50th ANNIVERSARY SPEAKER SERIES POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Due to concerns over COVID-19 and the CDC’s recent recommendation to limit events with 50 or more people, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our 50^th Anniversary Speaker Series events with Sonia Manzano on Thursday, March 19, John Quinones on Wednesday, April 22 and Elizabeth Smart on Thursday, May 21 until further notice.

The health and safety of the entire APM community is our top priority, so we plan to hold these events at a later time and will share more information as it becomes available. Those who are unable to attend the new dates will be issued a credit coupon or refund.

We encourage everyone in our community to listen to facts and not respond to fear. We will provide updates when necessary and appreciate your continued support.

Education Speaker Panel – Postponed

Focus Area: Early Childhood

Featured Speaker: Sonia Manzano

“Maria” on Sesame Street & Author

The positive impact of early childhood education on child development has been proven. One of the best indicators of whether a child could go to college is the simple act of a parent reading to a child. Added to this is the belief that when a family is provided the tools and resources to support the child on an early educational journey, that family also learns and grows. Parental involvement can pave the way to greater family stability and an increased interest in education. How will our community maximize this interest and provide needed support resulting in benefits for the entire family? Early intervention in childhood development is an effective tool in keeping a child on the best path forward. How do we strengthen those interventions? This speaker panel will identify the best tools and resources as APM continues to invest in children and in their families.

Community and Economic Development Speaker Panel – Postponed

Focus Area: Inequality, Race, and Gentrification

Featured Speaker: John Quiñones

ABC News Correspondent & Host of What Would you Do?

Non-profit organizations throughout Philadelphia have worked for decades to create homeownership, affordable rentals, and economic opportunities for low-income residents. This has enabled thousands to climb out of poverty and increase individual wealth, while the wealth and attractiveness of the community also increases. As the community prospers, more affluent residents move in and the area becomes “gentrified.” Property taxes and rents increase, thereby leading to potential displacement for long-time residents. Class, racial, and ethnic differences between long-time and newer residents generate distrust and lead to increased tensions. How can these tensions be addressed? How has gentrification exacerbated racial inequities in property ownership, and what can be done to address those inequities? How can the “American Dream” be made available to everyone? We are all too familiar with the lack of affordability in San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, New York, and Chicago and yet we continue to keep making the same mistakes…

Child Protective Services Speaker Panel – Postponed

Focus Area: Childhood Trauma

Featured Speaker: Elizabeth Smart

Child Safety Activist

How can we each contribute to raising children who thrive, despite adversity? We in the foster care community work to improve the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families in our care, but all too often it is an unfortunate truism that children in foster care experience long-lasting trauma, either from their parents or from a system that has a “one size fits all” approach. Children who age-out of care often have little to no supportive networks available to them. Despite these challenges, there are children who not only survive traumatic experiences but thrive. What can we learn from these children that we can then share? How do we prepare children who “age-out” of the foster care system and better equip them for independence? We can positively impact the foster care system, making it more responsive and compassionate to all children. This speaker panel will examine the possibilities and solutions.

In addition to the Speaker Series, APM will be hosting a 50^th Anniversary Gala on September 19, 2020. The Sugar Cane Festival scheduled for June 13, 2020 will no longer take place. For more information about sponsorship opportunities for future APM events, please contact Teresa Mulligan, Director of Fund Development, at terry.mulligan@apmphila.org or at 267-296-7363.