The Spark
The Spark
When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.Follow the podcast:
PA’s Language Gap and Johnny Appleseed’s Impact.
(00:00:00) Without professional interpreters, families can be shut out of essential moments—students unable to take required PSSAs, parents unable to understand a diagnosis, patients unable to follow a treatment plan. Language access is access, and too many Pennsylvanians are going without it. Gl…
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Thrive Housing and Operation Warm Hearts Expand Support for Harrisburg Residents Facing Homelessness
(00:00:00) Emily Gochenaur founded Central PA Operation Warm Hearts while studying at Messiah College and continues to lead the organization while working full‑time. A dedicated volunteer, she’s often found organizing donations, attending events, or dreaming up new community challenges. In 2024, …
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Downtown Harrisburg’s Future and Pennsylvania’s Cultural Story: What Revitalization and Heritage Reveal
(00:00:00) We begin with July Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, and Ryan Unger, President & CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC. They break down ongoing revitalization efforts in downtown Harrisburg, why the city’s growth matters for the entire regio…
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The Spark Weekly | March 8th | Cursive Reemerges in Pa. Schools and Highlighting Women of Excellence.
We spoke with Dr. Sarah Fischer, Associate Professor of Literacy Education, and Dr. Kerry Hasler-Brooks, Associate Professor of English and Chair of the Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, about Pennsylvania’s new law requiring cursive handwriting instruction in schools. The conversati…
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Women of Excellence & The Work of Bridging Divides
(00:00:00) The YWCA Greater Harrisburg is pleased to announce the honorees for their 37th Annual Tribute to Women of Excellence, all of whom will be celebrated at an event on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Over the last 37 years, the YWCA has hono…
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From Home Design Trends to Housing Recovery Solutions: PA Home + Garden Show and M28 Ministry’s Esther’s House Drive Community Focus
(00:00:00) M28 Ministry has acquired a four‑unit apartment complex that will become Esther’s House, a new affordable, recovery‑focused housing resource for men and women rebuilding their lives after addiction. The purchase was finalized on February 13 and made possible through $416,098 in Cumberla…
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Care, Cultivation, and Changing Industries: Two Paths Shaping Pennsylvania’s Future
(00:00:00) First, Penny Lenig‑Zerby, director of the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing in Harrisburg, and Joye Gingrich, UPMC in Central Pa.’s Chief Nursing Officer, share their personal journeys into nursing and what drives them to train the next generation. They discuss the realities of today’s n…
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From Ephraim Slaughter to Cursive Literacy: Preserving Black History and the Skills to Understand It
(00:00:00) We look back at Ephraim Slaughter: Freedom’s Witness, the one-act production created for the Annual Dauphin County Black History Celebration by Sankofa African American Theatre Company and Gamut Theatre, in partnership with the National Civil War Museum. Actors Marcus McGhee and Melinda…
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Community, Accountability, and Information: ICE Partnerships and Public Broadcasting’s Next Chapter
(00:00:00) Sydney and Emily report on how immigration enforcement is unfolding across Pennsylvania — from a State College man taken into ICE custody immediately after his decades‑old conviction was vacated, to the rapid spread of ICE 287(g) agreements that let local police perform federal immigrat…
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The Spark Weekly | March 1st | Teaching Media Literacy and Reimagining Public Broadcasting
First, we head into the classroom at Harrisburg Academy, where IB English students—guided by teacher Peter Frengel—are analyzing how media bias, algorithms, and online communities shape our understanding of current events. The episode then turns to the future of public broadcasting. Steven Bass of…
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