Blog by Chris Lester
As we prepare for the first snowfall of the season, winter is, at least unofficially, here in Philadelphia!
In between the snow preparation and holiday shopping, it’s easy to miss the news.
So, #PhillyMayorThisWeek recaps five moments you might’ve missed from the past seven days.
1. #RebuildPHL announced its first slate of proposed sites for revitalization in 2018.
The proposed sites include seven neighborhood parks, five libraries, 19 recreation centers, 23 playgrounds and seven co-located rec center-libraries around Philadelphia.
https://www.facebook.com/cityofphiladelphia/posts/10151000490044959
2. The City released Boathouse Row’s holiday lighting event schedule.
To celebrate the many cultures and holidays making this season awesome, Parks and Rec will be lighting up iconic Boathouse Row several ways this month: for Hanukkah, for Christmas, and for Kwanzaa. All celebrations are open to the public, but RSVPs are kindly requested to the Kwanzaa celebration on December 26.
We’re lighting up Boathouse Row in honor of several holidays and celebrations this month! Check out the details and schedule: https://t.co/CfWbCp2do0
— City of Philadelphia (@PhiladelphiaGov) December 5, 2017
3. Mayor Kenney thanked CS4Philly for collaborating with the City to expand computer science education to Philly youth.
The collaborative initiative focuses on expanding computer science instruction at all K-12 public school classrooms in Philadelphia. Do you want to volunteer to teach kids digital skills? You can find out how to get started in this blog post.
#CS4Philly is part of Philly's ongoing commitment to expand computer science offerings in K-12 schools through citywide partnerships and collaborations. I'm thankful for the individuals and organizations here today who are willing to step up and help our children. pic.twitter.com/KJ8NWgJUT6
— Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (@PhillyMayor) December 6, 2017
4. The Mayor and other officials broke ground on Project HOME’s new residence for LGBTQ young adults.
Named after legendary local LGBTQ rights advocate Gloria Casarez, who also served as the City’s first Director of LGBT Affairs, the residence will provide LGBTQ friendly housing for young adults between 18 and 23 years old who have aged out of the foster care system or are experiencing homelessness.
Thank you to the great people from Project HOME, including Sister Mary Scullion, for their leadership on the Gloria Casarez Residence: affordable housing for LGBTQ youth who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. pic.twitter.com/KjBnFcE7ML
— Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (@PhillyMayor) December 6, 2017
5. Mayor Kenney attended the the first #PHLPreK Parent Advisory Council meeting on Wednesday and visited Amazing Kidz, a PHLpreK provider, on Friday.
Right now, 97 percent of PHLpreK parents surveyed say the program has better prepared their child for kindergarten; read the report on how PHLpreK has improved access to and quality of early childhood education in our neighborhoods.
Awesome to hear parents at the first meeting of the #PHLpreK Parent Advisory Council earlier today talk about how important improving access to quality pre-K is for our children. pic.twitter.com/hbCHKn6BM9
— Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (@PhillyMayor) December 6, 2017