Philadelphia Neighborhoods logo
  • Neighborhoods
    • Center City
    • North Philadelphia
    • Northeast Philadelphia
    • Northwest Philadelphia
    • River Wards
    • South Philadelphia
    • Southwest Philadelphia
    • West Philadelphia
  • Topics
    • Amateur Sports
    • Arts and Entertainment
    • Business
    • City Hall
    • Community Meetings
    • Crime
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Elections
    • Environment
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Government
    • Health
    • History
    • Housing
    • How To
    • Immigration
    • LGBTQ
    • Mental Health
    • Music
    • Police
    • Politics
    • Poverty
    • Property
    • Religion
    • Science
    • Social Issues
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Transportation
    • Veterans’ Affairs
    • Zoning
  • Special Reports
    • Anatomy of a School Closure
    • Latino Communities
    • All Special Reports
  • Philadelphia Neighborhoods Map
  • About Philadelphia Neighborhoods
  • Awards
  • Our Code of Ethics & Guiding Principles
  • News Orgs: Want To Use Our Stories?
  • Tips/Contact
HomeAuthorsMatthew S. Leister

Articles by Matthew S. Leister

Business

Education: Kenney’s Universal Pre-K Proposal Sparks Hope, Controversy

April 27, 2016Matthew S. Leister and

Philadelphia’s public school system has long faced academic and financial troubles, resulting in poor standardized test scores and high dropout rates. Now, advocates of Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposition for universal pre-kindergarten say such a program

Broad Street

Education: YouthBuild Gives High School Dropouts A Second Chance To Succeed

March 28, 2016Matthew S. Leister

Jocquelyn Cain, 21, was turned away when he tried to re-enroll in his high school two years after he dropped out. He was too old. The Pennsylvania Department of Education says that only 70 percent

Arts and Entertainment

Education: Piano Teacher Says Music Plays Key Role in Children’s Development

March 28, 2016Matthew S. Leister and

Patrick Fink, 27, a piano instructor and professional musician, has taught music since 2006. Fink has taught private lessons from his home in Roxborough for nearly 10 years, and has traveled to give lessons in

Arts and Entertainment

Education: Young Playwrights’ Program Puts Spotlight on Student Voices

February 12, 2016Matthew S. Leister

Anthony Martinez-Briggs, 25, is a teaching artist at the Philadelphia Young Playwrights. He is a co-founder of the grassroots organization “I Love Living,” which stems from the local hip-hop band Ill Doots. He also teaches

Recent Posts

  • For local queer artists, Shop Queer Philly is building community outside of Pride Month
    April 20, 2026
  • As Trump targets queer communities of color, Ebony Ali is fighting back through performance art
    April 20, 2026
  • Latino business owners gather at annual Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce event
    April 10, 2026
  • For queer Philly punk band Froggy, politics are personal
    April 3, 2026
  • Amid threats to immigrants in Philadelphia, Mexican business owners find support through business association
    March 27, 2026
Philadelphia Neighborhoods Student Reporters
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS

© 2026 All Rights Reserved. Philadelphia Neighborhoods: A program of the Department of Journalism at the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University.