Theme: It Makes All The Difference

Let’s dig a little deeper into our theme, “It Makes All The Difference.” What does this mean? As our team talked through the concept, a central idea took shape. Examples came to the surface, their impetus is captured below. Changes happen faster and faster in recent times. Even the smallest of shifts can change lives.

--> It is small shifts that lead to large and significant changes.

--> It builds creative, prosperous and vibrant communities.

--> It positively enables a thriving democracy and the freedoms of education, safety and economic community investment.

--> It unites people across cities and cultures

--> It is dreaming big, shining bright, and creating your best life no matter what age or stage in life.

Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center
226 North Walnut Street
West Chester, Pennsylvania, 19380
United States

Denise Polk, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at West Chester University with a Ph.D. from Kent State University.

Denise Polk has a long-standing belief in sustainable living. She has earned funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for West Chester University to collaborate with the Borough of West Chester to conduct two food scraps pilot programs. To date, the programs have diverted over 400 tons of food scraps from going into the landfill, instead, turning it into compost, a valuable soil amendment. She is a member of the West Chester Borough Council, representing Ward 7 and serves on West Chester University’s Sustainability Advisory Council.

John Noakes, Ph.D.

Associate professor of Sociology at Arcadia University and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice.

John Noakes’ scholarly work focuses on the relationship between the state and political dissent. This includes research on the origins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), FBI surveillance of Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, and, most recently, on changes in how police respond to political protests. John is an associate professor of Sociology at Arcadia University and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. He earned his B.A. in Sociology from Bard College and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Juliana Mosley, Ph.D.

College Officer for Diversity & Inclusion, Chestnut Hill College and Consultant for Diversity, Leadership Transition, Strategic Planning & Student Development

Juliana Mosley, affectionately called Dr. J. by her students, has served the field of education for 20 years, with the last 18 being dedicated to higher education. Juliana seeks to educate and train people to engage in difficult dialog through cultural humility to make the unconscious conscious. She has presented at regional and national conferences, and institutions, providing training and development workshops in leadership transition, strategic planning, student development, and diversity (race, gender/sexual orientation, and religion).

Norman Horn

Director of Development at the Chester County Food Bank.

Norman Horn is the founder of Coast 2 Coast FTK, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing awareness to pediatric cancer. He is currently in the process of penning the rich and fruitful experiences and lessons from his journey across the US to continue his fundraising efforts for Coast 2 Coast FTK. Norman is the Director of Development at the Chester County Food Bank. He is also involved in fundraising for a number of programs to change hunger and malnutrition in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Sophia Swartz

Sophia Swartz is a MIT THINK Scholar and a participant in the Pennsylvania BioGENEius Competition and a senior at Central Bucks High School South

Sophia Swartz is passionate about creating a direct interface between teens, science, and political activism through her work with the national March for Science as a speaker, teen organizer, and science blogger. Sophia Swartz is an Intel ISEF finalist and a participant in the Pennsylvania BioGENEius Competition and a senior at Central Bucks High School South.