Leave it better: cleaning up the community: a youth program in Philadelphia gives back to its own community.Project: Make A Difference Day, Philadelphia, Pa. Problem: Nicetown Park was in need of some extra maintenance to remove graffiti graffiti Form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group. Technically the term applies to designs scratched through a layer of paint or plaster, but its meaning has been extended to other markings. , repair brickwork and improve landscaping. In addition, the community suffered the eyesore eye·sore n. Something, such as a distressed building, that is unpleasant or offensive to view. eyesore Noun something very ugly Noun 1. of ten unused lots nearby. Solution: More than 180 students from Youth-Build Philadelphia Charter School, which conditions high school drop-outs for adult life through community service, came together in observance of the 16th annual Make A Difference Day to improve their community. Each year, a new community is chosen as the target of Make A Difference Day's team cleanup. This year, Nicetown Community Development Corporation encouraged the students to better Nicetown Park and the surrounding sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. community. Students down the street erected fences to close in the unused lots. "Make a Difference Day is one of our big service events," said Amy Kapp of Youth Build Philadelphia. "Part of being a YouthBuild student means that you're going to be reconnected to your community." Partnerships: Nicetown Community Development Corporation worked with students who cleaned up Nicetown Park, and Allegheny West Allegheny West is the name of two places in the United States:
A gain in yield made by selling one bond and buying another. Also referred to as "yield pickup." Notes: When the present yield is relatively low compared to the longer-term yields, pickups will be done by investors trying to increase the yield and duration of their materials and bottled water. The Philadelphia Green Program (Pennsylvania Horticultural Society A horticultural society is an organization devoted to the study and culture of cultivated plants. Such organizations may be local, regional, national, or international. Some have a more general focus, whereas others are devoted to a particular kind or group of plants. ) provided the graffiti removal solution, grass seed, hay and planting materials. Lead Time: YouthBuild participates in Make A Difference Day to benefit areas of Philadelphia once a year. YouthBuild offers a 10-month program for students to make them successful members of their community. Community Impact: Not only does the park, city blocks or other YouthBuild project locations benefit, but the students that are participating gain insightful knowledge and training they can return to their communities. Jacqualine Dix was part of the YouthBuild team. "It was a chance to give back to the community, and that meant a lot to me," Dix says. "My family lives here and I spend a lot of time here, so it felt good to be there helping out." And because it is something students want others to enjoy, each project leaves something unique behind to the community. The Nicetown Park cleanup also resulted in a collaborative mural mural Painting applied to and made integral with the surface of a wall or ceiling. Its roots can be found in the universal desire that led prehistoric peoples to create cave paintings—the desire to decorate their surroundings and express their ideas and beliefs. that has a permanent home in Edward T. Steel Elementary School elementary school: see school. . |
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