CivicStory Podcast Library
67 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingCivicStory is a cultural news site and producer of short-form videos about humanities, civics, and sustainability in New Jersey and beyond. Our mission is to increase the breadth of news through videos and dialogue about civic growth and constructive change. We bring stories of human achievement and community-building to public attention, report stories that motivate us to contribute to community life, and bring civic involvement to the fore as an essential quality of living a full life.
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Episodes
Humanities Hit: Medieval to Digital
January 14, 2015 06:49 - 2 minutes - 3.85 MB(Published on Jul 10, 2013) How do digital technologies affect Medieval scholarship? Medievalist Martin Foys and Computer Scientist Shannon Bradshaw discuss digital mapping, Chaucer as innovator, and humanities as key for developing a bigger picture of the world - beyond ourselves. NJ Arts News "Humanities Hits" are funded in part by a mini-grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Drew University facilitated the mini-...
Sustainability Summit at Duke Farms: Investing in the Wealth of Nature
January 14, 2015 06:44 - 3 minutes - 4.47 MB(Published on Oct 3, 2013) Hillsborough, NJ, September 18, 2013. A standing-room-only forum presented by Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit certification program, convenes 200 civic and environmental activists to redefine sustainability in the 21st century. Nearly 400 New Jersey municipalities participate in Sustainable Jersey's conservation strategies that foster energy efficiency and savings, waste reduction, water conservation, cost sharing, and other sustainable practices. These municipalit...
Educators Change Conversation on Sustainability
January 14, 2015 06:40 - 2 minutes - 4.08 MB(Published on Oct 9, 2013) September 18, 2013, Hillsborough, NJ - Educators call for action and 'thinking forward' during a Sustainability Summit at Duke Farms in central New Jersey. "Something needs to be addressed right now," says Dr. Nicky Sheats, Director of the Center for Urban Environment, Thomas Edison State College. Jaimie Cloud of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education defines sustainable living as when "a society is far-seeing enough, wise enough, and flexible enough to a...
Newark Teens Gain Professional Skills Through Summer Youth Work Program
January 14, 2015 06:38 - 2 minutes - 2.92 MB(Published on Oct 22, 2013) Newark, August 15, 2013 - For hundreds of Newark teens, Summer 2013 brought life-changing opportunities to develop confidence, discipline, and flexibility in the workplace. The Greater Newark Conservancy and GlassRoots are among the more than one hundred businesses and nonprofits that hired youth for 20 hours per week over 6 weeks, through the City of Newark's Summer Youth Work Experience program.
Wetlands Restoration Linked to Flood Protection
January 14, 2015 01:25 - 3 minutes - 4.35 MB(Published on Nov 26, 2013) 'Super Bowl XLVIII (48) - to be played on February 2 in the NJ Meadowlands - is called the first 'Public Transportation' Super Bowl. It may also be the world's first 'Ecology' Super Bowl. MetLife Stadium's unique surroundings include 8,400 acres of environmentally significant waterways and wetlands - a vast natural home to diverse species of birds and amphibians that covers a larger area than Manhattan. Nine members of the Bergen Grass Roots Task Force on Flooding...
Young Environmental Coordinator Aids Secaucus Mayor, Council
January 14, 2015 01:23 - 3 minutes - 4.42 MB(Published on Dec 18, 2013) Amanda Nesheiwat, a Bergen Community College graduate, is one of seven environmental coordinators working at the county or municipal levels in NJ. Sustainability managers are also employed by numerous NJ universities, colleges, businesses and schools.
Dance Diversity in NJ: Jersey Moves! Festival of Dance, NJPAC
January 14, 2015 01:20 - 4 minutes - 6.15 MB(Published on Jan 8, 2014) "Dance in New Jersey is blossoming!" says Keith Thompson, Founder of danceTactics contemporary ensemble. Six Jersey dance groups perform in NJPAC's Jersey Moves! and reveal what dancers think about while onstage. What is dance? How do dancers convey emotion and narrative through movement and gesture? Jersey Moves! Festival of Dance at NJPAC explores a range of dance styles exemplified by: Timothy Kochka and the Davis Academy of Irish Dance (Fedelmia Mullan Davis, A...
Trenton's Art All Night Packs 20,000
January 14, 2015 01:18 - 3 minutes - 5.22 MB(Published on Jan 21, 2014) The historic Roebling industrial building in Trenton pulses with art and music during a 24-hour extravaganza called Art All Night, run by the Trenton-based nonprofit, Artworks. The annual festival exemplifies the 'creative place' movement that is revitalizing communities across the US. Roebling Wire Works supplied cables for some of the largest suspension bridges in the United States, including the Brooklyn, George Washington, and Golden Gate Bridge. On January 23...
