Philly 101

With my daughter leaving for college today, I’ve got students on the mind. That must be why I’ve been noticing so many young people in town lately.

They’re sporting jeans, t-shirts and eager smiles. And they should be happy. They’re Philadelphia’s newest residents, the freshmen at Drexel, UArts, Temple and more. What a great decision they’ve made to study here: Philly, the college town.

The City has more than 20 colleges and universities, and regionally, there are more than 80. There’s something for everyone to study, and enjoy—including the night life.

According to the website onebigcampus.com, among the 12 most popular hangouts for students is the Avenue of the Arts, which Simon PR is proud to represent. And several Avenue organizations have specials just for students.

The Philadelphia Orchestra for example has ezSeatsU, a $25 membership that gives college kids unlimited access to more than 100 concerts. The Wilma, too has student rush tickets, subscriptions and single tickets. Both programs are supported by another wonderful client, PNC and its PNC Arts Alive initiative. It’s a five-year, $5 million investment to make the arts more accessible to diverse audiences in the region.

How great to start with college students—Philadelphia’s future audiences, arts patrons and leaders.

- Bev Volpe

Green Cities, Clean Water

Now that the weather finally feels like summer – nice and hot with that wonderful humidity – there’s no better treat to beat the heat like water ice. The origin of the water ice begins in China. During his trip to Asia, Macro Polo brings the treat back to Italy and Europe. Long story short – it winds up in South Philly and the whole town loves it.

Good water ice is not hard to find in the city as many people eat it daily during the summer months. It’s also a great treat for special occasions. And for the past few days, water ice from Rita’s has been used for the latter, thanking attendees at a series of important public meetings.

One of Simon PR’s clients, the Philadelphia Water Department, is submitting a 20-year plan to the Environmental Protection Agency that outlines how to improve our waters and green our city. With a commitment of $1.6 billion, it’s one of the largest public works initiatives the city will undertake in the near future.

The Green Cities, Clean Waters program has been developed to capture 80 percent of the sewage and storm water that flows into the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers and the Tacony and Cobbs creeks. A major part of the solution focuses on greening Philly’s streets, schools and public facilities. The Philadelphia Water Department wants to “test the waters” with the public and has encouraged citizens to attend public meetings throughout the city to provide important feedback before they present the plan to the EPA on September 1st.

There have already been public meetings in Germantown and Northern Liberties. Another meeting is scheduled tonight in South Philly. The final meeting is at Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia on the 25th.

And while the water ice is tasty, it’s the plan designed to keep our city greener and cleaner that’s truly “sweet.” You can find out more about it by clicking here.

- Frank Sinatra

KYW – AM, Always a Warm Welcome Home

We usually drive to the Philadelphia Airport when we go on a trip and park in Economy Parking. The first thing I do when we get back to the car is turn on KYW-AM radio. The familiar sounds of the editor’s desk are like a comfortable old sweater and they scream Philadelphia to me. Any one who knows me will tell you I’m a newshound.

Last Monday was no different. After a whirlwind long weekend in Paris, we seamlessly landed at Terminal A West just after 2 pm. We grabbed our bags, breezed through customs and were on the Economy Lot bus within 10 minutes. Back in the car, it was “1060 on your am dial.”

It happened to be 2:32 pm so we got an instant traffic report. Dr. Marciene Mattelman did a story on the new and growing field of Nursing Forensics. News of the City councilman aide’s four year sentence was the big story. There was an explanation of why the heat index was 102 degrees. And pleas to check on your elderly friends and family. More weather down the Shore and in the Poconos. It’s always great to be back home. . .– Lisa Simon

Some Kids Love Summer School...Really

I’ve been fortunate enough never to have to go to summer school. Sister Mary de Angelus and the teaching Filippini Sisters saw to that early enough in my academic career. But a group of young people entering high school couldn’t wait to hit the classroom… in July.

District 1199C and Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions (a Simon PR client for over seven years) have partnered together to expose students to healthcare careers and build their academic skills. Inner city teens from disadvantaged families throughout the City are learning what it takes to be successful in high school, in life and in the healthcare industry. It’s a six-week program, and the kids, aged 13- and 14-years old, get to visit Drexel on Fridays.

This is not some boring hum-drum class. These kids get to do some pretty cool stuff! Like interacting with animated manikins that mimic human behavior and medical conditions (think Transformers without the giant robots or the Michael Bay-type explosions) that nursing students use to hone their skills. Or shadowing nursing students in a teaching lab. They’ll even get to speak one-on-one with Drexel professors to learn about in-demand careers.

The program is funded by Federal Stimulus money, so you can thank President Obama for giving these kids this special opportunity. And with all the talk about the impending nursing shortage, it’s reassuring to see young people excited to learn about careers in health care.

So kudos to Drexel and District 1199C for putting together a summer school that kids are excited to attend. Here’s hoping this will inspire the next generation of health care innovators.

- Frank Sinatra