low-income

The Women's Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) is committed to social and economic justice for low-income women and their families. They develop housing and neighborhood facilities; provide supportive services; advocate for policy change; and honor leadership, dignity, and equity in our communities.

WCRP believes that when you start with women, you are at the core of communities and families. There is power in women working together to make change. WCRP has created a model that works for community development, putting that power to work for low-income women and their families.

Gretjen Clausing is an independent media programmer and activist, who has made her home in Philadelphia since 1989. Prior to joining Scribe's staff in September 2004, she was the Program Director of Film at the Prince. She is a founding member of the Philadelphia Coalition for Public Access, a grassroots group that has been working since 1999 to get public access television activated in Philadelphia. She has worked at Scribe as a part-time facilitator since 1990. She joined Scribe as Program Director in 2004 and was the Producer of the NAMAC conference in 2005.

Montessori Genesis II (MGII) was founded in 1976 by sixteen low-income Black families. The children of these families had had a very successful Montessori pre-school experience at the Early Learning Center in the Mantua section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These parents wanted their children to continue enjoying a high quality education during their elementary years. But there was no nearby elementary school prepared to follow up on the Montessori education that had been so successful.

The group of sixteen families joined together to take on this challenge. They solicited the help of two Religious of the Assumption nuns who were trained Montessori teachers to instruct their children and started their own school, Montessori Genesis II. Serving as something of a magnet, Montessori Genesis II now draws students not only from the surrounding community, but from throughout the Philadelphia area such as North Philadelphia, Germantown, Greater Northwest Philly and beyond. The quality of the education and personal growth afforded the students at MGII is such that when they leave, they can go out and successfully navigate the waters of all levels of higher education and post-academic life.