Let’s Rise: Stories of youth engagement and education
Welcome to the next installment of LET’S RISE, the PA Humanities statewide video project, created in partnership with Emmy-winning filmmaker Kelly Dessoye in celebration of our 50th anniversary. In December, we’re spotlighting how young people are engaging with the humanities through PA Humanities programs and initiatives and finding new ways to understand themselves, one another, and their communities. We invite you to watch and reflect, and join us in ensuring that the humanities remain a vibrant force in Pennsylvania.
Year 2 of Youth-Led Humanities Launches with New Opportunities for Pennsylvania Teens
PA Humanities’ Youth-Led Humanities (YLH) program continues this fall with 20 public libraries and out-of-school time (OST) organizations. These sites, representing both rural and urban communities across the state, have demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering youth leadership and engagement through the humanities. The returning Teen Advisory Council — made up of youth from participating YLH sites — will take on special projects to make the program even more youth-centered.
Young voices of Rain Poetry shine at State Library
Since 2023, PA Humanities’ Rain Poetry project has been transforming sidewalks into stages for imagination, showcasing the creativity of young people, and demonstrating the power of the humanities to turn ordinary spaces into unexpected moments of connection, reflection, and joy.
Now, poems written by Rain Poetry participants from across Pennsylvania are part of a special installation outside the State Library in Harrisburg.
From Reading to Harrisburg, Rain Poetry magic spreads statewide
The Rain Poetry project in Reading came to a joyful close this month with the third and final reveal celebration that brought poets, their families and neighbors together to celebrate the creativity of young people. And we’ve got a lot more exciting Rain Poetry news to share!
Reflections on a summer with PA Humanities
By Lucy Corrie-Tannen (PA Humanities intern, Haverford College) If there’s one moment from this summer that will stick with me, it’s this one: sitting in my room, phone pressed to my ear, interviewing a middle schooler who participated in a PA Humanities program. “I would really like to do the Culture with Cooking sessions again,”…
Bratwurst and egg rolls: cultural cooking sessions spark connection at Norristown library
This past year, the teens of the Youth-Led Humanities program at the Montgomery-County Norristown Public Library took a hands-on approach to cultural learning. Every other week, they gathered to make recipes from different
cultures together and share the diverse traditions tied to food. These cooking sessions allowed them to connect with their own family history, forge intercultural connections, and build community together.