Public Hearing

Public Hearing is back with another mini-series! In this three-part series we will be discussing the Worcester city government and the importance of community involvement in local politics with Doug Arbetter, who has run for school committee and city council, and Danaah McCallum, formally on the board of election commissioners. In this first episode we dive into the topic of the structure of Worcester's City Government and explain the role of the City Council, City Manager, and School Committee. In the following episodes we will go into further detail about the recent change involving how the school committee is elected, the difference between districts and wards, as well as, how you can get involved in Worcester’s local government and why it is important. 

One of the first ways that you can get involved in your local politics is by registering to vote! You can register to be a Worcester voter here. Not sure if you are registered yet? You can check your registration status here.  

Public Hearing is a podcast from Action! by Design about our home city of Worcester, Massachusetts and the people we should be listening to—residents, artists, activists, community leaders, storytellers, and those most impacted by issues facing our city. Our mission is to cultivate community through equity, inclusion, and design, and that work starts at home.

Want to be the first to listen to new episodes? Tune in Wednesdays at 6pm on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester's only NPR affiliate station. Not in the Worcester areas? No worries, you can listen live at WICN.org

We are back with our first new episode of 2022 with our guest and Worcester-based journalist, Bill Shaner who runs the popular newsletter, Worcester Sucks and I Love It. In this episode, Josh and Bill give a run-down of 2021 in Worcester and talk about important local events and news such as Polar Park, the city council election, and the restructuring of the school committee. They also talk about the importance of supporting local journalism and media and how many local publications do not receive adequate funding. 

You can follow Bill and his work with the Worcester Sucks and I Love It Newsletter by checking out their website or checking out his Facebook page!  

Public Hearing is a podcast from Action! by Design. We help communities address social challenges through facilitation and equity-centered design. Want to learn more? Let’s chat. Reach out to our team at [email protected] 

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In our final episode of our Early Education & Care mini-series, Josh speaks with Vanessa Martinez who is the Assistant Director and Subsidy Administrator of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts Early Education & Care Program. She is also a mentor at Project Flourish which helps early childcare workers receive their Child Development Associates Accreditation (CDA’s) while continuing to work in the field. In the episode, Josh and Vanessa discuss the importance of educators building strong relationships with families and the current crisis surrounding the shortage of early educators due to the lack of funding and resources, as well as how this is affecting families and children in our community. 

You can follow Vanessa and her work by checking out the YWCA website and Facebook page. Do you know someone working in the early education & care space who might benefit from receiving their CDA? Learn more here.      

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. 

Public Hearing is a podcast from Action! by Design. Action! by Design’s vision is a world where all people are valued and have access to opportunities that enable them to live healthy and fulfilled lives on a sustainable planet. We’re a social innovation and change agency that uses facilitation and design to address complex problems facing communities. In his book Designs for the Pluriverse, Arturo Escobar, an author and anthropologist, defines design as a “space for linking theory, practice, and purpose, connecting vision and reality.” This is how we approach our work; we use design thinking and an equity-centered framework as a mindset to inform how we approach and address problems. We use facilitation to ensure we’re centering the voices of those most impacted by the challenges we’re addressing. Want to learn more? Let’s chat. Reach out to our team at [email protected] 

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In our third episode of our Early Childhood Education & Care mini-series, Josh speaks to Eve Gilmore of Edward Street about challenges surrounding racial and gender equity within the early childhood education and care space along with some of the history behind these issues. Eve also talks about the importance of children receiving high-quality care for their development and well-being, and that our society cannot accept anything less than high-quality for every child. Advocating for educators, children, and families is crucial for the future of our community and society.

You can follow Eve and her work by checking out Edward Street’s website and their Facebook page. To learn more about the legislation they are working on that will require universal early education and care at an affordable level to all families in Massachusetts, visit commonstartma.org. 

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. 

