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SP2 Press

what’s happening at sp2

Annenberg Conversations
Episode 2: Lessons in Joy and Care

Desmond Patton of SP2 and the Annenberg School for Communication appears in conversation with Annenberg’s Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser and Dr. Julia Ticona for a discussion about building communities of compassion and trust, creating a joy plan, and more.

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WGCU
Schools plan new policies to control student use of cellphones

Why are schools enacting cell phone bans, and is the approach likely to work? SP2’s Desmond Patton weighs in on how to help young people develop healthy digital habits.

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Combining AI and artmaking for youth well-being Penn Today
Combining AI and artmaking for youth well-being

A “Digital Healing” project is building an AI-supported platform to facilitate art making for reflection and community building. SP2’s Siva Mathiyazhagan is principal investigator on the interdisciplinary project team awarded a Penn4C community-led partnership grant.

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WRGB Albany
Expert discusses science behind school cell phone bans

As measures take shape in New York and elsewhere to ban cell phones in schools, SP2’s Desmond Patton speaks about the importance of educating young people on healthy digital use through curriculum content about digital literacy, online safety, and emotional regulation in digital contexts. Watch at 0:52.

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The Philadelphia Citizen
Cash or Chaos: Solving the Income Inequality Crisis

A video clip highlights SP2 Amy Castro speaking onstage at the 7th Annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival® in the Comcast Technology Center in November. Co-founding director of SP2’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research, Castro discusses the impact of guaranteed income on people’s financial capability and her hope that guaranteed income could be paired with other interventions.

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Philanthropy Advising Is a ‘Wild West’ — and Increasingly Influential

Weighing in on the growing field of philanthropic advising, Katherina (Kat) Rosqueta of SP2’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy says there is a need for benchmarks of quality and cost to standardize the services that are offered.

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Business Insider
2 cities tried basic income for formerly incarcerated people. Participants felt more food secure but struggled to pay for housing.

SP2’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research recently published findings from pilot programs in Gainesville, Florida, and Durham, North Carolina, that provided unconditional cash payments to formerly incarcerated people for one year. Business Insider discusses the impact on recipients.

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WHYY
Many Gen Zers deal with higher rates of mental health challenges and firearm suicides, according to a new report

A new report shows an increase in gun suicides among young people. SP2’s Desmond Patton, who contributed to the research, says young people’s willingness to discuss mental health online is important, but misinformation could stand in the way of the resources and support they need.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer
Fly, 🦅 Fly: The Eagles’ recent run of success has coincided with the release of the eagle emoji

The Inquirer takes a look at the Eagles emoji as the team approaches its third Super Bowl in nine seasons. SP2’s Desmond Patton explains that his research shows emoji help to shape online culture and communities and provide a way to express complex emotions.

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Los Angeles Times
Immigration made homeless numbers worse than they actually were in 2024

A flawed national count of U.S. homelessness is being misinterpreted, SP2’s Dennis Culhane explains, because tens of thousands of new immigrants were counted but likely found housing quickly. By applying Culhane’s methods, the LA Times determined that the national increase in 2024 was probably around 7%, rather than the reported 18.2%.

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