Centre County Poet Named 2026 PA Humanities Window Keeper

Abby Minor, poet and founder of local nonprofit Ridgelines Language Arts, has been named a 2026 Window Keeper by PA Humanities as part of “The Window Keeper: Civic Honors”, a statewide initiative recognizing Pennsylvanians whose everyday actions help strengthen communities and sustain civic life.

Inspired by a poem by Philadelphia poet laureate Yolanda Wisher, the initiative celebrates individuals who uplift their communities through dedication and service to others, using storytelling, local history, education, civic engagement and other tools of the humanities.

Minor was selected for her work in storytelling.

A resident of Penns Valley, she saw a need in her rural community to amplify voices that were too often unheard. She started a program that helped older adults living in care facilities preserve their memories through writing poetry and stories. That work inspired her to found Ridgelines Language Arts in 2017 with a small group of local writers, community organizers, activists and teachers.

“I’m honored to be recognized as a Window Keeper,” Minor said. “Together with the whole Ridgelines team, we do this work because we believe that brave, healthy individuals and just social conditions are sustained by the reflection, honesty, pleasure and intimacy fostered by the study of language arts.

As the nation celebrates the United States Semiquincentennial, “The Window Keeper: Civic Honors” highlights the people who are shaping civic life in Pennsylvania today through acts of care, connection and creativity. 

Through an open public call, anyone in Pennsylvania can nominate a Window Keeper in their community. Selected individuals will be featured on the PA Humanities website, highlighted throughout the initiative and included on an interactive statewide map that will show how democracy lives not only in historic documents, but in the everyday relationships, stories and shared experiences of people across the Commonwealth.

“This initiative is about connecting with communities across Pennsylvania and celebrating the people who are already doing this work every day,” PA Humanities executive director Laurie Zierer said. “It encourages others to step forward, get involved, and help shape civic life where they live.”

To learn more about “The Window Keeper: Civic Honors” or to nominate someone, visit https://pahumanities.org/thewindowkeeper.

“The Window Keeper: Civic Honors” initiative is supported in part by Pennsylvania state legislators, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the National Endowment for the Arts and individual donor Randall Miller.