Public Hearing

Public Hearing is back with another mini-series! In this three-part series we will be discussing the Worcester city government and the importance of community involvement in local politics with Doug Arbetter, who has run for school committee and city council, and Danaah McCallum, formally on the board of election commissioners. In this first episode we dive into the topic of the structure of Worce...

We are back with our first new episode of 2022 with our guest and Worcester-based journalist, Bill Shaner who runs the popular newsletter, Worcester Sucks and I Love It. In this episode, Josh and Bill give a run-down of 2021 in Worcester and talk about important local events and news such as Polar Park, the city council election, and the restructuring of the school committee. They also talk about...

In our final episode of our Early Education & Care mini-series, Josh speaks with Vanessa Martinez who is the Assistant Director and Subsidy Administrator of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts Early Education & Care Program . She is also a mentor at Project Flourish which helps early childcare workers receive their Child Development Associates Accreditation (CDA’s) while continuing to work i...

In our fourth episode of our Early Childhood Education & Care mini-series, Josh speaks to Anh Vu Sawyer of the Southeast Asian Coalition about some of the challenges that immigrants and refugees face when coming to the U.S. and how the coalition works towards helping these families adjust and thrive by treating them with dignity and respect and providing a sense of community. Early childhood i...

In our third episode of our Early Childhood Education & Care mini-series, Josh speaks to Eve Gilmore of Edward Street about challenges surrounding racial and gender equity within the early childhood education and care space along with some of the history behind these issues. Eve also talks about the importance of children receiving high-quality care for their development and well-being, and th...

We are back with our second episode of Public Hearing’s mini-season on Early Childhood Education & Care. This week, our guest is Amy O’Leary, the Executive Director at Strategies for Children , an advocacy and policy organization that works to ensure that Massachusetts invests the resources needed for all children, from birth to age five, to access high-quality early education programs. In thi...

Public Hearing, our podcast and radio show about creating equitable, just, and joy-filled communities is back! We’re going to be taking a closer look into issues facing our communities with the production of mini-seasons that work alongside people doing the work. Our first topic: Early Childhood Education & Care with Kim Davenport of Edward Street . In this episode, Kim and Josh discuss the im...

Happy Nonbinary People’s Day folx (7.19.21)! This week, Josh dives into conversation with Thu Nguyen about nonbinary identity, running for local office, and the power of community. Thu Nguyen is a proud Vietnamese refugee, an artist, a youth worker, and the first non-binary candidate for Worcester City Council At-Large. Over the last decade, Thu has dedicated their career to serving our young peop...

What do pancakes have in common with pushing for food equity? Doughboyz and Justin Amevor, that’s what! This week, Josh talks with Justin about an idea inspired by a dorm room joke that set him on a path to support folx in Worcester achieve food security.  Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM , Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women a...

Happy Pride! This month, we’re centering queer voices in our community and the challenges, joys, opportunities, and hopes we face in our cities and our world. This week, Josh dives into Worcester LGBTQ+ history with Bill Wallace, the Executive Director of the Worcester Historical Museum. From gay bars to Worcester’s first Pride Parade, Josh & Bill explore the importance of sharing stories from...

Josh talks with Deb Hall, recently appointed Executive Director of the YWCA of Central Mass, about pride, race, being queer, and intersectionality. We explore the concept of urgency, what is needed in this moment, and how we might look to the future. Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM , Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all yea...

Happy Pride! This month, we’re centering queer voices in our community and the challenges, joys, opportunities, and hopes we face in our cities and our world. This week, Al Green, the Ministry Director for the LGBT Asylum Task Force, talks with Josh about the hurdles in seeking asylum, accessing community-based and social services, and the intersectional challenges that being queer add to finding...

This week on Public Hearing, Josh dives into topics surrounding youth justice, comprehensive sex ed, and achieving equitable outcomes for youth with Dr. Laurie Ross from Clark University. Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM , Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year round, our guests for the month of March are all women who li...

How might we design sustainable innovation ecosystems centered around inclusion & equity? This week’s episode of Public Hearing dives into the complexity of economics and empathy. Josh and our guest, Randal Meraki, talk about innovation and possible pathways for realizing a more equitable and inclusive future. Randal is the CEO and Co-Owner of The WorcShop, a 54,000 square foot makerspace &amp...

This week’s guest on Public Hearing, Ellie Gilmore, and Josh ask the question, “How might we make zoning sexy and easy to understand?”, and talk about the negative impact that development projects can have on cities when the local community is not involved in important conversations about the decision making process. The local community is a crucial resource that must be utilized in every step of...

Today, we’re talking with Nicole Coleman; an artist, stylist, activist, community organizer and born and raised Worcesterite and asking the question: “Is public art a mechanism for equitable community building or a tool for gentrification?" Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM , Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year rou...

Today, we’re talking with the Commissioner of Health and Human Services for the City of Worcester, Dr. Mattie Castiel and asking the question: “Are people going to keep doing the work that needs to be done after everyone's vaccinated?" Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM , Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year rou...

Jane Week in Worcester is right around the corner; an awareness and recognition week for the urban theorist Jane Jacobs and her concepts for building vibrant, livable communities. On this Public Hearing episode, Josh talks with Joyce Mandell, author of Jane Jacobs in the Woo; a blog discussing Worcester development projects and asking “What would Jane say?” We talk about the ballpark, Harding Gree...

Grace Sliwoski was born and raised in Worcester, went away for college, and is now raising her family back here in the city. Grace is the Director of Programs for the Regional Environment Council (REC) and sits on the board of Central Mass Grown . The REC is a grassroots environmental and food justice organization. Central Mass Grown is a nonprofit comprised of farmers, buy-local advocates, and co...

In this episode, Josh and Oomiya share personal stories of identity and explore ways to support community building, LGBTQ+ youth, and being our authentic selves. Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM , Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year round, our guests for the month of March are all women who live, influence, and/or impa...

On this episode of the Public Hearing Podcast and Radio Show; our host, Joshua Croke, connects with Echo Louissaint - one of the cofounders of the Worcester Community Fridge Project - and talks about the power of community coming together, food access and the right to be fed, and getting involved in your local politics — yep, that’s right; vote folx! Learn more about Worcester Community Fridges he...

Public Hearing host, Joshua Croke, talks to co-founder and CEO of Redemption Rock Brewing Co. in Worcester, MA about their commitment to community, establishing a benefit corporation (B Corp) joining the likes of Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's, all the way to discussing fare free public transportation and why residents should refuse bad and inaccessible street infrastructure like Dani's...

Currently, the Sargent Card Clothing Factory (built 1866) is home to The Bridge Academy and Community Center, a vibrant community of artists, educators and crafts people. The factory and Miss Worcester Diner share a single deed owned by a trust, and they have a sale for $950,000. The landlord has given "The Bridge" a 2 week grace period to match a current offer to purchase the building t...

Josh chats with Jennessa Burks about her experience as a Worcester Public School Student who, fast forward, became a Worcester Public School teacher and then left the district. We explore identity, shared and differing experiences, and the importance of having educational experiences that are windows and mirrors. The ability to see yourself and reflect on your own identity and experience and the a...

In this episode of Public Hearing, Josh talks with Jennifer Gaskin ; founder of the Worcester Caribbean American Carnival Association (WCACA) and a moderator for Mutual Aid Worcester on Facebook. Jen also serves on the Worcester Redevelopment Authority . Jen and Josh talk about building community wealth, residents supporting residents, and more. Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podca...