Urban Roots

Just released: Call to Artists / Requests for Qualifications for Smith Playground! In partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Percent for Art Program, Urban Roots and Make The World Better Foundation, Inc are excited to share a $25,000 public art opportunity for a site-specific artwork for Smith Playground, located at 24th & Jackson Streets in South Philadelphia. Thank you to our partners Philadelphia Parks & Recreation | Philadelphia Water Department | Councilman Kenyat...ta Johnson | Creative Philadelphia | #PercentforArt #SmithPlayground #SouthPhilly #MyPhillyPark Links: Percent for Art homepage: http://creativephl.org/percentforart/ RFQ: http://creativephl.org//Smith-Playground-Call-to-Artists.p

Thank you to Tookany/Tacony-Frankford (TTF) Watershed Partnership for hosting our Waterloo Youth Project Team at Tacony Creek Park this week! It was a fabulous trip to end our summer #EnvironmentalStewardship series. Photos by Galara Abahel of Galara Photography! We played a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Surge Game that simulated what happens when heavy rainfall results in over-taxed water treatment plants and polluted waterways. The game illustrated how planting rain gardens... and using rain barrels to store gray water are strategies to help manage stormwater! We also checked out the CSO Outfall in the creek, took a nature walk down the trail to Fisher's Lane Bridge (a historic bridge dating back to 1759!), and talked about the green stormwater renovations to Ferko Playground. #TaconyCreekPark #Juniata #LoveYourPark #ParksandRec #MyPhillyPark #StormwaterManagement #GreenStormwaterInfrastructure #WaterlooPlayground #UrbanRootsPHL #MTWBFoundation

Our #EnvironmentalStewardship summer field trips with the Waterloo Youth Project Team continued this week with a visit to beautiful #BartramsMile. Thank you to Josh from Schuylkill Banks for hosting us! Josh discussed the ongoing expansion of the #SchuylkillBanks trail, showing us the southernmost point of the trail at 56th Street Plaza. It was a temperate summer day, perfect for working on trail maintenance together. We would also like to thank Gal Abahel of Galara Photogr...aphy for coming by and taking pictures of the trip! #LoveYourPark #MyPhillyPark #WaterlooPlayground #UrbanRootsPHL #MTWBFoundation

Check out these photos from our Waterloo Youth Project Team's field trip to Lardner's Point Park last week! This visit is part of a series of field trips around the city for local youth of Waterloo Playground to learn about #EnvironmentalStewardship. Thank you Delaware River City Corporation for hosting us--we admire and appreciate your work!

Some photos from the Summer Kick-Off Celebration at Waterloo Playground last weekend!

Coming up on Wednesday June 28th: Join us at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum for wine, hors d'oeuvres, and a close-up look at a spectacular private collection of antique racing cars! This event is presented by our friends at Healthbridge Chiropractic and all proceeds benefit the park revitalization projects led by Urban Roots and Make The World Better Foundation, Inc! Tickets available at: https://urbanroots.ticketleap.com/healthbridge/

As we move forward with the completion of renovations at Smith Playground later this year, we're thrilled to see the innovative programming being offered there! WHYY is offering an Intro to Production class at the playground’s recreation center for young people to learn about media creation. An adult version of the class will be implemented soon. Read more at: http://philaparkandrec.tumblr.com//whyy-brings-innovative- Philadelphia Parks and Recreation The Tuttleman Family Foundation Make The World Better Foundation, Inc

We were honored to participate in the #NFLDraft2017 Community Kick-Off Event this afternoon with guest speakers Ron Jaworski and Mayor Jim Kenney! Thank you to the NFL and to the JawsYouth Playbook for supporting renovations and programming at the new Smith Playground in South Philly! CC: Make The World Better Foundation, Inc & PHL Sports/Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Thank you honeygrow for the sweet blog feature about our collaborative community development work with Make The World Better Foundation, Inc! Check it out at: http://www.honeygrow.com//building-better-philly-mtwb-urba

We love these photos (taken by the Philadelphia Water Department) from our Paint Day at Smith Playground in South Philly last Saturday! Thank you PWD for sharing these, and for being there to provide information to the Smith Playground community about green stormwater management! https://www.flickr.com//philadelphi/sets/72157679230674032

This Saturday, start your day by helping us paint the new mural at Smith Playground (24th and Snyder in South Philadelphia). Meet the artists Katie Yamasaki and Kien Nguyen and chat with Urban Roots staff and other project team members about the exciting renovations to Smith this summer/fall! CC: Mural Arts Philadelphia Philadelphia Water Department City Fitness Philly Avid Trails Ambit Architecture

Norris Square & West Kensington Residents: Please join us next Wednesday March 1st at 6pm to give us your feedback on the updated design for Waterloo Playground! CC: Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Philadelphia Water Department Make The World Better Foundation, Inc ISA - Interface Studio Architects LLC Roofmeadow Studio Ludo Pedalogical Public Workshop

Join us for a Community Paint Day at Smith Playground (24th and Snyder in South Philadelphia) on Saturday March 18th at 10am! Artists Katie Yamasaki and Kien Nguyen from Mural Arts Philadelphia will be there, as well as other Smith project team members who can answer questions about the new football field, playground, basketball courts, green stormwater management features, etc.