Nicetown Boys and Girls Club, Black and Nobel bookstore, and Tioga United: these are just a few places in the Tioga Neighborhood that strive to give back to their community -- a community  just two miles south from our current location where you will find our new campus. Cristo Rey Philadelphia is looking forward to opening our new school doors in Tioga. Verna Brown-Tyner, President of Tioga United & Chief of Staff for Councilman Greenlee, says, “The community is very welcoming with open arms; they are excited for and interested in the Cristo Rey school campus and what it holds for the future.”

Tioga became part of Philadelphia city limits in the mid 1850s. During World War II, the neighborhood experienced an industrial boom and peaked economically in the 1950s (see this post for more history on the new campus). Soon after, Tioga fell victim to “white flight” during the years of the Civil Rights Movement. Unfortunately, the migration left buildings and businesses abandoned. Today, although Tioga still faces its challenges, it is a vibrant and close-knit community.

“The Tioga people are very friendly and open to love. We try to promote as much peace as possible,” notes Brown-Tyner. “When I first moved here 40 years ago, I thought I died and went to heaven. We are trying to get that same feeling back and we believe we’re heading in that direction.”

Cristo Rey hopes to help bring back "that feeling" to Tioga.

At the new school campus, we will offer spaces and programing to support adult education, financial literacy, physical fitness, and other community needs. In addition, our admissions office is working with Tioga United to increase the enrollment of students from the area. “I think that Cristo Rey will help build our youth and future by providing exceptional education and a beautiful building,” Brown-Tyner adds. Together, Cristo Rey Philadelphia and the Tioga Community hope to advance growth and development of the neighborhood.

Source: PlanPhilly