From Stories to Action with PA Humanities
How PA Humanities and Community Heart & Soul harnessed the power of storytelling to help Meadville, Pennsylvania create lasting impact
Snapshot Overview
Location: Meadville, Pennsylvania (Crawford County)
Partner: PA Humanities
Key Challenge: The PA Humanities aims to effect meaningful change and connection through the humanities and storytelling; Meadville needed to strengthen civic engagement to face small town challenges of population decline and economic turbulence.
The Narrative
Meadville is a college town in western Pennsylvania that was once the home of the largest zipper manufacturer in the country. But when the factory that employed a quarter of the town’s population left, Meadville’s economy and spirit suffered. To address its economic challenges and revitalize civic participation, Meadville turned to PA Humanities. The goal of PA Humanities is to put people first in community development and planning, leveraging the humanities and storytelling to create lasting impact.
The Challenges
Challenge #1
Engaging Residents:
Many residents, especially in small cities like Meadville, felt disconnected from local decision making and were rarely involved in shaping community priorities. Past outreach efforts hadn’t sparked enough participation to make a real difference. Residents saw a need for greater connection and a stronger sense of community identity.
Strategy:
PA Humanities partnered with Community Heart & Soul because of its proven approach of engaging residents to help strengthen a town’s social and economic foundations. With the support of a grant from PA Humanities, a group of Meadville residents launched a Community Heart & Soul effort and named the project “My Meadville.” The process cultivated new community leaders: participants in the Heart & Soul initiative went on to win two City Council seats and the mayor’s office.
Challenge #2
Increasing Civic Pride:
Meadville had been exploring ways to increase civic participation and pride when it was introduced to the Community Heart & Soul model through PA Humanities.
Strategy:
Through the Heart & Soul process, 150 community members were trained to interview their neighbors, resulting in the collection of hundreds of residents’ stories. This focus on what Meadville residents loved about their town and what mattered most uncovered a sense of pride and community identity. From there, Meadville residents turned their stories into shared goals and plans for community development.
Challenge #3
Creating Lasting Impact:
The Community Heart & Soul process is designed to be ongoing, ensuring community involvement and lasting investment.
Strategy:
As part of the Community Heart & Soul process, Meadville published a Community Action Plan documenting the findings of more than 700 resident interviews. This story gathering effort identified Meadville residents’ eight shared priorities, which were then translated into formal Heart & Soul Statements. These priorities inform the city’s vision and action plan today.
Early successes include:
- Entrepreneur fund: Five $10,000 grants were given to businesses starting, relocating or expanding in Meadville. Grants have supported a vintage clothing store, a game shop expansion, a restaurant, and a painting contractor relocating.
- Community gardens: More than 10 gardens have been planted in neighborhoods across the city, providing a way for residents to get fresh produce.
- Teen center: A Teen Lounge was established by teens with volunteer construction help from local contractors.
- Neighborhood hub: Steps are being taken to create a center with housing and community meeting space.
The Meadville Action Plan is also full of additional ideas and goals based on the eight shared priorities identified in My Meadville’s Heart & Soul Statement.
The Result
The story of Meadville is a common one: A small city built on a manufacturing industry that has since left, leaving the residents feeling forgotten and waiting for rescue. The PA Humanities and Community Heart & Soul partnership empowered residents to chart the future of their city themselves. New leaders emerged, community connections were formed, and a shared vision realized.
Thoughts From Our Partner
“We passionately believe the humanities inspire people to make a difference and come together. With humanities at the heart of planning and development, local values and voices become the foundation for building communities that are connected, innovative, competitive, and strong.”
— Laurie Zeirer, Executive Director, PA Humanities
A Clear Path to Impact
Starting your path towards partnering with Community Heart & Soul is easy.
1
Fill Out a Brief Questionnaire
2
Schedule a Discovery Call
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Make a Lasting Difference Together
