Voice: Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

A Garden Grows In Kensington

Stetson students are planting 81 flowers—one for every family member neighborhood fifth graders have lost to gun violence. The program behind the garden helps teachers bring real world issues in to the classroom—and shows students that they can make a difference

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Ideas We Should Steal

MathCorps

A local math teacher is trying to bring a successful Motor City tutoring program to Philly. The secret ingredient? Love

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

How To Speak American

With no formal training in phonetics or ESL, West Philly’s Rachel Smith has built a growing YouTube audience teaching foreign-born speakers how to talk like a native. The secret? Her friendliness and…opera

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

The Wisdom Of Workshops

At The Workshop School, students spend their school days solving real-world problems—and learn to be better citizens along the way

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Meet The Disruptor

David Fine

The 25-year-old owner of Schmear It is a food cart operator with a social conscience

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

Charter Schools Are Better Than District Schools. Unless They Aren’t.

Diving into the data surrounding the charter versus District-run debate begs the question: Just what do we know, beyond the sweeping generalizations?

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

Combatting The Food Desert

Through a first-of-its kind program, doctors in North Philly are taking on hunger by writing prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables.

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

How To Turn Around A Failing School

A change in culture and increased focus on literacy have started to show progress at Mastery’s Smedley Elementary, one of the city’s first Renaissance schools

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Meet the Problem-Solver

The Teacher’s Teacher

While coaching student leaders, Paul Dean and Bobby Erzen of Jounce Partners discovered that the greatest way to impact a school's overall culture is by empowering teachers. Now they’re  coaching teachers

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

Penn’s Provocateurs

People are starting to ask whether the Ivy League school should contribute more to the city. And no one has been louder than an activist group of students

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy