"Reporting From the Home Front: Families, Work and Money"

On November 12th a delegation of young leaders from the University Community Collaborative of Philadelphia (UCCP) addressed an audience of prominent journalists at a conference entitled “Reporting from the Home Front: Families, Work and Money,” convened by the Journalism Center on Children and Families. Held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the conference provided an opportunity for selected print, broadcast and on-line journalists from across the Mid Atlantic region of the U.S. to sharpen their understanding of, and ability to report on, issues stemming from poverty.

Among the conference presenters from the UCCP were three Temple students, one Temple alum and two Community College students who are planning on coming to Temple. Using specific examples from their lives, these young adults spoke with great wisdom and clarity about the challenge of setting and achieving goals in the face of poor public housing, an inadequate public education system and the criminal justice system's failure to support policies and programs that reduce recidivism.

After a powerful round of opening statements, the group answered questions posed by the conference participants. It was an important opportunity for the young presenters to both elaborate on their experiences and back up their conclusions. The audience was so captivated that individual follow-up conversations continued well into the lunch break that followed the presentations.

“Going to the conference was a rewarding experience for me,” said Temple Junior, Genisha Wallace, a Criminal Justice Major from Brooklyn, New York. “In all my experience with public speaking engagements, I have never felt that my opinion was more respected and admired. Society regards the media as a source for news, ideas and public opinion. Therefore, I was honored to inform reporters about important aspects of my life. I felt like I was speaking for positive people in my generation everywhere. On that day, in that room, I was able to dispel many of the myths and stereotypes that shape stories about inner city youth.”

Sponsored by the Journalism Center on Children and Families:
>>http://www.journalismcenter.org/

Temple Youth VOICES Spring 2008 Showcase

On May 8, 2007 VOICES participants culminated a year long exploration of education in Philadelphia schools with a presentation on their findings, opinions, suggestions, challenges and personal stories. A diverse audience comprised of VOICES youth, instructors, interns as well as families, friends and community members gathered in Tuttleman Hall on the Temple University campus for the event. The different youth comprised committees presented their material via PowerPoint slide shows, spoken word, poetry, audience quizzes and a documentary titled “Whose Tradition is it Anyway?” The presenters discussed such topics as the “No Child Left Behind Act”; the differences between traditional and non-traditional education techniques; the survey they conducted among ninety Philadelphia high school students and its results; the success, experiences and future plans for the Traveling Workshop which visited several local high schools over the winter and spring. A highlight of the event was the attendance of Mayoral candidate, Chaka Fattah, who was challenged to answer what, as Mayor, he would do to ensure that Philadelphia youth are more engaged, challenged and supported in their schools. The event culminated with a “Call to Action” and VOICES youth urged audience members to get involved in anyway possible with the education system in Philadelphia and with VOICES participants’ future work to create change in their schools.

"Investing in Urban Communities" Conference

On April 11, 2007, The Fox School of Business at Temple University will host its Second Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference: “Investing in Urban Communities: Balancing Growth & Inclusion”. This conference, co-sponsored by the Business School's Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the University Community Collaborative and the College of Liberal Arts, will feature investors, developers, university representatives and community organizations discussing the challenges faced by community-oriented investors as they “go to scale,” broaden their capital base and so face potentially conflicting pressures between various stakeholders. Through panel discussions and break-out workshops, this conference will explore whether or not governance structures help mediate these tensions and whether or not these structures enhance the flows of financial and social capital for entities (banks, developers), projects and markets (commercial corridors, neighborhoods, cities). Specific examples might include: the challenges faced by community-based investors or developers as they “go to scale”; the challenges private developers face when they attempt to seriously consider community concerns; the potentials and the pitfalls of community-private, or community-public-private development partnerships. For more information or to RSVP, please contact: T. L. Hill at >>thill@temple.edu

Networking Dinner is a Success!

On Thursday, November 6, 2006, the Temple Youth VOICES Project hosted a Networking Dinner. Planned and facilitated by the Leaders Corps, the aim of the dinner was to start an ongoing dialogue between groups dedicated to youth empowerment. VOICES’ long term objective is to motivate the creation of a citywide coalition among organizations committed to youth-driven social change and community uplift. During the dinner, representatives from 16 different organizations shared their missions and long-term goals, as well as their ongoing initiatives. There was a synergistic spirit of service learning and grass roots activism that connected individuals and groups together as everyone mingled and made plans to meet again in January. Youth and adults alike expressed excitement and passion for the limitless possibilities that a collaboration of this nature promises. To read more about this event, please visit the Newsletter Archive on our website and download a copy of the Winter 2007 newsletter. To find out when the next networking dinner is scheduled or to get involved, please contact Catie Cavanaugh at >>catiec@temple.edu.

Youth Shine at the Dwight Evans Civil Leadership Summit!

On October 27 and 28, 2006 the second annual Dwight Evans Civic Leadership Summit (DECLS) was help at the National Constitution Center. The summit, sponsored by State Representative, Dwight Evans, exists to empower youth with the knowledge and tools to become critically engaged while improving the quality of life in their communities. This year’s summit connected 11 students from five Philadelphia high schools through workshops aimed at leadership development, interaction with civic leaders, and the introduction and completion of “Project Citizen” a curriculum which provides students with opportunities to focus on the impact of state and local government policy on their neighborhoods and communities. During the summit, participants were given the chance to interact with various civic leaders as well as express themselves in a Town Hall discussion which focused on “bearing witness”. The high point of the summit came when students presented their work in teams to an audience of over 100 people, including a panel of three judges who later engaged the presenters in a questions and answer session. To read more about the Dwight Evans Summit and the impact the event had on the Philadelphia youth who attended, please visit the Newsletter Archive and download a copy of the Winter 2007 newsletter.