Project 360

I'm excited that our first post concerns Project 360, a relatively new project adopted by the Drexel PLG.

Background Information

Volunteering at Books Through Bars one night, Prather and I met Molly Russakoff, a single mother of two, who had run Molly's Bookstore in South Philadelphia for 8 years. But, due to the shifting nature of the retail book industry, she was being forced to close her store and to contemplate a new future for the space where she and her family worked and lived.

Her idea was to establish an alternative learning center for disaffected Philadelphia teens frustrated with the less-than-optimal learning/social milieu of Philadelphia public schools. In a city where barely 50% of students graduate from high school and where violence in the school system seems endemic, children and teenagers require and deserve a more nurturing, creative, and self-empowering environment to foster their skills, ideas and dreams. Project 360 carries on the tradition of homeschooling, unschooling -- a term attributed to John Holt and practiced most famously by Grace Llewellyn through her Not Back to School Camp -- and self-directed learning centers such as North Star.

But more than just an alternative learning center, Project 360 will also be home to a new infoshop and community space that will consist of radical publications, a 'zine library, and a host of events ranging from vegan potluck dinners to movie screenings to workshops and social gatherings.

The Role of the PLG

As future (radical) librarians, archivists and information professionals, the members of the PLG support the critical analyzation of existing hierarchical institutions that stifle the innate creativity, cooperation, and liberty that every individual strives to express unfettered by coercive authority figures and ineffectual standardization tests. Thus far our members have been involved in everything from painting walls and taking apart bookshelves to compiling resources for a resource guide that will be used to help parents and teens make informed decisions regarding their self-directed learning. We will also be working alongside Molly and other participants in the acquisition of resources and in helping to establish information hubs within the center. We will be posting periodic updates on Project 360 and community events at the space.

Items still needed: a projection screen, furniture (couches, chairs, etc.) that is in good condition, a mini-refrigerator, microwave, etc. Please contact us if you have any of these items to donate

Film to watch: Jean Vigo's Zero de Conduite (this film will be screened at Project 360 in the very near future)