PHILADELPHIA, PA — PA Humanities has launched a statewide civic recognition program tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, naming 25 inaugural honorees and opening public nominations for Pennsylvanians whose work strengthens civic life through education, culture, history, storytelling, and community engagement.
The initiative, called “The Window Keeper: Civic Honors,” is designed to recognize residents whose contributions help build and sustain communities across the Commonwealth. PA Humanities announced the program this week as part of broader efforts connected to the 2026 semiquincentennial celebration.
The program draws inspiration from “The Window Keeper,” a poem by Philadelphia Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher that imagines the Declaration of Independence as a window requiring continual care and renewal to remain relevant across generations.
PA Humanities Executive Director Laurie Zierer said the initiative seeks to elevate community-focused work that often receives little public attention.
“Window Keepers are people who are illuminating what’s possible in their communities every day,” Zierer said. “They are contributing to a flourishing civic life in ways that often go unseen.”
The first class of 25 Window Keepers was selected by PA Humanities from its statewide network and includes individuals involved in education, history, the arts, culture, and community development.
Among the inaugural honorees is Tara Jones of Delaware County, executive director of the Chester Cultural Arts and Technology Center. Jones was recognized for efforts that bring together families and young people through arts, cultural, and educational programming.
“I’m honored to be recognized as a Window Keeper because my work has always centered on helping communities tell their stories, preserve what matters, and use culture as a force for connection and change,” Jones said.
Other inaugural honorees represent counties across Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Allegheny, Erie, Cumberland, Lackawanna, Bucks, Beaver, Crawford, McKean, Wayne, York, Snyder, and Westmoreland.
PA Humanities said the recognition program builds on more than five decades of work promoting civic participation through humanities-based programs, including PA Heart & Soul and Youth-Led Humanities.
The organization has opened a public nomination process that allows residents to nominate individuals from their communities for future recognition. Selected nominees will be featured on the organization’s website and included on an interactive statewide map highlighting civic contributions across Pennsylvania.
Ben Speggen, vice president of the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie and one of the inaugural honorees, said the humanities can strengthen civic engagement by encouraging dialogue and shared understanding.
“When we create space to explore our humanity together, we find the power and potential of listening to and learning with and from each other,” Speggen said.
Nominations for future Window Keepers will remain open through July 31.
More information, nomination forms, and the full list of inaugural honorees are available at https://pahumanities.org/thewindowkeeper.
A statewide recognition event honoring the inaugural class is planned for the fall.
The Window Keeper: Civic Honors initiative is supported in part by Pennsylvania state legislators, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual donor Randall Miller.
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