As we prepare to announce the next group of Pennsylvanians recognized through PA Humanities’ The Window Keeper: Civic Honors initiative, we’re taking a look at the first 25 Window Keepers who helped launch this special project.
These neighbors, educators, organizers, librarians, artists, volunteers and community members use cultural practices, storytelling, history and other tools of the humanities to bring people together and strengthen their communities. Selected from among PA Humanities’ network of partners, they inspire us and embody the spirit of the Window Keeper.
As you explore their stories, ask yourself: Who do you know that is a Window Keeper in your community?
Our next group of Window Keepers will be made up entirely of people nominated by Pennsylvanians like you, and our goal is to recognize someone from every county in the Commonwealth. As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, help us shine a light on the people using the humanities to make a difference across Pennsylvania. We need to know who’s doing the work of the Window Keeper in your town or city!
Nominate a Window Keeper you know today!
Here are just eight of our first 25 Window Keepers, with more to come!
Herman Beavers
Professor, Department of Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Professor Beavers brings the humanities to life for community members of all backgrounds, from students to veterans, helping them engage thoughtfully with challenging histories. Through the PennVUB program, in partnership with PA Humanities, he guided local veterans in exploring Black history and the works of August Wilson, fostering meaningful dialogue, personal reflection, and a deeper connection to the stories that shape our communities. Learn more about Professor Beavers’ work here.
Erin Ninehouser
Videographer & Photographer, Rust Belt Mayberry
Ambridge, Beaver
As a visual historian, Erin Ninehouser documents how everyday Pennsylvanians contribute to the growth and preservation of what matters most about where we live. Her work celebrates and highlights the rich culture and traditions of many rural communities that have been overlooked, shining a light on the people who work every day to keep those communities alive through efforts including PA Heart & Soul. Check out Erin’s work with our Heart & Soul communities here.
Ervin Dyer
Board member, August Wilson House
Pittsburgh, Allegheny
As the board chair and key advisor for the August Wilson House, Ervin Dyer supported PA Humanities’ Voices of History project in Pittsburgh from its conception to its completion, ensuring each storyteller felt supported while still accomplishing the goals of the project. As an award-winning journalist and storyteller, and adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh, he specializes in sharing the stories of African American life and culture. Check out Ervin’s story here.
JoAnne Henry
Storyteller, Susquehanna Valley Mediation
Selinsgrove, Snyder County
At the Susquehanna Valley Mediation Center, JoAnne Henry and Susan Jordan collaborate to bring people together through storytelling, dialogue, and creative community engagement. JoAnne, a student of the Southern Freedom Theater’s Story Circle method, uses storytelling practices developed over decades to help people navigate divisive issues, build empathy, and foster deeper understanding, and the organization’s work led to the development of a play, The Really Really Real Traveling Medicine Show, which uses performance and storytelling to spark dialogue, reflection, and connection within communities. Listen to JoAnne talk about her work on WVIA’s ArtScene with Erika Funke.
Doug Miller
Site Director, Pennsbury Manor
Morrisville, Bucks
Under Doug Miller’s leadership, Pennsbury Manor’s award-winning William Penn: The Seed of a Nation exhibit explores Penn’s desire to create a place that stood for fairness, religious tolerance, acceptance and representative government. Miller was also instrumental in a repatriation project in collaboration with Jeremy Johnson and members of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, helping locate the remains of the ancestors that had been taken and dispersed to museums and universities and returning them to be interred on the land that the Lenape once called home. Learn more about Doug’s work here.
Jessica Kiefer
Head Children’s Librarian, Greensburg Hempfield Area Library
Greensburg, Westmoreland
As head of Children’s Services at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, Jessica fosters a love of reading and creativity in young people. For the past five years, she has led Teen Reading Lounge off-site through a partnership she developed with Centerville Clinics’ Partial Hospitalization program for young adults experiencing mental health challenges. Recognizing an opportunity during the pandemic, Jessica integrated humanities-based activities and discussions into the program, helping participants build social-emotional skills and take greater ownership of their learning. Learn more about Jessica’s youth work here.
Trapeta B. Mayson
Poet, Teacher, Social Worker and Non-Profit Administrator
Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Trapeta Mayson cultivates culture not only for, but with, the people of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, serving as Philadelphia’s fifth poet laureate and as a key advisor for PA Humanities’ Rain Poetry Project. Through her leadership, cultural practice, and social engagement, Trapeta helps people explore what it means to be human and inspires us to become more compassionate, thoughtful, and connected members of our communities. Read our interview with Trapeta about her Kindness Poem here.
Ben Speggen
Vice President, Jefferson Educational Society
Erie, Erie
Ben is a champion of the humanities, bringing people together to discuss important contemporary issues, with a particular interest in the intersection of government, community, history, and policy at the Society. He is a journalist who, through curiosity and research, brings people together to explore all facets of life. Learn more about Ben’s work here.
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