Historic Buildings Spur Residential Development in Newark
January 14, 2015 01:16 - 3 minutes - 5.08 MB(Published on Jan 30, 2014) Historic, turn-of-the-century buildings in downtown Newark are being restored and re-purposed into rental housing. "There's a billion dollars worth of development activity currently going on in Newark," says housing and real estate consultant Michael Meyer. Developers appreciate the building's unique architecture and aesthetics, and are helping to create a new residential neighborhood near Broad & Market. Josh Sternberg, VP of the Fidelco Realty Group, notes: "For...
Professors Seek Smarter Buildings, Develop Flexible Materials at NJIT
January 14, 2015 01:13 - 2 minutes - 4 MB(Published on Mar 24, 2014) Green Building Technologies at NJIT: Architects and Chemical Engineers are developing smart building materials that harvest and store solar energy while limiting heat gain. Flexible building skins and batteries point to future efficiencies. Environmental chemist Som Mitra is focusing on batteries that are as thin and flexible as film - built from the carbon nanotube. "I think the future is flexible electronics." Architect Martina Decker focuses on flexible buildin...
Curbside Composting and Local Farming Displayed at 'Living Local Expo'
January 14, 2015 01:07 - 2 minutes - 3.47 MB(Published on Apr 23, 2014) A municipal curbside composting program in Princeton, and abundant produce from Mercer County's many local farms are showcased in the 2014 "Living Local Expo" at the Lawrence Armories, attended by more than 2,000. The Expo included 80 venders, demonstrations, food and live music, and was sponsored by five organizations: the Green Teams of Ewing, Lawrence and Hopewell; Sustainable Lawrence; and the Mercer County Department of sustainability. Princeton Recycling Coo...
Eco-Friendly Farms Help Educate the Public
January 14, 2015 01:00 - 2 minutes - 3.79 MB(Published on Sep 16, 2014) NJ farmers and food producers not only provide us healthy, fresh food. They're educating the public about eco-friendly and environmentally-sustainable food production. Chocolate-maker Ann-Marie Macarthur (Lumberton, NJ) discusses the benefits of raw chocolate, and what it means to be “organic.” Megan Dewalt (Fulper Family Farmstead) describes environmentally sustainable farming practices, and beekeeper Beatrice Tassot (Milford, NJ) explains the link between pestic...
Students, Researchers Urge Green Cleaning for Healthier Homes
January 14, 2015 00:57 - 2 minutes - 3.46 MB(Published on Sep 24, 2014) NJ environmental researchers and students know the dangers of toxins in conventional household cleaners, and the benefits of using natural cleaners such as baking soda and vinegar. "Lemon juice, soap and water, elbow grease, can solve most of your problems,” says Neil Chambers, green building designer and member of the South Orange Environmental Commission. "You don't want neurotoxins around growing children,” warns Princeton resident Tineke Thio. Rider University...
10,000 Water Bottles Transform NJ Village Green: Willie Cole Sculpture in Summit Through May 2015
January 14, 2015 00:25 - 2 minutes - 3.59 MB(Published on Oct 7, 2014) The Village Green in Summit, NJ is home to "10,000 Reasons," a 14-foot-high sculpture created by internationally renowned contemporary artist Willie Cole. The sculpture took two days to install, and is made up of thousands of used water bottles. "I often use recycled objects. Water and life are so related to recycling," explains Willie Cole, a NJ resident whose works are in museums around the world. "I think it brings a whole lot of discussion to the community," sa...
More than Singing: Girls Choirs Build Community, Character
January 14, 2015 00:22 - 5 minutes - 6.87 MB(Published on Oct 22, 2014) The Princeton Girlchoir's annual Children Making a Difference concert teaches young girls about service and community while raising funds for a local nonprofit. The Princeton choir is joined by the newly- formed Philadelphia Girls Choir. "Singing has the mission of creating great citizens," says Philadelphia Girls Choir director Nathan Wadley. Melissa Malvar-Keylock, Associate Director of the Princeton Girlchoir, explains, “Learning perseverance, learning discipli...
Restaurants Build Community in Newark's Halsey District
January 14, 2015 00:21 - 2 minutes - 4.02 MB(Published on Nov 11, 2014) Restaurant owners on Halsey Street in Newark are witnessing change and development in the downtown cultural district. Surrounded by three colleges and universities (Rutgers-Newark, NJIT, and Essex County College), and within walking distance of the Newark Museum, NJPAC, and the newly-restored 6-acre Military Park, the Halsey Street district is attracting students and business professionals. “I’ve never seen development happen as quickly as it’s happening now,” say...
Industrial-Sized Art Factory Signals Creative Renewal in Paterson
January 14, 2015 00:18 - 3 minutes - 4.18 MB(Published on Dec 22, 2014) Industrial arts, gallery exhibitions, photo shoots, special events. These are typical activities at Paterson's Art Factory. Once a busy manufacturing site for textiles and ship rigging, this 400,000 square foot complex houses studios and work spaces for a growing number of artists and builders. Architectural designer and artist Matt Gosser curates an exhibit entitled "The Big Show," featuring art works of "found" and recycled materials.