Hi John,
Welcome to the latest New PA Project Education Fund (NPPEF) newsletter! Saturday, May 24th marks the FOUR YEAR anniversary of the New PA Project Education Fund (NPPEF)! We are so proud of all we have accomplished together during this time and are only just getting started.
We are a non-partisan organization led by community leaders across the Commonwealth, dedicated to centering underrepresented and underserved communities to embrace their power.
NPPEF ensures full participation in the democratic process through civic education and year-round engagement by centering Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrant communities, and the youth — with intention – as they are the least represented and most impacted by decisions our government is making.
Over the four years: - Thousands of community conversations, voting registration drives, and other community engagement events.
- Tens of thousands of doors knocked and Pennsylvanians registered to vote.
- Hundreds of thousands of conversations in community.
- Expanded capacity into five focused regions covering a total of 20 counties.
- Launched the Why Courts Matter - Pennsylvania campaign - an advocacy project seeking to protect the independence of our state and federal courts and educate the electorate about their importance.
- Developed partnerships with like-minded community organizations, groups, universities, places of worship, schools, local businesses, government agencies, and more across the Commonwealth.
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Participated in several multicultural events and holidays, including MLK Day of Action, Black History Month, Juneteenth, Pride, and National Voter Registration Day.
- Conducted voter registration weekend campus blitzes at Penn State University, Temple University, and the University of Pittsburgh and consistent voter engagement at college campuses and universities across the Commonwealth.
We believe in consistent year-round civic engagement to ensure that voters have everything they need to make their voices heard in every single election – and our work has never been more important |
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| The Primary is Over, Now What? |
The Primary election isn’t the end — it’s just the beginning. Join us for a community listening session on what happens after the primary: - How are you feeling post-primary?
- What’s on the November general election ballot?
- What do primary election results mean for our neighborhoods?
- How do we stay engaged through November?
How do we get more people from our families and communities engaged in voting and accountability of elected officials?
Whether you voted or not, this space is for you. Come build your voter plan so we can build political power in our communities.
Free food and activities for the kids!
Open to all — all are welcome!
When:
Saturday, May 31st, 2025
4-5 PM
Where:
Win-Char Community Center
1550 Clarkton Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15204
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| Post Primary Community & Candidate Cookout |
Join us for a post-primary community and candidate cookout!
Come kick off the summer with good food and real talk! Enjoy free food, music, and community connections. Let’s bring the block together, stay connected, and enjoy the beloved community together. Everyone is welcome and bring the kids | Free food while it lasts!
When:
Saturday, May 31st, 2025
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Where:
Win-Char Community Center
1550 Clarkton Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15204
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from @nppef
We're continuing #AAPIHeritage month and #MarvelousWomanMonday by remembering Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014) - civil rights activist and shining example of Black and Asian solidarity, and revolutionary love.
In 1943, under President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, Kochiyama and her family were sent to a concentration camp in Arkansas for two years. This experience made Kochiyama highly aware of governmental abuses of power, and would forever bond her with marginalized communities, and those engaged in political struggle.
Yuri Kochiyama and activist Malcolm X met in the 1960s, which would begin their infamous friendship and deep bond rooted in justice and revolutionary change.
Though from different backgrounds, they found unity in fighting racism, imperialism, and oppression.
Yuri was by Malcolm’s side until the end—she was there the day he was assassinated.
Their friendship symbolized powerful cross-racial solidarity and the belief that true liberation demands unity across communities.
In 2005, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace prize for her work in human rights, anti-war efforts, and racial justice including:
-Reparations for Japanese Americans who were interned.
-Puerto Rican independence.
-The rights of political prisoners like Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier.
-Anti-Vietnam War protests and international decolonization efforts.
"Keep expanding your horizon, decolonize your mind, and cross borders.”
- Yuri Kochiyama
#AAPIHistory #YuriKochiyama #BlackAndAsianSolidarity #WomensHistory
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The US Supreme Court blocked the creation of a religious public school.
The Supreme Court deadlocked in a 4-4 vote (Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself) over the constitutionality of what would have been nation’s first public religious charter school, blocking the creation of a Catholic institution that would have reshaped American education and blurred the line between church and state.
The deadlock did not amount to a legal decision on the issue. Therefore, the Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ruling that such a school violates the Constitution remains in place. This outcome is a departure from how the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on issues like this in the recent past. This Supreme Court has typically given religion a larger role in public life.
Under previous court rulings, taxpayer money may be used for vouchers to pay tuition at religious schools. But public schools — including charter schools — may not include religious teachings, because they are established and completely funded by the government.
