2019-2020 End of Year Report

2019-2020 End of Year Report

REIMAGINING
K-12 PUBLIC
EDUCATION.

This has been a year or growth, refocus and
reimagining for UrbEd. As a small, developing
nonprofit, UrbEd works to focus on issues that
affect students in their everyday lives. This has
ranged from emphasizing the importance of
student voice on a local and state level, how to
keep students healthy and safe at school and
finding ways to create tools to support young
people.
As UrbEd sends off some of its high school
students who are now off to college, the nonprofit
continues to grow its network looking to engage
new students across Philadelphia. UrbEd has
participated in national coalitions to work with
other youth-driven and education-focused
organizations to keep up the momentum for
more equitable schools in communities across
the country.
The pandemic did not stop UrbEd from
advocating for students, it pushed the team to
think outside the box on how to engage young
people and ways to make resources accessible
to them during this difficult time. Similarly, in
the midst of the Black Lives Matter Movement,
UrbEd used its platform to create a brave space
for all students as we continue to fight for safer,
more diverse and inclusive school communities.
We can’t just say his name, we must say hers
too.
As this year comes to an end, UrbEd is excited to
engage, support, and amplify the voices of young
people across the city to curate future leaders
of this world. We must fight against injustices,
advocate for womens rights, stand up for Black
lives and get in “good trouble”.
Tamir D. Harper
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Luke Risher
Co-Founder & Advocacy and Organizing Director

Changing
the
way
we
think
about
education
UrbEd Joins Students from
Franklin Learning Center at
the Protest Against Unsafe
Building Conditions Protest.
UrbEd team members accompanied FLC
students as they walked from the School
District of Philadelphia to City Hall to protest the
unsafe school conditions. As students gathered
at City Hall, they called out to elected officials
to address unsafe building conditions that
affect their schools and many others across
Philadelphia.

UrbEd launched a new
series called “Advocacy
Guides” to help provide
useful information to students
involved in advocacy work.
The goal of this program is to provide students
and young people comprehensive accessible
information on different forms of advocacy
and empowerment they can put into practice
in their own communities. The first guide was
“How to Testify at a School Board Meeting”.
This was the first of these guides, compiled
and designed completely by and for students,
focusing on understanding the local school
board in the Philadelphia district and how to
advocate to them directly as a student.
The second installment of UrbEd’s advocacy
guides was a directory for students covering
ways to continue their education at home,
college prep resources, arts and culture,
wellness, finances and employment and civic
engagement. This guide was put together to
provide different outlets for students to stay
productive, happy, and healthy while staying at
home during the pandemic.

UrbEd organized and hosted
a free screening of Just Mercy
for Philadelphia high school
students across the city.
UrbEd hosted a free screening and postscreening
panel for over 90 students. The panel
allowed students to have an out of classroom
educational experience. The post-screening
panel included Joanna E. McClinton, PA State
Representative; Kendra Brooks, Philadelphia
Councilmember; Keir Bradford-Grey, Office of
the District Attorney; Community Relations G.
Lamar Stewart, Director for the Philadelphia
Districts Attorney and Tyler Wims, Director of
Student Leadership.

UrbEd Partners with StuVoice
at Global Minds Initiative.
The Global Minds Initiative conference
consisted of a group of young people from
high schools across Pittsburgh that are fighting
for change within the Pittsburgh area. Global
Minds is an organization that was created
entirely by high school students. In partnership
with StuVoice we were able to go to Pittsburgh
to give students tips on how they can empower
other students in their area to join them in
creating change.
UrbEd joined the Education
Justice Collective in the Move
Schools Forward national
movement.
UrbEd is a member of the Ed Justice Collective
which supports the Move Schools Forward
initiative. Move Schools forward works to
ensure that as schools consider reopening
in the fall, that we demand a future in the
education system that ensures that students
are on the front lines when it comes to making
decisions about their education. UrbEd
helped craft the guiding principles for this
movement and has taken part in 30 days of
Action, to involve students to be active in their
communities.

In response
to covid-19
urbed...
Hosted a “Let’s Talk College”
Panel.
UrbEd organized a virtual college panel for
Philadelphia students due to COVID-19. The
panel convened graduates of the School
District of Philadelphia to discuss their college
experience and the college process. The panel
was recognized and publicized by Working
Educators, Philadelphia Counselors and other
stakeholders.
Organized student town hall
in partnership with Philly
Schools.
In partnership with the School District of
Philadelphia and the Philadelphia school
Board, UrbEd organized and co-hosted
multiple Instagram townhalls for Philadelphia
students and families. Through the town hall
series UrbEd was able to engage over 1,000
students.
Awarded five scholarships
to Philadelphia high school
seniors.
UrbEd awarded five (5) $500 scholarships to
the city of Philadelphia high school graduates to
celebrate them and to send them off to college
and trade school with additional resources.

this year urbed
has also...
Hosted 3 Steppingstone
interns
Reviewed Student
Representative School Board
Applications
Launched Reimagining School
Health and Safety Campaign
Led a School to Prison Pipeline
presentation with Mural Arts for
30+ students
Brought on Additional Board
Members

Black Lives Matter.
Black Youth Matters.
Black Schools Matter.
Wear a Mask.
Care About Others.
urbedadvocates.org info@urbedadvocates.org @urbedadvocates