The Kensington Engagement Center buzzed with activity Tuesday night as neighbors and community organizers gathered to launch a free workshop series aimed at expanding and improving green space in the neighborhood.
The kickoff event, hosted by the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), introduced Co-Creating a Greenprint for Kensington, a series of community events running through April. Organizers said the series is designed to collect resident input and build practical greening skills
The workshops will give community members space to discuss their vision for green spaces, along with related issues like health, gentrification, and neighborhood improvement. Participants will also take part in horticulture-related activities.
“Our goal is to be in this constant relationship with the community, where we're in a conversation about what we want, what we need, what we want to create together, and that we're constantly implementing along the way,” said NKCDC Executive Director Dr. Bill McKinney.
While the main goal is to maintain a relationship with the community, NKCDC also aims to help the community understand what the city is doing to address their needs.
“What we know is that often in communities that are neglected for a really long time or disconnected from development that look[s] nice or green, and trees, they often don’t understand it or don’t know what to do with it, or how to ask for it,” said Jacquelyn Saez, director of food systems for NKCDC. “So we want to take this time to invite folks to come and learn about plans that exist … And also, what does it take to just grow some herbs on your counter, if that’s the way you want to contribute.”
The kickoff brought together local partners to engage residents in conversations and hands-on-activities. Mural Arts Philadelphia partnered with NKCDC to create a collective active art project, inviting attendees to color green-themed designs reflecting sustainable ideas. The activity drew younger participants and offered an accessible and creative way to engage with the event’s discussion topics.
NKCDC also created a neighborhood map and encouraged attendees to add pins and sticky notes with observations about local green spaces. Temple University students from the Office of Sustainability assisted with the interactive display as part of their ongoing partnership with NKCDC’s weekly workshops.
“The first step is really getting community feedback so we can know what needs improvement and what's already existing,” said Temple student Maddie Bower. “So, I'm excited to see the map turn into real life.”
Representatives from other organizations also attended, including Mignon Verdell, community engagement manager at The Food Trust. The Philadelphia-based nonprofit works to improve access to affordable, nutritious food by partnering with communities, corner stores, farmers markets and public institutions across the city.
“We're actually really hoping that some of the programing that's happening as a part of this series can maybe even come to Fairhill Square Park, and would be a wonderful companion piece to the farm stand that we have every year,” Verdell said.
Verdell added that the event was an opportunity to meet residents and learn more about work underway in Kensington.
There was also a demo kitchen to teach neighbors how to care for food they grow, including preserving and storing summer harvests like beans.
“When you think about growing food, it’s like a lot of fun, and you're watering and you're doing stuff in the summer. But then what?” said Morgan Rust, nutrition and food access program manager for NKCDC. “You can preserve them, you can pickle, you can do all these things. And so I'm trying to really demonstrate a lot of those things.”
Food at the kickoff was free and focused on nutritious options.
“I’m looking forward to getting more folks excited about just plants in general, like growing them, understanding them, understanding why we need it,” Saez said.
Residents interested in getting involved with the Kensington Engagement Center or participating in the Co-Creating a Greenprint for Kensington series can attend the weekly events. Community members can follow @nkcdc on Instagram, Facebook and the NKCDC website for updates and upcoming event dates.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct date of the event.