In other court news: Department of Education:
A federal judge blocked Education Department layoffs, stalling Trump’s order to close the agency. The judge ordered the reinstatement of nearly 1,400 fired federal workers at the Education Department.
“A department without enough employees to perform statutorily mandated functions is not a department at all,” Joun wrote in his order. “This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the Department’s employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the Department becomes a shell of itself.” Student Rights:
A California federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from terminating the immigration status of foreign students, granting nationwide relief to thousands of students caught in the crosshairs of the administration’s crackdown on alleged antisemitism on college campuses.
While many courts have granted relief to individuals suing the administration, the judge’s order effectively bars the federal government from arresting, incarcerating or transferring students in these cases and all other individuals nationwide while similar cases are still pending. The administration revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll international students.
What that means: Existing foreign students must transfer or risk losing their legal status, a further acceleration of Trump’s feud with the university over alleged antisemitism.
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Let's provide civic education together!
We're looking for people passionate about voting rights in Philadelphia, Allegheny, Erie, Lawrence, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware County to help us shape the future of Pennsylvania.
Join our team and help us provide civic education in our communities and register folks to vote!
Positions start at $20 an hour.
Interested? Contact [email protected]
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The 2025 Pennsylvania municipal primary is over and as the unofficial tallies begin the process of certification. One hour after polls closed Tuesday, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that “it’s been a relatively calm and successful primary election day,” in the Keystone State.
“As always, I’d like to thank the hundreds of county election officials and the approximately 45,000 poll workers who made democracy possible today,” Schmidt said. “Because of them, Pennsylvanians were able to cast their vote at more than 9,000 precincts across 67 counties.” Pennsylvania Superior Court
Maria Battista defeated Ann Marie Wheatcraft to win the Republican nomination for the open Pennsylvania Superior Court seat. Battista previously served as assistant general counsel for the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and State. She will face Democrat Brandon Neuman in November. He currently serves as a judge on Washington County’s Court of Common Pleas.
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Erie-based attorney Matthew Wolford defeated Joshua Prince of Berks County, 62-38%, to win the Republican nomination for the open seat on Commonwealth Court. Democrat Stella Tsai will be Wolford’s opponent in November. She has served on Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas since 2016.
Mayoral Primaries Pittsburgh
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor defeated incumbent Ed Gainey for the Democratic nomination.
You can find the primary election highlights here.
Pennsylvania House advances sweeping early and mail voting reform bill. The Pennsylvania House passed H.B. 1396, a comprehensive election reform bill. The bill would establish a uniform Election-Day-style statewide early voting period. It also would end the rejection of mail ballots due to missing or inaccurate hand-printed dates, establish a statewide cure process, expand ballot drop box access, and modernize mail ballot processing. Years of litigation have resulted from mail ballot rejections due to dating errors.
Pennsylvania is one of only 18 states without a statewide cure process allowing voters to correct minor errors on their ballot envelopes. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration and a potential bipartisan compromise involving voter ID requirements.
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| School Board Candidate forum |
On May 9th, we hosted a Pittsburgh School Board candidate forum, moderated by our Senior Director of Campaigns and Engagement, Dr. Kimeka Campbell.
The discussion allowed audience members to hear how the candidates plan to impact our schools and students.
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On May 12th, we hosted a Courts of Common Pleas judicial candidate forum for Allegheny county at Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg.
The forum was moderated by Rachel Bracken, Senior Regional State Courts Manager at Alliance for Justice (AFJ). |
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Our teams were out in their communities last week speaking to voters about the primary Election on Tuesday, May 20th.
It's our favorite time of year to build relationships with those we hope to uplift.
We thank all our staff for showing up, knocking on thousands of doors, and speaking to the voters about the importance of exercising their right to vote. As we celebrate our fourth years this weekend, our teams will be out in their communities speaking to folks about the importance of participating in our democracy. |
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Super voters vote twice a year, every year! |
Thank you for doing your part to stay informed and engaged! |
Last day to register to request a mail ballot: Tuesday, May 13th
Primary Election: Tuesday, May 20th Last day to register to vote for the General Election: Monday, October 20th
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Tuesday, October 28th
General Election: Tuesday, November 4th |
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Voter Hotlines:
Voter Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE
DOS PA Voter Hotline: 1-877-VOTESPA Spanish/English Hotline: 1-866-VE-Y-VOTA
Asian Languages Hotline: 1-888-API-VOTE Arabic/English Hotline: 1-844-YALLA-US |
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Paid for by the New PA Project Education Fund
New PA Project Education Fund
PO Box 453
West Chester, PA 19381
United States |
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