6 and led a workshop on gathering stories with @CommunityHeartAndSoul coach Alice Trowbridge.
It was also great to hear about the impact of @carbondaleheartandsoul from project coordinator Todd Pousley and Mayor Michele Bannon.
PA Heart & Soul is a resident-led planning initiative that finds common ground through gathering stories, having conversations, and getting people more involved in co-creating the future of their community.
We were honored to present "More than metrics: Uplifting the people behind the numbers" at #MAAM2024 this month. Our executive director Laurie Zierer joined Patricia Wilson Aden, President & CEO of @philaculture, to talk about our research and collaboration.
They shared what we`re learning together about the cultural sector, drawing from: PA CultureCheck; Arts, Culture, and Economic Prosperity: Greater Philadelphia; and the PA Humanities Discovery Project.
Check out the powerful word cloud from our live poll. We asked attendees to share what motivates them, and the responses highlight how passionate and values-driven cultural workers are!
Thank you to the @midatlanticmuseums for inviting us.
Our Rain Poetry project in Pittsburgh recently culminated in a book launch event, bringing together participating youth from after school programs at @assemblepgh, @youthplacesyp and @ymcalighthouse. This was the first time these "published authors" saw their haiku in this beautifully illustrated book. The event included food, activities, speeches, and poetry reading.
The Rain Poetry project is spreading to cities across Pennsylvania. Through interactive workshops led by experienced teaching artists, young people write their very own poems, some of which are installed in public spaces with a water-activated solution that allows them to appear like magic when it rains. The program includes a community celebration and the creation of a printed book.
Big thank yous to teaching artist Karen Howard, mural artists Shane Pilster and Max Gonzales, afterschool site partners Tany Haynes, "K" Bey, and Leanna Lyle, and book designer April Hartmann.
The Rain Poetry project in Pittsburgh is made possible with the generous support off @theheinzendowments, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and the Grable Foundation.
#RainPoetry #RainPoetryPittsburgh
This month, we continued our statewide 50th anniversary celebrations with a fantastic evening at The 1315 Club in Philadelphia. It was great to connect with friends and share updates on our programs, research, and initiatives. We were honored to hear about PA Humanities` lasting impact from Tara Jones of @chestercaatcenter and enjoyed a special visit from @senvincenthughes. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success.
(Photos by Sherie Martin)
