PA’s Language Gap and Johnny Appleseed’s Impact.

(00:00:00) Without professional interpreters, families can be shut out of essential moments—students unable to take required PSSAs, parents unable to understand a diagnosis, patients unable to follow a treatment plan. Language access is access, and too many Pennsylvanians are going without it. Global Wordsmiths, a Pittsburgh-based, women- and disability‑owned company led by CEO Mary Jayne McCullough, is expanding its language access services into Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg. To meet this need, Global Wordsmiths has already recruited and onboarded 20+ local interpreters, part of a network representing 200+ languages and cultural backgrounds. Their interpreters live in the communities they serve and receive ongoing training—something that sets the organization apart. (00:22:37) John Chapman (1774–1845), better known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who traveled across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Ontario, and parts of West Virginia planting apple trees grown from seed rather than grafts. His roaming orchards helped shape early American settlement and agriculture. Celebrated in his own lifetime, Chapman became known for his kindness, generosity, and early conservation ethic, turning apples into a symbol of frontier resilience. His legacy endures through museums, historic sites, and his status as a beloved American folk hero, including the Johnny Appleseed Museum in Urbana, Ohio.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.