Wingspan grantees illuminate Pennsylvania’s past through storytelling
PA Humanities’ Wingspan grants are helping organizations across Pennsylvania bring community stories to life and spotlight voices too often left out of the historical record. From documentaries exploring the Underground Railroad to award-winning films uncovering Jefferson County’s industrial and agricultural past, Wingspan funding has given historians and storytellers the flexibility to research, film, teach, and share their work in meaningful ways. The result is history that feels personal, connected, and alive.
When teens take the lead: Inside PA Humanities’ youth-led approach
What does it look like to create humanities-based programming that teens don’t just attend, but actually help shape and keep coming back to? That question is at the heart of Youth-Led Humanities, one of PA Humanities’ core programs. Hear from Julia Katz, PA Humanities’ Education Program Manager, about what it means to be youth-led, why this approach works, and how Youth-Led Humanities—and new training opportunities for libraries and youth-serving organizations—are helping adults think about how they partner with young people.
Voices of History Scranton: Identity and community
Welcome to Voices of History Scranton, a PA Humanities project inspired by the works of renowned playwright August Wilson and designed to showcase the voices of everyday Black Pennsylvanians. In these three videos, you’ll hear the stories of young adults who discovered identity, purpose, and community through the challenges and opportunities that shaped their journeys in Scranton. Whether arriving from elsewhere or returning home, each of them reflects on what it means to navigate unfamiliar spaces, build connections, and turn personal experience into inspiration for creativity, leadership, and belonging.
Voices of History Scranton: Stories of family
PA Humanities is excited to present Voices of History Scranton. In these first two videos, we meet women whose lives were shaped by family, faith, loss, and identity. Both stories illuminate the strength found in belonging, both newly discovered and long-cherished, and the ways in which the women carry memories, build connections and find meaning in where they come from.
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.