The Spark

  (00:00:00) We begin with  Julie 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 region, and how the new Downtown Harrisburg Perception Survey will guide future planning, inve...

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 The conversation explored how cursive connects students to historical documents and deepens their ability to read a...

(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 honored more than 800 extraordinary women for their contributions to our region, both professionally and...

(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 Cumberland County HOME funding , a critical investment that allowed the project to move forward. (00:22:04)...

(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 nursing workforce, the many career paths available to new graduates, and how UPMC supports nurses as...

(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 Anderson help us revisit the life of Ephraim Slaughter—a man born enslaved who became a Union Army...

(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 immigration functions. Their coverage looks at why these agreements are expanding, why they’re controversial,...

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 Oregon Public Media and Matias Vernegno of the Bucknell Institute for Public Policy discuss the press...

(00:00:00) We start with Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Heather Freeland and Shirley Halk, who share practical, research‑backed tips for spring planting. (00:22:33) Then 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. Support...

(00:00:00) Clinical Nutrition Manager Angelina Sickora and Clinical Operations Manager and registered dietitian Janelle Barnett from Penn State Health break down the booming world of protein—what it actually does in the body, how much we really need, whether “protein‑packed” products are worth the hype, and how to read labels beyond the marketing. (00:12:08) Then, as Heart Month continues, Devon S...

(00:00:00) This episode explores two stories of protection—one for Pennsylvania’s landscapes, and one for women’s health. Conservation leaders Karen Lutz and Cameron Weiser break down the Scott Farm–Peters Mountain land swap, a partnership that preserves trail access, safeguards the Kittatinny Ridge, and strengthens stewardship of the Appalachian Trail.  (00:36:43) In our second segment, Dr. Sharo...

Encore! Home School Productions—along with its Theatre Academy—provides homeschooled and cyber‑schooled students across Central Pennsylvania with rich, hands‑on theatre education through fall plays, spring musicals, camps, and workshops. This season, the team is preparing for their upcoming production of Seussical , guided by a powerhouse group of educators and artists. Support WITF: https://www.w...

(00:00:00) Jonathan Bergmueller and Tirzah Christopher of Pennlive discuss their reporting on the rift between Mayor Williams and City Council.  (00:12:14) Historic Harrisburg Association Has announced its 2026 Preservation Priority List. Broad Street Market at the top of the list. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rise in the everyday use of electronic items has also contributed to an increase of electronic waste, filling already crowded landfills and increasing risks to the environment. How can electronic items be safely disposed of, and how can the public play a part in cutting down on e-waste?  also on the program: The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) formally released its State of Fair...

(00:00:00) The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) formally released its State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The report examines current housing conditions, patterns of discrimination, and structural challenges impacting access and affordability. It also advances key policy and enforcement recommendations, including strengthening protections against source-of-inco...

(00:00:00) The rise in the everyday use of electronic items has alco contributed in an increase of electronic waste, filling already crowded landfills and increasing risks to the environment. How can electronic items be safely disposed of, and how can the public play a part in cutting down on e-waste?  (00:23:53) Historian Chrissie Senecal going to go through the stories of several of Medieval Eur...

(00:00:00) Men are often celebrated for passionately supporting sports teams—spending money, getting emotional, and “fangirling” over players—while women are frequently mocked for showing the same level of enthusiasm for musicians, makeup, athletes, or concerts. The double standard treats identical behaviors differently depending on gender, even though both are simply forms of fandom and joy. We t...

(00:00:00) Gwendolyn Ruth Dickinson talks about her grandfather William Chester Ruth (1882–1971) who was an African American machinist, inventor, and business owner from Pennsylvania. Born in Ercildoun to parents who overcame slavery, Ruth developed a passion for machinery early on, leading him to establish Ruth's Ironworks Shop in Gap, PA, in 1922. Over his career, he secured more than 50 patents...

(00:00:00) Gabriel Martinez and Manada Fries of Spotlight PA, discuss an Ice detention facility planned for Berks County. (00:23:14) When Perry County musician Zachariah King wanted to record a cover of the 1844 song “Blue Juniata”, it led him down a rabbit hole of discovery about the song’s writer, Marion Dix Sullivan. Sullivan was from a town near Boston but had once travelled through Perry Coun...

A standing-room-only crowd filled the room at Gettysburg College as businessman, philanthropist, and historian David Rubenstein took the stage for this year’s  Blavatt Lecture,  an annual event hosted by the Eisenhower Institute that brings in speakers with distinctive perspectives on American democracy. and Veteran journalist David Greene and Pennon interim President and CEO Tom Baldrige discusse...

(00:00:00) We begin with the remarkable history of the  League of Women Voters , born in 1920 from the women’s suffrage movement and led by NAWSA president Carrie Chapman Catt . Created six months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the League set out to help newly enfranchised women learn how to register, how to vote, and how their government worked. In Pennsylvania, LWV chapters in ci...

(00:00:00) In this episode, we sit down with  Dr. Leamor Kahanov , higher‑education leader with 25+ years of experience as a provost, dean, and academic strategist. She joins us to discuss the same topic originally planned for Dr. Gaetan Giannini: how colleges can responsibly integrate AI into existing majors—and why an AI major isn’t always the smartest path. Drawing on comparisons to the early i...

(00:00:00) A farmer’s accidental 1930 discovery beneath U.S. Route 22 became Lincoln Caverns, a destination that has fascinated visitors for nearly a century.  (00:22:28) This episode also honors VisionCorps’ 100 years of impact, spotlighting its mission and its call for the public to help preserve and uplift its history. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/list...

(00:00:00) First, we look at the work of Dr. Louis S. Hopkins, whose forty years of research into Lancaster’s African American past blends rigorous scholarship with lived experience. Growing up in segregated southeast Lancaster City, Dr. Hopkins developed a deep awareness of how geography, access, and memory inform the historical record. His ongoing efforts to recover stories long pushed to the ma...

If you’ve walked through Harrisburg, you’ve likely encountered the bold, vibrant work of artist  Dionn Reneé  — murals that don’t just brighten walls but tell stories, honor neighborhoods, and reflect the city’s spirit. A painter, photographer, designer, and community builder, Reneé is shaping the capital city’s visual identity while expanding her reach far beyond it. and A rare and disturbing sto...