Sharswood: Vaux High School Reopens Under New Management
Vaux Reopens Kelvin Jeremiah was shocked when he spoke to children from the Sharswood Blumberg towers that many of them didn’t know the “Rocky steps” were in Philadelphia. Many of them had never been to the Philadelphia Museum of Art or seen the Liberty Bell. “They didn’t know the rich history,” said Jeremiah, who is […]
Hunting Park: Chess Instructor Inspires Kids To Reach Their Full Potential
Young children played and screamed happily at the Lenfest Center on N. 10th St in Hunting Park as Gil Motley arrived for his chess club. His infectious smile and personality captivated the space as he walked through the door to Classroom A, where his club will soon commence. As Motley entered the room, he reached […]
Education: Five Schools Impacted By Budget Cuts
As education budget cuts have spread throughout the state of Pennsylvania, building closures present a way for school districts to quickly lower their costs. In Philadelphia, a large wave of closings occurred in 2013. During this time, the School District of Philadelphia closed 23 schools to help shrink a looming financial deficit of more than […]
Mantua: “My Parents and Grandparents Trained Me to Survive.”
Nine years ago, De’Wayne Drummond nearly lost it all. A lifelong resident of the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, Drummond had unknowingly fallen asleep in nearly six pints of his own blood at his home on Haverford Avenue near 34th Street, only to be awoken by his infant daughter, Jadyn, who was desperately pleading for […]
East Oak Lane: Non-Profit Program Director Helps Provide Scholarships To Students In Need
Portia Fullard, a longtime resident of East Oak Lane and graduate of Temple University, is program director for Sky Community Partners, Inc., a local non-profit organization that identifies children in underserved communities and helps pay for them to attend private schools in the city. The organization has been able to award more than 500 students […]
Education: Schools Teeter on the Brink of Financial Crisis
Philadelphia has had a big year. It’s welcomed the pope, honored the Dalai Lama and was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO. But behind the scenes is a building crisis: its schools are failing. Since 2011, the School District of Philadelphia has been operating with inadequate financial support, constrained by lingering budgetary stalemates in […]
Education: Sick at School? No Nurse on Duty
It’s a busy Monday morning at Andrew Jackson Elementary School in South Philadelphia when two kindergarteners walk into the front office, one with wet pants. As the little boy begins to tearfully explain how he nearly had an accident, the office personnel spring into action calling for help. The little boy is startled, worried he’s […]
Center City: The Arts Stay in the Picture for District Schools
“The visual arts help develop sustained focus and articulation of the decision making process,” said Helen Haynes, chief cultural officer for the City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy at the A+ Arts Exhibit at City Hall. “You can see that in the images around here today. These are the higher brain […]
Education: Five Ways Budget Cuts Hurt City Schools
It’s the eighth largest district in the country and one of the two poorest. Despite tying with urban Chicago school districts for the most financially disadvantaged, The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) remains one of the most robust in terms of enrollment. Serving more than 200,000 students across 214 public and 86 charter schools, the […]
Frankford: The Future Shines Bright Through Its Boys and Girls Club
The Frankford branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs opened in 1938 and has been serving the youth of Frankford ever since. “I’m 61 years old and I started coming here when I was 10 years old,” said Clarence Miller, unit director of the Frankford Boys and Girls Club. “I went to school to be a gym teacher […]