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.
Brandywine Library teens turn book discussions into real-world mental health action
Inspired by their book selections and a growing interest in mental health awareness, seven teens who are part of PA Humanities’ Youth-Led Humanities programming at Brandywine Library completed Teen Mental Health First Aid Training. The program gives high school students the tools to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in themselves and their peers.
Rain Poetry project in Johnstown concludes with special book celebration
Young poets who took part in PA Humanities’ Rain Poetry project in Johnstown in 2024 gathered at the Cambria County Library in April to receive their copies of the booklet containing all of the poems written as part of the project, and celebrate the power of self-expression through haiku one more time.
Young poets share the ‘colors of their city’ in Reading
Adrian Perez-Roman has lived in Reading his whole life and heard many different opinions and thoughts about the place he calls home. Hearing what the young people participating in recent Rain Poetry workshops had to say about their city, however, brought nothing but smiles.
Planting the seed: How one small grant helped a youth reading program to grow in Cambria County
In 2006, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College librarian Barb Zaborowski received a seed grant from PA Humanities to expand the One Book, One Community program to include middle school students. Today, the program continues to thrive, serving as a testament to PA Humanities’ enduring dedication to libraries and education.