4 cool things we learned at #INTERVIEW16

We know we’re biased, but we’re gonna go ahead and say that our first INTER/VIEW jobs and engagement fair was a huge success.

Christ Church Neighborhood House was abuzz throughout the evening as 20 socially minded organizations showed off their job and volunteer opportunities to about 100 attendees. We overheard some great connections being made — and when we asked presenters what was new with their organizations, we got some exciting responses, too.

(Photo by Brian James Kirk)

1. Lenfest Center is hosting Philadelphia Science Festival‘s Astronomy Night this weekend

Lenfest Center does some v cool things with kids in Hunting Park, but Outreach Coordinator Kevin Oberst was most eager to share one result of its partnership with the Franklin Institute: It’s hosting one of the festival’s Astronomy Nights on Friday. Hang out on the rooftop with a bunch of kids and telescopes, plus “have a chance to launch an alka-rocket.” (As in Akla-Seltzer.)

2. Social Enterprise Alliance may be launching a local chapter soon

After we wrote about CCP student Brandon Stokes‘s efforts to start a Philly chapter of SEA, Temple student and INTER/VIEW attendee Jeremy Boco got in touch with Stokes to help him out. Well, Boco told us that since then, a handful of potential members — mostly students, plus one established social entrepreneur — have met to begin talking about strategy. We can’t wait to see this movement grow its momentum.

3. Blessings, Inc. is starting a skills program for teens in the foster care system

Executive Director Heather Haywood told us that the nonprofit, which offers weekend programming to encourage “the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of today’s youth,” plans to introduce a program that would teach adolescents age 13 to 17 who are in the foster care system about financial planning and job readiness. Haywood is seeking volunteers to help develop the program in preparation for a January 2017 launch.

(Photo by Brian James Kirk)

4. “Experience design” is a thing

We’ve heard of service design before, but not experience design — which, Think Brownstone Senior Director Brad Sukala explained, is product design focused on bettering how users are experiencing that product, such as an app or website. Sounds pretty straightforward.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in #INTERVIEW16! We hope to see you at our May meetup, to be announced soon.