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PODCAST

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

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All Episodes

22:30

Exploring LancasterHistory with CEO Robin Sarratt

The Spark ·

2025/05/06

LancasterHistory is a nonprofit museum preserving the county’s heritage since 1886. We dove into Lancaster’s rich past with Robin Surratt, President and CEO of LancasterHistory.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

25:07

Woodward PA Camp: Where Action Sports and Community...

The Spark ·

2025/05/06

For the past three years, Woodward PA’s 90-mile-from-Harrisburg action-sports summer camp has been forging a unique blend of elite coaching and genuine camaraderie. Camp Program Director Eric Brown and Olympic gold-medalist Charlotte Worthington joined The Spark to explain what makes Woodward’s “wheeled sports” experience unlike any other—and why campers keep coming back for more.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

24:45

What the White House’s Funding Cut Means for WITF and...

The Spark ·

2025/05/05

Last Thursday, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to halt federal funding for NPR and PBS. For WITF and hundreds of other public media stations nationwide, that order—and a pending congressional budget vote—could have serious implications. WITF’s Chief Impact Officer Cassie Farrelly and Vice President of Media and Production Fred Vigeant joined The Spark to break down what this all means for local journalism.Support

en-US

41:10

The Spark Weekly 5.4.2025: Braver Angels Faith and...

The Spark ·

2025/05/04

With Pennsylvania’s primary election just weeks away, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt joined WITF’s The Spark to walk voters through the critical deadlines and options for casting their ballots. “The primary in Pennsylvania is May 20th,” Secretary Schmidt reminded listeners, noting that “the last day to register to vote is May 5th” and “the last day to apply to vote by mail … is May 13th.” For people of faith, civil discourse often

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22:22

Journalist Roundtable - Dueling Downtowns: How...

The Spark ·

2025/05/03

John Lucieu and Sue Gleiter of PennLive joined our journalist roundtable to dissect their compelling feature on “Dueling Downtowns: How Lancaster Thrives as Harrisburg Struggles to Reinvent Itself.” Drawing on extensive reporting, John and Sue explored why Lancaster’s revitalized riverfront development, bustling arts scene, and strategic public–private partnerships have sparked a renaissance, while Harrisburg wrestled with vacant office towers, a sluggish retail core, and the

en-US

21:59

Braver Angels and Faith Communities

The Spark ·

2025/05/02

On May 2, Braver Angels’ own Red Co-Chair of Braver Faith, Lenny Greenberg, and Reverend Chad Butz joined The Spark to explore how faith communities can heal our fractured political landscape. Lenny, a retired high-tech executive, explained that “we must learn to talk to each other about our disagreements in a civil way again,” while Pastor Chad reflected on the shared mission of church and Braver Angels: “Relationship is at the heart of what it means to be Christian…

en-US

22:25

How Role-Playing Games Are Becoming Powerful...

The Spark ·

2025/05/02

When the juvenile treatment facility where Jack Berkenstock Jr., MHS Executive Director of the Bodhana Group —and several colleagues—worked closed its doors, he and his friends faced an unexpected question: “What’s next?” As Jack recalls, “we decided to start a nonprofit to help other organizations know about unique and innovative treatment opportunities.” Their answer was unconventional—and inspired by an activity Jack knew well from childhood:

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21:33

Pennsylvania’s May 20th Primary: Key Dates and What...

The Spark ·

2025/05/01

With Pennsylvania’s primary election just weeks away, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt joined WITF’s The Spark to walk voters through the critical deadlines and options for casting their ballots. “The primary in Pennsylvania is May 20th,” Secretary Schmidt reminded listeners, noting that “the last day to register to vote is May 5th” and “the last day to apply to vote by mail … is May 13th.”Support WITF:

en-US

22:24

Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum Marks 100 Years

The Spark ·

2025/05/01

This year, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum celebrates its centennial, honoring a vision born nearly a century ago when brothers Henry and George Landis “started collecting as boys” to “protect and collect all Pennsylvania German history that [they] were seeing disappear from the area,” explains longtime curator Jennifer Royer. Their early passion has blossomed into a sprawling living-history campus of more than 30 historic buildings, over 200,000 artifacts, and

en-US

20:49

Containment numbers rise as crews make progress on...

The Spark ·

2025/04/30

This interview was recorded on Monday, April 28. Two wildfires that tore through the Michaux State Forest last week are now largely under control, even as foresters warn that dry conditions could fan new blazes.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

22:06

The History of the Pa Governor's mansion and resilience

The Spark ·

2025/04/30

Since it opened in 1968, the Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion has stood as a deliberate statement of state pride—and a beacon of resilience. “It was the first one that was actually built to be a governor’s residence,” explains David Morrison of the Historic Harrisburg Association. Prior to its construction, gubernatorial families lived in purchased townhouses on Harrisburg’s Front Street, retrofitted to serve their needs. When the Commonwealth decided it needed a

en-US

23:23

Lancaster Native Maya de Vitry Comes Home for...

