Uniting for Action: Pennsylvania
Taking Action Across Pennsylvania's Urban/Rural Divide

What was this program all about?
This was a non-partisan online initiative in 2020 to build connections and take joint action to address community challenges across distance and difference in Pennsylvania.

Who led this effort?
A consortium that consisted of Urban Rural Action, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the the PA Project for Civic Engagement. 

Who participated?
Pennsylvania residents 18+ from urban, suburban, and rural areas with wide-ranging views 

How did we do this?
We met online for structured discussion, small group brainstorming, and collaboration focused on TAKING ACTION to strengthen our communities. 

Program results:   
5 all-program gatherings that brought together community members across different counties in PA 

An increased understanding of the challenges facing different community types across the urban/rural spectrum. 80% of respondents to the endline survey said they had a least a "good amount of understanding" of those challenges compared to only 45% in the baseline survey
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An education project to tackle disparities in school district funding in PA

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Participant highlights

​"I learned a lot about education inequality, community organizing, and generally the project management side of taking ideas and turning them into action."

"As a new member of a community, it was pretty inspiring to learn from the others in our group who had more experience in organizing and community improvement work." 

"Connecting with people from different perspectives and locations is uplifting and has given me new friendships and people I would never have realized want to work on issues with me."

Supporters