The Science and Wellness Department at Parkway Central Library will host interactive mediation and stress reduction classes twice a month throughout the rest of 2024! 🧘Find a class that works for you with this flier.

🌟To better support our work at the City, we've reorganized our team around three practice areas: community co-design, research & evaluation, & service design & delivery. We’re developing practice standards for these areas, so if you have recs send ‘em over or reach out to chat.

🤝 In our community co-design practice, our aim is to build caring, consentful relationships with community members. Our focus is on reciprocal learning, creative change, and accountability for all our actions. 🌱✨ #ServiceDesignPHL #CommunityEngagement

🧠Our research & evaluation practice ensures our research gets applied in systematic, accurate, and credible ways. We’re committed to upholding ethical standards and equitable, consentful practices. Plus, we're kinda nerdy about reflecting and learning through feedback. 🤓

🎨Our service design & delivery practice takes a holistic approach to designing and delivering government services. We’re creating improvements that are tested, feasible, and center people’s needs. This also means advocating for the conditions to continually improve services.🔧

This fall we’re digging deeper into evaluation work—for our projects and the Studio itself. So now feels like a good time to revisit SDS by the numbers📈: 16 City agency partners 229 resident interviews 1,707 service delivery staff engaged Nearly $1M in grant funding

🎤🌐 Over the last four-plus years, we’ve shared our work at 13 conferences, published 32 blog posts, and engaged with 88 design professionals. We’re proud to be part of a vibrant design community and excited for the fellowship to come.

In addition to project work, we also support a range of initiatives, coalitions, and committees at the City. We do this through consulting, continued education, and advocacy around collaborative design and decision-making practices that prioritize people's lived experience.

🌟 We’re proud to have coached and consulted more than 20 unique City agencies, helping them enhance their work! From participatory service design to behavioral science, we love finding ways to help our colleagues improve the way they work.

🎨 Our consulting projects range from designing workshops to reassess City landmarks with colonialist histories to developing signage and wayfinding best practices. We love how these projects help us meet new colleagues and learn more about the City. 🏛️🛠️

In addition to project work, we also support Citywide initiatives like the Racial Equity Advisory Committee and the Resident Compensation Fund. These things ensure our work aligns with Philly's goals for equity and inclusion. 🏛️💪

Just a friendly reminder to give yourself 30 minutes or so to (re)visit the Beeck Center’s #DigitalServiceNetwork Resource Library. If you're in planning mode, it’s a great site for some virtual meandering. 👉 digitalservicenetwork.org/resource-libra…

Last chance to apply for the Citizens Planning Institute! 🚨 Apply by tonight: citizensplanninginstitute.org 🌟 #CommunityImpact #FinalCall

When’s the last time you read an article that was equal parts affirmation, revelation, and rumination? If it’s been awhile, we invite you to steep a little tea and cozy up to Lou Downe's latest piece about designing beyond austerity: bit.ly/3ywsGLi

Annnnnnnd next week is September. Let the next few moments give you a chance to pause and just be. Ease into this 7-minute guided meditation from #OctaviaRaheem: bit.ly/3yk5Uq8

📣 Grant opportunity! Our colleagues in @ PhilaOOS just launched the 2024 Community Resilience and Environmental Justice (CREJ) Fund. $15k grants are available for grassroots groups in Philly fighting environmental injustice. Apply now: bit.ly/4dCYBZL Deadline: Oct 4

⏰ Today is the LAST day to register for the 2024 Presidential Election! 🗳️ Satellite Election Offices are open until 6 P.M. for in-person registration. Find an SEO at vote.phila.gov/seos, or register online by midnight at vote.phila.gov/register. #PhillyVotes

We've been a little quiet on here—mostly because we've been busy welcoming two new folx to our team! Say 👋 and get to know Joey (bit.ly/4eaO5Ze) and Stephanie (bit.ly/4hn7xVs), our new Service Design Strategist and Research and Evaluation Specialist!

⚡️In other exciting news, our team is growing! Help us spread the good word. We're currently hiring for two additional roles (with a third one on the way). Check out this blog post for more details: phila.gov/2024-10-16-wer…