The Spark ·

2025/04/29

Nashville‐based singer‐songwriter Maya de Vitry returns to her hometown this week for two special homecoming events at Zoetropolis. On Tuesday, April 29, she’ll lead an interactive workshop titled “Find Your Voice, Unblock Your Creativity, and Gain the Courage to Share Your Songs,” designed to help participants mine their personal stories and sharpen their craft. Then, on Wednesday, April 30, Maya will perform with her trio—Joel Timmons on guitar and Rhees Williams on

en-US

22:39

Understanding Stress: When It Helps—and When It Hurts

The Spark ·

2025/04/29

“Stress is really the body’s response to some type of a challenge,” explains Dr. Patrick DeLone, a clinical psychologist, “whether it’s a physical challenge, an emotional challenge, or a combination of both.” At its core, stress triggers the familiar “fight or flight” cascade: cortisol and adrenaline spikes that sharpen focus, speed up your heart, and prime your muscles. “In fifth grade you learned about fight and flight…your metabolism

en-US

22:36

Match Madness Surpasses $5 Million to Fuel Local...

The Spark ·

2025/04/28

Since 2016, the Partnership for Better Health’s Match Madness campaign has raised over $5 million to bolster small and mid-sized nonprofits across the region. “We saw that our local nonprofits didn’t necessarily have the staff to do the fundraising they needed,” explains Carol Thornton, the Partnership’s Executive Director. “We spotted an opportunity to leverage our capacity…to bring in flexible funding into their organizations to meet their needs.”

en-US

42:30

The Spark Weekly 4.27.2025: The Death of Pope Francis...

The Spark ·

2025/04/27

On this week's edition of The Spark Weekly. The Most Reverend Timothy Senior, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, joins us from Rome to reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis, who died the day after Easter. Religious and political leaders, along with the Catholic faithful, are gathering in Rome for the Pope’s funeral, which took place on Saturday. Also on the program... Johannes Kelpius was a German Pietist, mystic, musician, and writer. He was also interested in the

en-US

22:23

Journalist Roundtable: Life & Legacy of Pope...

The Spark ·

2025/04/26

Our Journalist Roundtable for April 25 included Ivy DeJesus from PennLive and David Payne, The Spark producer and former Radio Pennsylvania Reporter. In this episode, DeJesus reported the life and legacy of Pope Francis including his reaction to the clergy sex abuse scandal in PA. Payne discussed his report at the 2015 World Meeting of Families and offers firsthand perspective on Francis’s impact in Philadelphia and beyond.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See

en-US

22:25

Bishop Senior Reflects on Pope Francis’s Life,...

The Spark ·

2025/04/25

Last week, The Most Reverend Timothy Senior, Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, found himself originally traveling to Rome as part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year 2025, Bishop Senior joined forty faithful from his diocese to “walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare” before making arrangements to attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday. As Bishop Senior explains, the Jubilee theme is “hope”—a reminder that “we are pilgrims

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10:33

ABC 27 Meteorologist Dan Tomaso Spring Wx report

The Spark ·

2025/04/25

Over the past two weeks, Central Pennsylvania has traded April showers for an almost unbelievable stretch of spring sunshine. As ABC27 Meteorologist Dan Tomaso put it, “It’s kind of phenomenal that this time of year…we’ve had lots of sunshine, very little active weather,” making it “the perfect recipe” for spring sports and outdoor plans. After a damp start to April and a few chilly weekends, the region has seen more days in the 70s—and even flirted

en-US

13:33

Inside Quit Clicking Kids, Child Abuse prevention month

The Spark ·

2025/04/25

In an era when family vloggers and “kidfluencers” can earn upwards of six figures, the rights—and privacy—of the children at the center of that content often go unprotected. Quit Clicking Kids, a grassroots initiative founded by Chris McCarty, is on a mission to change that by pushing for legislation that treats these minors as the revenue-generating contributors they are.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

22:16

National Work Zone Awareness Week Drives Home Safety

The Spark ·

2025/04/24

Nearly 27 years ago, the Virginia Department of Transportation launched a pilot effort to curb the rising number of highway work-zone accidents. “They put together an awareness campaign and then after a year said, ‘You know, we need to take this national,’ ” recalls Stacey Taschner, President and CEO of the American Traffic Safety Services Association, which now spearheads National Work Zone Awareness Week in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and

en-US

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