News
Keynote speech: Linda Wright Moore inspires, challenges
By Oscar Miller Program Director “Keep on down the Yellow Brick Road of your choice to reach the tomorrows you perhaps can’t see clearly, but that are out there. Focus on your individual life plans and on your collective future.” That was the essence of Linda Wright Moore’s message to Philadelphia-area students who were honored […]
Video: Students talk of their workshop experiences
Students and workshop volunteers talk about their experience at the 2019 Acel Moore High School journalism workshop. Video by Kristen Balderas
Genetically modifying human embryos: A cure or a curse?
What if I told you that we could potentially eradicate up to 90 percent of hereditary diseases? What if I told you cancers that are now incurable could be cured within a decade or two? What if I told you that you could, in theory, edit the genome of your children, giving them advantages in […]
Model program: Creating a story of their own
Sonali Shah, a graduate student at Temple, is part of a new and innovative program that’s helping children improve how they read and write. The Kids Write and Create Program is directed toward students in elementary school, who struggle to read, write, or have difficulty with the comprehension or literacy in general. “The program matches […]
Love Day at G.W. Carver High School of E&S
Streamers spiraled across bleachers in the gym at Carver High School of Engineering and Science, and balloons formed an archway at the door, but the construction-paper hearts were the clearest sign that this would be a different kind of Valentine’s Day. Dangling from ribbons attached to the ceiling, the hearts served as background for […]
Apprenticeship: A unique way of learning
Fifteen-year-old Kamiyah Fletcher dreams of becoming a chef one day. Her dreams, up until this point, were all in theory with not much practice. But at Vaux Big Picture High School, Fletcher has the chance to change that. The high school uses an innovative model called project-based learning (PBL), in which students go out into […]
Here’s something new: Exposing Children to Healthy Eating
Students scattered around the cafeteria, grabbing the bowls of spinach, grapes, and bananas. One jumped up to cut up the strawberries, while others ran to get the blender. The room is filled with laughter, with students sprinkling coconut flakes and kiwi strips on top of their tropical green smoothies. When you think of healthy lifestyles, […]
Freshmen in middle schools? North Penn High School’s rare grade configuration
The bell rings. Throughout North Penn High School, thousands of students file out of classrooms and through the halls. But compared to most high schools around America, there is one conspicuous absence: freshmen. So, where are they? The vast majority are waking up an hour later and heading to one of three middle schools. The […]
A Kensington redevelopment firm seeks to avoid displacing residents. Will it succeed?
In neighborhoods such as Spruce Hill, Fishtown, and Point Breeze, the effects of gentrification are glaringly obvious: crumbling family rowhomes stand next to towering new development, and trendy cafés replace decades-old corner stores. While students and new families of the neighborhoods see the changes as improvements, many long-term residents see them as an invasion. But […]
The Attic embraces LGBTQ youths in Philadelphia
When Darid Prom walked into The Attic at 16, it was like heaven. The space was warm and welcoming, he said, offered food, provided tokens and most important a space to learn and advocate for youth in the LGBTQ+ community. “The most memorable experience is being able to meet so many like-minded folks,” said Prom, […]
A Winter Night in Atlantic City
The Atlantic City Boardwalk, during the summer, is usually a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. During the winter months, however, the boardwalk begins to look desolate. The once crowded boardwalk appears empty with popular destinations like arcades being deserted and restaurants closing early. Though less busy, some people still find themselves drawn to […]
Early Birds: The Long Commute to School
Typically when we think of long commutes we immediately envision adults on their way to work. However, in Philadelphia, high school students often have commutes as long as an hour while they journey from one section of the city to the other–and that’s not including external factors such as delays or inclement weather. In this […]
Two students lead efforts to improve urban education
When Tamir Harper thinks of public education, what comes to mind is a system that is broken. To fix it, in 2016, Harper and his friend Luke Risher, both students at Science Leadership Academy at the time, created UrbEd, a nonprofit designed to advocate for better urban education. “We were honestly sick and tired of […]
A move to teach sex education in public schools
What are public schools in Philadelphia missing? Besides concrete details like textbooks, calculators, and other supplies, students are actually lacking an important piece of their education. The topic of consent is often never brought up in the conversation of curriculum, and students at Central High School are trying to change this. The school’s Women’s Week Committee […]
Social Shopping: How Social Media is Changing the Retail Industry
Those Nike sneakers you never wear? That jean jacket you outgrew? Chances are a complete stranger is willing to buy these from you. Because of the constant evolution of social media, selling online has never been easier. In a new era of social shopping, the phrase “something old, something new” has a revitalized meaning. Jenn […]
Google Translate: Help or hinderance?
In this age of technology, nearly everything has become digitized and language is no exception. With the rising popularity of apps such as Google Translate, it’s become increasingly easier to find direct translations of various words, phrases, or paragraphs in a matter of seconds. Google Translate serves as an instantaneous tool, providing quick and easy […]
Innovators show resolve in developing safer football helmets
It’s a sunny autumn day in West Orange, N.J, and the Bergen Catholic Crusaders are shutting out Seton Hall Prep early in the second quarter. The Crusaders are threatening to score, itching to get past the 8-yard line. The quarterback snaps the ball and hands it off to star running back Josh McKenzie. The junior […]