Generation Change Philly: The Juvenile Justice Champions

In the eight years since co-founding the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project Joanna Visser Adjoian and Lauren Fine have helped dozens of young people stay out of adult prisons—and get the support they need to lead productive lives

By Jessica Blatt Press

Letter from Fairmount

A neighbor of those lost in the tragic fire this week chronicles the horror, the sorrow and, fittingly, the community togetherness that has emerged

By Christine Speer Lejeune

Ideas We Should Steal Revisited: Free Childcare at City Meetings

Ithaca, New York, eliminated the biggest barrier to civic engagement among parents. Could babysitting bring more voices into the conversation in Philly, too?

By Jessica Blatt Press

Ideas We Should Steal: Citywide Restorative Justice

The attack on Asian-American high school students on SEPTA last month was another symptom of our city's broken systems. Could implementing Philly-wide restorative justice practices, as they do in Oakland, help heal our collective pain?

By Jessica Blatt Press

Guest Commentary: “It Was Just A Lot of Stress”

Masterman 8th graders sat last week for the School District's new essay requirement for Philly’s top academic high schools. Then the system crashed. Why, one student wonders, can’t they get it right?

By Natalia Shepelavy

Citizens of The Week: Stephen Piner and Jamir Shaw

The Philly natives’ Dope Shows isn’t just changing the music and performance industry—it’s also building community and helping Philly youth

By Nick Fiorellini

Guest Commentary: “More Than Just Blacktop”

Recess improves students’ mental health. But green schoolyards, says the state director of the Trust For Public Lands, can help even more.

By Owen Franklin

Ideas We Should Steal: Finding Families for Foster Kids

State law requires that caseworkers place children who were removed from their parents with kin—but Philly lags behind Los Angeles and Lackawanna County in getting the job done.

By Steve Volk