Meet Our Awardees

Member Organization: Mighty Writers

Mighty Writers teaches students ages 7 through 17 to think and to write with clarity. Their philosophy is “literacy is kryptonite to poverty”. In 12 years, Mighty Writers has grown from serving kids with after-school programming in a single location in South Philly to helping students multiple locations throughout our region, including West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Camden, Atlantic City, and two El Futuro sites. Mighty Writers purposefully places their centers in neighborhoods with low literacy and high poverty rates. At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Mighty Writers turned their locations into distribution sites to provide meals, groceries, diapers, books and other essentials to families in our neighborhoods because kids can’t learn when they’re hungry. In March 2020, Mighty Writers took their in-person workshops, mentoring, and tutoring services for students online.

All Mighty Writers services are free. “There’s no kid we won’t serve”.  To learn more about Mighty Writers, click here.

Arts Partner: Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site interprets the legacy of American criminal justice reform, from the nation’s founding through to the present day, within the long-abandoned cellblocks of the nation’s most historic prison. Its cells held approximately 80,000 men and women during its 142 years of operation, including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and “Scarface” Al Capone. Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site has been awarded the prestigious Excellence in Exhibitions award by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the nation’s highest award in exhibition development and design, for its exhibit Prisons Today: Questions in the Age of Mass Incarceration, as well as the Institutional Award for Special Achievement from the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and the Trustee Emeritus Award for Stewardship from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Eastern State’s Returning Citizens Tour Guide Project, which hires people who were formerly incarcerated to lead tours, has won the EdCom Award for Innovation in Museum Education by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and has been featured internationally by such networks as the BBC and others.  To learn more about Eastern State Penitentiary, click here.

Individual Impact: Anna Perng

Anna Perng is a parent of two wonderful disabled children. In 2015, she created a coalition of Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving organizations to create a “continuum of care” for families of children with disabilities. In partnership with Professor Roger Ideishi, that project has evolved into the Temple Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Project, a monthly support group that serves to educate the community on a wide range of disability issues while providing language access. As a volunteer with All On The Line (formerly Organizing for Action), Anna organizes to ensure every American has an equal say in our government. In March 2018, Anna hosted the Greater Philadelphia 1st Annual Linguistic and Multicultural Disability Summit with PHMC to launch citywide inclusion initiatives. Anna serves on the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities and the Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Cities of Inclusion Executive Council. 

Kimmel Award for Accessible Experience:
Disability Pride PA’s 30 Days of ADA Virtual Celebration

Disability Pride Philadelphia Inc. is a nonprofit organization of disabled people and their allies; committed to promoting visibility and mainstreaming the positive pride felt by people with disabilities within their communities. The organization is dedicated to building pride, teaching accessibility, being intersectional; and striving force in the community. Disability Pride Philadelphia creates FUN, accessible, inclusive events. Throughout the year they host annual events like the Disability Pride Philadelphia Parade, sexual health seminars, take part in global and local events, and work on accessibility with folks in the region, and throughout Pennsylvania.

In 2020, Disability Pride Philadelphia celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the ADA with 30 days of virtual programming. The event kicked off on June 27th, 2020 with a flag-raising pep rally, then continued with contests, panels, bands, comedy, storybook time for kids, movement and mindfulness classes, talent show, and more. The event wrapped up with ADA coverage on July 26th, 2020. The event brought disability pride, history, education, employment, and FUN, to different parts of PA.

To learn more about Disability Pride PA, click here.

Joyce Burd Young Leader: Muffy Tulskie

Rose Catherine, or “Muffy”, has lived in Newtown Square her whole life. She attended St. Katherine’s at Archbishop Carroll for high school. Muffy was on the Bocce team and was the captain of the team, making it to the state championship. Her senior year, she was the Homecoming Queen and class president. At St. Katherine’s she was in the movie “I AM”, which she really enjoyed. Muffy plays challenger baseball at Newtown Edgmont Little League with her friends. She also works at From the Top Studio of Dance. She and her friend have fun doing Zoom dance together. Muffy also takes swim lessons. Muffy likes to spend time with her friends, her sister Grace, and her brother Jack. Muffy has a big family with lots of cousins. She loves being with her family.