The Window Keeper:
Community Workshops
As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, PA Humanities is convening a series of community workshops across Pennsylvania that invite adults to reflect on democracy, justice, freedom, and civic life through reading, discussion, and writing.
Hosted in cultural, educational and humanities spaces in Philadelphia, State College/Bellefonte, Pittsburgh, and York, the workshops are inspired by The Window Keeper – a commissioned poem by Yolanda Wisher and animated video by Naeem Murdic. Guided by humanities facilitators, participants will engage in close reading, community dialogue, and reflective writing activities that explore personal experience alongside broader questions about democracy and the future of civic life.
Writing generated during the workshops will be gathered into a statewide online The Window Keeper zine commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary and amplifying voices from communities across Pennsylvania.
Program Highlights
Workshops for residents at local arts, cultural and community sites across Pennsylvania
Custom curriculum written by The Window Keeper author Yolanda Wisher
Guided discussion and reflection on history, democracy, justice, and civic responsibility
Publication of a statewide commemorative ‘zine (digital)
Project Goals
- Encourage civic reflection through meaningful community dialogue, close reading, creative writing, and engagement with history.
- Connect humanities practices—including interpretation, discussion, and storytelling—with creative and cultural expression through poetry.
- Foster deeper understanding of how language, history, and civic ideals continue to shape contemporary experiences of freedom, belonging, and community.
- Celebrate Pennsylvania stories, voices, and communities as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary, highlighting the diverse experiences that contribute to our shared history.
Partners
York College of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh’s Western PA Writing Project
Pennsylvania State University’s Creative Writing Department
Drexel University’s Writers’ Room
Resources
Workshop information
Window Keeper poem
Curriculum sample
Promotional Guide for Host Sites
Window Keeper Poetry ‘Zine (Coming Winter 2026!)
Workshop locations
Funding
The Window Keeper: Community Workshops is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania state legislators, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and individual donor Randall Miller. “The Window Keeper” by Yolanda Wisher was commissioned by PA Humanities and ArtPhilly for America250PA’s National Convening of State Partners Closing Dinner on September 21, 2024.