Public Hearing is a podcast from Action! by Design. Action! by Design’s vision is a world where all people are valued and have access to opportunities that enable them to live healthy and fulfilled lives on a sustainable planet. We’re a social innovation and change agency that uses facilitation and design to address complex problems facing communities. In his book Designs for the Pluriverse, Arturo Escobar, an author and anthropologist, defines design as a “space for linking theory, practice, and purpose, connecting vision and reality.” This is how we approach our work; we use design thinking and an equity-centered framework as a mindset to inform how we approach and address problems. We use facilitation to ensure we’re centering the voices of those most impacted by the challenges we’re addressing. Want to learn more? Let’s chat. Reach out to our team at [email protected] 

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We are back with our second episode of Public Hearing’s mini-season on Early Childhood Education & Care. This week, our guest is Amy O’Leary, the Executive Director at Strategies for Children, an advocacy and policy organization that works to ensure that Massachusetts invests the resources needed for all children, from birth to age five, to access high-quality early education programs. In this episode, Josh and Amy take a further look into the lives and experiences of parents/guardians and children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as well as discuss the importance of continuing to advocate for resources and funding for early education and care workers. 

To follow Amy and the work of Strategies for Children, check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram!

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. 

Public Hearing is a podcast from Action! by Design. Action! by Design’s vision is a world where all people are valued and have access to opportunities that enable them to live healthy and fulfilled lives on a sustainable planet. We’re a social innovation and change agency that uses facilitation and design to address complex problems facing communities. In his book Designs for the Pluriverse,  Arturo Escobar, an author and anthropologist, defines design as a “space for linking theory, practice, and purpose, connecting vision and reality.” This is how we approach our work; we use design thinking and an equity-centered framework as a mindset to inform how we approach and address problems. We use facilitation to ensure we’re centering the voices of those most impacted by the challenges we’re addressing. Want to learn more? Let’s chat. Reach out to our team at [email protected] 

Share our show with a friend!

Public Hearing, our podcast and radio show about creating equitable, just, and joy-filled communities is back! We’re going to be taking a closer look into issues facing our communities with the production of mini-seasons that work alongside people doing the work. Our first topic: Early Childhood Education & Care with Kim Davenport of Edward Street. In this episode, Kim and Josh discuss the importance of the early childhood development period and some of the challenges and opportunities that are being addressed by advocates for quality early childhood education and care both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To follow Kim and the work of Edward Street, check out their website and follow them on Facebook! 

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. 

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Happy Nonbinary People’s Day folx (7.19.21)! This week, Josh dives into conversation with Thu Nguyen about nonbinary identity, running for local office, and the power of community.

Thu Nguyen is a proud Vietnamese refugee, an artist, a youth worker, and the first non-binary candidate for Worcester City Council At-Large. Over the last decade, Thu has dedicated their career to serving our young people, from facilitating after school programming at the Worcester Youth Center to hiring young people for Recreation Worcester to work at our local parks and schools across the city. Thu currently works at the Southeast Asian Coalition working with and supporting small businesses, promoting civic engagement, and strengthening communities. Most recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Thu helped build Mutual Aid Worcester, which has raised nearly $75,000 to support families in Worcester and tackled food insecurity by starting an immigrant and refugee pantry and hot meals program. 

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year round, our guests for the month of March are all women who live, influence, and/or impact the City of Worcester, MA. Learn more about our show at PublicHearing.co

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What do pancakes have in common with pushing for food equity? Doughboyz and Justin Amevor, that’s what! This week, Josh talks with Justin about an idea inspired by a dorm room joke that set him on a path to support folx in Worcester achieve food security. 

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year round, our guests for the month of March are all women who live, influence, and/or impact the City of Worcester, MA. Learn more about our show at PublicHearing.co

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Happy Pride! This month, we’re centering queer voices in our community and the challenges, joys, opportunities, and hopes we face in our cities and our world. This week, Josh dives into Worcester LGBTQ+ history with Bill Wallace, the Executive Director of the Worcester Historical Museum. From gay bars to Worcester’s first Pride Parade, Josh & Bill explore the importance of sharing stories from our past to inform our future.

Listen to Public Hearing wherever you get your podcasts and on WICN 90.5FM, Worcester’s NPR affiliate station. And, while we celebrate women all year round, our guests for the month of March are all women who live, influence, and/or impact the City of Worcester, MA. Learn more about our show at PublicHearing.co

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