Listening to Lancaster

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Will Kiefer, founder and executive director of Bench Mark Program, which provides programming and mentorship for Lancaster’s high-risk youth. In this episode we talk about their new ARPA grant for workforce development, the concerning rise of juvenile gun violence in our community and how we can address it, and how their programs are serving both local students and incarcerated youth.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Bianca Cordova, Phoebe Radcliffe, and Alex Rohrer– three of the Community School Directors at the School District of Lancaster. Watch the episode to learn more about what a Community School is, where they can be found, how they are helping students thrive, and who some of their key partners are in Lancaster County.

Learn more about Community Schools at https://sdlancaster.org/inspire/community-schools/ and find contact information for the Community School Directors at https://sdlancaster.org/inspire/community-schools/lead-agencies/.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by John Gerdy, founder and executive director of Music for Everyone, to discuss his new book “Lights on Lancaster: How One American City Harnesses the Power of the Arts to Transform its Communities.” John discusses how pivotal investments in the arts have transformed Lancaster City, the arts’ role in education, healing, and creativity, and how we can ensure the arts remain vibrant in our community well into the future.

Learn more about John Gerdy, and find a copy of the book at https://johngerdy.com/.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by President Bryon Grigsby from Moravian University. Moravian University recently opened a Lancaster campus at the historic Lancaster Theological Seminary site in downtown Lancaster. Their Lancaster campus focuses on adult degree completion programs, online graduate business programs, and customized education partnerships with local businesses. Learn more about Moravian University’s new Lancaster campus at https://www.moravian.edu/lancaster.

For this episode of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Adriana Atencio, Co-Executive Director, and John Hursh, Spring Fling Board Chair, of The Common Wheel. We spoke about all things bikes– Lancaster’s bike infrastructure, Vision Zero, National Bike Month and more! If you’ve ever wondered how we can make Lancaster a better community through the energy and equity of bikes, this interview is you. Enjoy!

For this edition of Listening to Lancaster Hourglass was joined by Jake Thorsen, SoWe Neighborhood Director for Tenfold. Jake talked about the efforts of the Southwest Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy, including neighborhood connections, housing, open space, community safety, education, and economic opportunities.