The Spark

As the school year winds down, parents and guardians across the Midstate are in the midst of a frenzy, scrambling to secure spots for their kids in summer camps and activities. In an effort to ease the stress of summer activity sign-ups, The Spark (our beloved community forum) is here to offer a helping hand. Today, we were thrilled to welcome Jennifer Eley, the Director of Education, to shed light on the exciting lineup of events ...

Vicki and Mike Deitzler, motivated by their late son Evan's passion for film, spearheaded the establishment of the Mount Gretna International Film Festival (MtGIFF). They approached Kerry Royer, Director of the Mt. Gretna Art Show, to initiate this endeavor, aiming to complement the renowned art show and aligning with Lebanon County's designation of 2024 as the "Year of the Arts." Cody Hassler, head Broadcast Video teacher at Cedar...

The Fulton Theatre's decision to dissolve its IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) committee has sparked discontent among some of its members. Kareena Rios, a former committee member, shared her insights on the matter during an interview on The Spark. Rios expressed disappointment, suggesting that the committee, tasked with addressing diversity and equity within the theater, was doomed from the start. The dissolut...

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly.

As the anticipation builds and the excitement mounts, the Harrisburg Havoc, Central Pennsylvania's sole all women-led tackle football team, is rallying the region's residents to come out and support their upcoming season.

Also on the program, the farm to hospital program, conceived by Dr. KimberLee Mudge, has emerged as a beacon of holistic healthcare in York County.

Support...

"Common Ground," the highly anticipated sequel to the widely acclaimed documentary "Kiss the Ground," is set to make waves following its predecessor's success. "Kiss the Ground" reached an astounding audience of over 1 billion people worldwide and even spurred the United States Department of Agriculture to allocate a significant $20 billion towards soil health initiatives. In "Common Ground," the spotlight shifts to shed light on t...

There are about 15,000 children in temporary foster care in Pennsylvania. Most of them will return to their family of origin.

It can be painful for kids to be separated from their parents or families and for younger children, it may be hard to understand what’s happening to them and around them.

A new children’s book called The Watchful Owl tells the story of a young fox that loses his parents and lives with another animal fam...

The Farm to Hospital program, conceived by Dr. KimberLee Mudge, has emerged as a beacon of holistic healthcare in York County. Addressing the root causes of illnesses through interventions such as diet and exercise, the initiative aims to combat food insecurity by supplying fresh, nutritious produce to UPMC Memorial patients, staff, visitors, and the wider community.

Partnering with York Fresh Food Farms (YFFF), a local non-profit...

Three construction workers were killed while working on Interstate 83 in York County last week. The victims were sealing cracks in the highway in the early morning hours last Wednesday when a box truck collided with a construction vehicle and veered into the workers.

It brought attention to just how potentially dangerous construction zones can be for those working and motorists driving in them.

Nationally, there were 891...

April marks Autism Acceptance Month, shedding light on the experiences of autistic individuals, particularly adults, with an estimated 7 million in the US who may be unaware of their diagnosis. Dr. Thomas Pineo, Medical Director at UPMC Community Osteopathic, joined The Spark to share his journey as part of the "lost generation" of autistic adults, emphasizing the transformative impact of his diagnosis on his personal and professio...

April 22nd is Earth Day – 54 years since the first Earth Day that is credited with starting the environmentally movement and led to changes to protect the environment.

However, Earth Day today is different. Climate change will be the focus of most of the Earth Day activities around the world. There will be talk about the changes in temperature, water levels, extreme weather and the dangers they pose physically to the planet. Bu...

Coming up on this week's program.

A new book about how star baseball players like Babe Rith and Shoeless Jow Jackson avoided military service in World War I by playing baseball for Bethlehem Stell plants., including in Lebanon and Steelton, also on the program we talk with former Obama social secretary and Author Deesha Dyer about her new book.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

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Paige Joki, Staff Attorney at the Education Law Center in Philadelphia, is leading a groundbreaking initiative aimed at upholding the rights of young black girls within the education system. The initiative, aptly named the Black Girls Justice Initiative, comes in response to the pervasive inequities faced by black girls due to various forms of discrimination including anti-Black racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and...

As the anticipation builds and the excitement mounts, the Harrisburg Havoc, Central Pennsylvania's sole all women-led tackle football team, is rallying the region's residents to come out and support their upcoming season. With players itching to return to the field after months of intense preparation, the team is poised to showcase their skills against formidable opponents. Since October, the Harrisburg Havoc has been diligently ho...

Deesha Dyer, renowned as the former Social Secretary of the Obama Administration, has made a significant mark as a speaker and creative event strategy consultant. Originally from Philadelphia, Dyer's journey into the political realm is characterized by her unconventional path. Despite starting as a hip-hop journalist, she joined the White House as an intern at the age of 30 while attending community college.

During her tenure, Dye...

Fresh produce travels an average of about 1,500 miles from farm to your dinner table.

It’s one of the reasons that many consumers prefer to buy local, believing the food they’re buying and eating is truly fresh with the added benefit of supporting a local farmer or community member.

Those are two of the principles behind Community Supported Agriculture or CSA businesses, arrangements and plans that can be a win-win for both co...

In a bid to reshape the landscape of finance and address persistent racial wealth disparities, Joe Cecala and Dwain J. Kyles are on the brink of realizing a two-decade endeavor: the inauguration of the Dream Exchange, set to become the pioneering minority-operated stock exchange in the United States.

The Dream Exchange, a brainchild of Cecala and Kyles, stands as a testament to their aspiration for a more equitable economic future...

Burnout is such a problem for workers that some employers are considering reducing the length of the workweek.

Nearly one-third (30%) of large US companies are exploring new work schedule shifts such as four-day or four-and-a-half-day workweeks, according to a KPMG survey of CEOs released last week.

The idea to attract and retain talent in a hot job market where many employees feel over-worked and underpaid.

American workers don...