Special Grant Opportunity to Bring Humanities-Based Community Development to Your Town

September 2, 2020

The Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC), in partnership with Erie Arts & Culture and the PA Route 6 Alliance, invites you to a free virtual workshop to learn about Community Heart & Soul™, an innovative community development process that uses the tools of the humanities to engage residents in planning for the future.

Participants will also learn about a special grant opportunity, available to select counties, offered by PHC and statewide funding partners to become the next Heart & Soul community.

What is Community Heart & Soul™?

Community Heart & Soul™, originally developed by the Orton Family Foundation, is a process that cultivates a shared sense of belonging among residents, engages them in thinking critically and creatively about community life and involves them in planning and decision-making – all as a way to strengthen a town’s social, cultural and economic vibrancy.

Key to the process is learning what matters most by gathering stories, hopes, and ideas from residents. This becomes the basis for building a community’s shared values, which inform a community’s unique action plan. As a result, communities become more connected, resourceful, and resilient.

AUTUMN VOGEL, COORDINATOR FOR MY MEADVILLE

During this webinar, participants will:

Learn about the four-phase Community Heart & Soul™ model.
Learn how the humanities can be used to engage residents in visioning and planning for a community’s future.
Hear from Pennsylvania Heart & Soul communities about how the model has been used to spark growth in their towns.

Since 2015, PHC has been the only statewide organization partnering with the Orton Family Foundation to bring Community Heart & Soul™ to towns across Pennsylvania. Click here to learn more about our current H&S towns.

“Through this process, the humanities are helping residents to revitalize their communities. By sharing stories, residents are opening pathways for learning and sparking dialogue that will result in the actions needed to transform their communities and public processes.”
– Laurie Zierer, Executive Director of PHC

Who Should Attend

This workshop and grant opportunity is only open to the following counties: Crawford, Erie, Warren, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Wayne, Pike, Venango, Mercer, and Lawrence.

Arts and culture organizations, local municipalities, community-based organizations, civic and economic development groups, downtown revitalization and preservation groups – and any resident or organization interested in increasing resident engagement and cross-sector collaboration for more robust community planning are encouraged to register.

How To Participate

Registration is required. PHC is offering two opportunities to learn about Community Heart & Soul™ and PHC’s special grant opportunity. Sign up below for the webinar that best fits your schedule.