Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the Orton Family Foundation present An Introduction to Community Heart & Soul™
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the Orton Family Foundation have partnered to bring you a day-long workshop on Community Heart & Soul™, a resident-driven approach to community planning and development. The goal is to increase participation in local decision-making, helping residents shape the future of their towns. Together with the tools of the humanities, Heart & Soul is designed to help residents steer change based on what matters most to them. In communities that have used the Heart & Soul method, it has been a catalyst for change sparking downtown revitalization and local arts initiatives and informing transformative economic development and comprehensive plans. Community Heart & Soul reconnects people with what matters most about their town and translates those personal and emotional connections into a blueprint for economic and community decisions. Click here to learn more about Community Heart and Soul™.
This workshop is ideal for groups and organizations involved in community development activities that are interested in exploring their community’s unique history, character and values. During the day-long workshop, participants will:
- Learn about Community Heart & Soul from two community engagement experts and a past Heart and Soul grantee
- Explore the short-term challenges and long-term benefits of the method
- Examine their community’s readiness to bring Heart & Soul to their town
- Discover ways to use the humanities to tell the story of their town
- Identify next steps that they can take toward strengthening their community’s social networks
- Learn more about a special opportunity to apply for PHC’s civic engagement grant
Workshops will be offered on May 11 at the North Penn Community Health Foundation in Colmar, PA; May 13 at the Civic Club of Harrisburg in downtown Harrisburg; and May 15 at St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe, PA.
Registration Information
Interested individuals are encouraged to bring a team of collaborators with them. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration closes on April 30.
