Last fall, the city funded a two-month pilot of the pre-filing mediation program, which was carried out by the Good Shepherd Mediation Program, a 35-year-old nonprofit focused on neighborhood conflict resolution. Since the pandemic began, the group has begun offering virtual mediation through Zoom. | From: Next City (Read more.)
As the novel coronavirus pandemic wears on, at least 124,000 U.S. schools containing roughly 55.1 million students have been closed. As schools pivot to remote learning as a result, school districts in cities like Washington D.C., Sacramento, and Philadelphia are working to ensure that students can access their digital classes by putting laptops directly in the hands of students. With more than a quarter of residents living below the poverty line and growing gaps between rich and poor school districts across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s efforts are particularly important. | From: Next City (Read more.)
Officials at Philadelphia International Airport had initially planned Friday to remove the between 50 and 100 homeless people who have been sleeping at a baggage claim area underutilized during stay-at-home orders. But airport and city officials agreed to wait until Tuesday after homeless advocates threatened to file a lawsuit if the people were moved to shelters without being tested. | From: NBC 10 Philadelphia (Read more.)
Pennsylvania nonprofits geared towards immigrant rights are imitating California with an immigrant fund of their own. The PA Immigrant Relief Fund started with a $500,000 gift from the Douty Foundation of Philadelphia and now features more than 40 organizations from across the state pooling donations towards the effort. | From: AL DíA (Read more.)
As an adjunct professor, Anderson has no guarantee of work this fall. That’s always been the case. But this summer — with dire enrollment predictions circulating — there’s added uncertainty. Fewer students means fewer classes. And fewer classes likely means fewer adjuncts. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
Workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art have filed a petition with management with the intent to form a labor union. Organizers claim the petition was filed by a majority of eligible employees across many departments. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
The public utility of the internet is especially clear now during the pandemic when most of the city’s official communications and resources are accessible only online. | From: The Notebook (Read more.)
Now that the pandemic has sparked a sharp economic downturn, advocates predict an “avalanche of evictions” that will hit after Gov. Tom Wolf’s moratorium on evictions ends in July. Mediation could prove a tool to help prevent those evictions. | From: PlanPhilly (Read more.)
Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pennsylvania is distributing more than $300 million in SNAP benefits to families whose children are eligible for free lunch. Because all Philadelphia public school students receive free lunch at school, this means all families are eligible to receive an extra $365 in pandemic aid — even those that are financially secure. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)
Philadelphia Youth Network will work with businesses and organizations to think through how to design and maintain virtual internships. | From: The Notebook (Read more.)
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