On April 10, Temple volunteers cleaned up pools, playgrounds, courts and athletic fields at local recreation centers in North Philadelphia ahead of the annual citywide spring cleanup. 

From baseball diamonds to neighborhood playgrounds, efforts to clean and maintain recreation spaces do more than improve appearances; they help create safer and more connected communities. 

That impact was on display Friday, April 10, when members of the Temple community joined forces to spruce up Dendy Recreation Center and Martin Luther King Recreation Center in North Philadelphia ahead of the annual Philly Spring Cleanup, the city’s largest citywide cleanup of the year. 

At the Martin Luther King Recreation Center, volunteers arrived just before 9 a.m. and immediately put on gloves, getting to work collecting trash around the pool, playground, basketball courts and baseball field. Faculty members worked alongside Temple students to pull weeds from around small trees near the entrance before laying down fresh mulch. 

Over at Dendy Recreation Center at the corner of 10th and Oxford Street, the scene was much the same—hands in gloves and trash and debris being cleared from courts and fields, gradually shifting the grounds into spaces ready for youth activities in the months ahead. 

The effort was the brainchild of Debbie Campbell, associate vice president in the Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement, as part of the Owls for Philly initiative, which brings together faculty, staff, students, and alumni to engage with North Philadelphia neighbors through volunteerism. 

“Bringing the Temple community together for this Owls for Philly cleanup is about more than beautifying spaces; it is about investing in the health, safety and future of the neighborhood,” Campbell said. “By working side by side, we are preparing these spaces for the spring and summer seasons and reinforcing a shared commitment to North Philadelphia.” 

The cleanup was inspired by “Playing Fields, Not Killing Fields,” a project from Temple’s Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting and the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media in partnership with The Philadelphia Inquirer. The project explores North Philadelphia’s recreational facilities and youth sports programs and their role in reducing violence. It features research by Gareth Jones, associate professor in the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM), who was instrumental in a study by Temple’s Sport Industry Research Center that surveyed more than 1,400 fields, courts and baseball diamonds across Philadelphia in 2023. The research found lower crime rates in the blocks surrounding sports facilities and youth programs.  

Jones worked with Campbell and helped connect her with Mike Barsotti, director of youth sports at Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, who identified the North Philadelphia recreation centers in need. That groundwork helped bring together campus partners, including the Office of Sustainability, Facilities Management, the Fox School of Business, STHM, Temple Student Government and Athletics for the cleanup effort. 

“These kinds of partnerships make a tangible difference in the neighborhoods because they bring together research, resources and real community insight to drive meaningful impact,” Campbell said. “By aligning Temple’s energy and volunteers with the city’s priorities and on-the-ground expertise, we’re helping create safer, more vibrant spaces that support youth development, community pride and long-term neighborhood well-being.” 

Erden Er, an international student from Izmir, Turkey, and a senior on the Temple men’s tennis team, was among those cleaning up at Martin Luther King Recreation Center. 

“Our tennis team takes pride in being involved in community service like this,” Er said.  “Seeing how much trash is left around the city and learning how keeping it clean can help reduce violence made helping out feel even more meaningful.” 

“Having a safe environment to play in is so important for youth everywhere, so I hope this event can help inspire others to help keep the city clean,” he added. 

Another participant, Daniel Pratte, a Temple senior majoring in sport and recreation management who helped organize the event, volunteered at the Dendy Recreation Center site. 

“If you had seen the field here last week, it was in disrepair,” Pratte said, noting that the site has since been restored and will now be used by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to run an introductory baseball program for youth in North Philadelphia.  

He added that efforts like these not only bring students into community service projects but also strengthen connections between residents and Temple students. 

“I know there are student clubs and fraternities at Temple that get involved in community service projects, and those efforts help bridge the gap between local communities and Temple students,” Pratte said. “You lower violence and create better spaces where young people can meet, collaborate and feel more connected.”