On a windy afternoon in November, a busload of seniors arrives on a verdant campus in West Oak Lane. Passing by persimmon trees and a koi pond, they enter a building with an array of services and activities, everything from health care and vocational training to bingo and mahjong. These grounds belong to the nonprofit…
Kensington’s Willard Elementary School is getting its first playground. It’s also getting something less whimsical: a bullet-resistant fence. Both have an unusual funding source: drug companies that fueled the opioid crisis in the school’s backyard. Willard Principal Diana Garcia said that every child across Philadelphia should get 30 minutes of play time outside. But students…
Are digital navigators the answer to closing Philadelphia’s tech gap? By: Sarah Huffman | Technical.ly December 6, 2024 | Tagged: Civic News, Digital Access, Internet, municipal government. Whether it’s paying a bill or applying for a job, many everyday tasks exist almost entirely online — but not everyone has the skills or devices to access…
Yero Sy’s journey from Mauritania to Philadelphia is a powerful story of resilience and determination. Despite earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Senegal, Yero was forced to leave his successful career as an accountant and university lecturer due to political instability and limited opportunities in his home country. His decision…
For several years before the 2020 election, the elderly residents of Germantown Home needed only to take the elevator downstairs to cast a ballot in the polling center set up in their lobby. It was convenient, and it was busy: Older voters are the most consistent voters, even among the high voter turnout neighborhoods of Northwest…
After years of proposals and community protests, Philadelphia might be getting a brand new downtown arena. Among the largest community concerns over the proposed 76ers basketball arena is the indirect displacement of residents and businesses in Chinatown, located just a block away — a conclusion supported by a report released by the city. But another major concern is the…
However you feel about the idea of artificial intelligence — whether you believe society’s future depends on it or will be doomed by it — there’s wide agreement that the technology is likely to benefit healthcare. The use of AI to improve diagnostic accuracy in conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease has shown tremendous promise, and a paper from…
When I think about the idea of artificial intelligence and all that’s come with it recently, I think of the Dr. Seuss book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” Optimistically, we’re in a very exciting time for the technology, and the possibilities truly do feel endless. On the other hand, we may just be in another AI…
Surprisingly, several people interviewed said they’d support an AI candidate — but that doesn’t mitigate the danger of deepfakes
When we think about the hallowed halls of academia, we often envision a place where lofty ideas are discussed, philosophies are argued and theories are tested. Does artificial intelligence have a place in these supposed bastions of independent thoughts? We should obviously be considering the ethics of AI use by students and teachers, but also…