Germantown residents and Philadelphia youth gathered at the People’s Education Center Wednesday evening to discuss the School-to-Prison Pipeline.
The conversation was organized by Presenting OUR Perspective on Philly Youth News (POPPYN) and the Germantown Info Hub. POPPYN is a social justice media program for high school students in Philly.
Around 40 people engaged in a led group discussion after viewing POPPYN’s documentary, Calling for Change: Breaking the School To Prison Pipeline and Q&A. The Calling for Change is a youth led documentary that investigates the criminalization of Philadelphia schools and the connection to incarceration.
The following conversation brought several topics to the forefront including whether school was a safe space, cultural training for staff, the effect of restorative practices instead of strict disciplinary methods, the cycle of criminalizing youth and more.
The event came to an end, but the conversation did not. POPPYN and the info hub said students were allowed to work with their organizations to tell stories like the school-to-prison pipeline. POPPYN enrolls four cohorts per year to tell stories through media, and the info hub works with Germantown residents to tell stories pertaining to the neighborhood.
