Dear Reader,
We are very pleased to bring you our Mini 16th Edition of the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal (PSIJ). All the articles in this edition were nominated by you, the readers of the Journal.
As our calendar year is coming to an end, the Journal is rounding out its 4th anniversary. During this time of year we tend to take stock of the past and look to the future. Because of your support the Journal has produced 16 editions, developed a distribution list of tens of thousands individuals, had several million hits to the website and thousands of individuals have attended our events. In addition to the editions of the Journal, we have amassed an advisory committee of supporters and created a Social Innovation Lab in partnership with the Fels Institute of Government.
The release of this Mini Edition is a special one as it represents the core of what the Journal is about. The edition itself is solely comprised of nominations from our audience and all have been written by members of our Nominate and Innovator Team. It is being launched at what has become an annual holiday party for our audience, which is following another round of unveilings of visionary initiatives from this semester’s Social Innovation Lab. Growing and appreciating our audience and supporters; relying on the community to determine ‘innovation’; providing a space where innovations not covered in the mainstream media can be highlighted; developing the next generation of leaders; building the capacity of innovative initiatives and bringing the social innovation sector together = Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal.
The Journal is committed to adhering to and advancing these principals as it looks to 2014 and beyond.
Through this special edition, we thank our audience, students of the Social Innovations Lab, the Nominate an Innovator Team, and the many other committed volunteers who make the Journal run.
As always, we thank our sponsors, whose support is essential to what we do. We also want to recognize and thank our advisory board members, representing the Barra Foundation, Bank of America, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, Independence Foundation, Independence Blue Cross Foundation, Inglis Foundation, Knight Foundation, The Patricia Kind Family Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, Public Health Foundation, Public Health Management Corporation, Sage Communications Scattergood Foundation, St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, the University of Pennsylvania, Wells Fargo and the William Penn Foundation.
We hope you will enjoy this edition and wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.
See you in 2014 for more engaging editions and thought provoking events.
Very truly yours,
Nicholas Torres, Publisher
Tine Hansen-Turton, Publisher
Keri Salerno, Chair, Nominate an Innovator Team