Philadelphia Education Fund

On June 25, PEF hosted an exclusive event for our College Access Program (CAP) graduates, who are newly enrolled in the Community College of Philadelphia to help set them up for success this coming fall! CCP Launch attendees had an opportunity to work one-on-one with PEF staff to verify enrollment and setup student portal access, fix persisting FAFSA issues, and learn about CCP's Catto Scholarship Program. Plus, PEF Senior Program Manager, Madeline Birkner, presented an academic overview and financial aid workshop. Following lunch, our high school grads enjoyed a panel discussion moderated by CAP’s Managing Coordinator, Sara Adedeji, featuring four current CCP students. These individuals shared about their own personal experiences, touted the benefits of being involved in student life on campus, encouraged the soon-to-be first-years to connect with professors, administrators and staff for support, and mentioned other resources available to enhance the CCP experience. Thank you to the CCP Team for graciously hosting us on campus and making this event possible, including Erica Harrison, Director of Events and Community Relations and Derrick A. Perkins, Ed.D, Director of Student Transition Success Programs, along with Malikah Cliett, Rebecca Commons, and Alexis Mercado from CCP's Catto Scholarship program. A shout out to the CCP Student Panelists, Dajuan Wortham, Ryan Ferreira, Jaritsa Hernandez-Orsini, and Frank Scales. Dajuan and Ryan both spoke on behalf of CCP's Center for Male Engagement, encouraging male students to take advantage of the special counseling and support resources available through that office. Jaritsa H. (who is a CAP Graduate from Olney High School!) and Ryan represented CCP's Student Government.

The Philadelphia Education Fund is hiring for the Director of the McKinney Center for STEM Education! The McKinney Center is recognized locally, regionally, and nationally as a leader in progressive STEM education. Its areas of work include designing, implementing, and evaluating educator professional development; creating and piloting original STEM curricula; identifying STEM professionals to serve as career coaches for urban middle and high school students; and serving as the backbone organization for the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem, the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective, and the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem. For more details on this position, visit https://lnkd.in/e5FBBpb

PECO is a proud partner of the Philadelphia Education Fund, an organization that provides opportunities for students and awards $900K in scholarships annually. Thank you for also recognizing PECO’s STEM Teaching Fellows Program! Thank you to Mayor Cherelle Parker for such a powerful message on the Philadelphia Education Community!

It was a true pleasure to honor PECO and David M. Velazquez with the inaugural Corporate Partnership Award at the 2024 Educate Philly benefit held at The Franklin Institute on Tuesday, June 18. This award recognizes our long-time partner's generous support of our work and their commitment to corporate social responsibility, particularly in the areas of STEM education through PECO's STEM Teaching Fellows Program and workforce development. And, what a privilege it was to have Mayor Cherelle Parker help kickoff the event, uplifting the mission and work of the Philadelphia Education Fund with her remarks, which were echoed by Councilmember Isaiah Thomas!

NEWLY POSTED SUMMER POSITION: Join our PhillyGoes2College team as they launch a Summer FAFSA Initiative! We’re hiring immediately for a Project Manager and FAFSA Coach to be contracted through September 1st. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/e5FBBpb

JOIN MAYOR CHERELLE PARKER AT THE JUNE 18 EDUCATE PHILLY BENEFIT! We're delighted to announce a special opportunity for pre-luncheon networking with Mayor Cherelle Parker and to hear her remarks during this portion of the event. The Mayor will be joining us from 11:15 to 11:45am only – so if you have already purchased tickets, be sure to arrive early! If you have not yet purchased tickets, there are a few still available: https://lnkd.in/eJR6xdUN

Join us on Tuesday, June 18 from 11am - 2pm, in the Elaine Levitt and Joel Gershman Education and Conference Center at The Franklin Institute for our annual fundraising benefit. FOR TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS VISIT: https://lnkd.in/eJR6xdUN HONORING INAUGURAL CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT During the event, the Philadelphia Education Fund (PEF) will have the distinguished opportunity to honor a long-time corporate partner, PECO, recognizing their generous support of our work and commitment to corporate social responsibility, particularly in the areas of STEM education and workforce development. PECO's President & CEO, David M. Velazquez, will be accepting this award on the company's behalf. ABOUT THE MASTER CLASS & EXPERT PANEL In 2030, will we still be cooking with gas? Or, even, driving with gas? For this year’s Energy 101 Master Class: Fueling Philadelphia's Future, we invite industry leaders to paint for us a picture of the future of energy – and its implications for our way of life and the educational needs and preparation of our nation’s next generation of leaders. PANELISTS & MODERATOR: - Nicole LeVine, COO, PECO - Emily Schapira, President & CEO, Philadelphia Energy Authority - Farah Jimenez (Moderator), President & CEO, Philadelphia Education Fund STAR STUDENT AWARDEES Educate Philly benefits PEF and the Last Dollar Scholarship fund, and provides a platform to honor student accomplishments. The Rising Star Award recognizes the high achievement of two high school seniors in our College Access Program, and The Baldadian Shining Star Award is given to a college sophomore or junior of outstanding academic success and character. ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA EDUCATION FUND’S MISSION & WORK For nearly 40 years, the PEF has worked to create equitable access to opportunities for students by providing resources and expertise that build paths to college and career success. To accomplish this, PEF offers comprehensive college and career advising programs, career-connected learning experiences for students and professional development programs for teachers with a STEM focus, plus an extensive online resource, PhillyGoes2College.org. Through our Philadelphia Scholars Program, we award $650K in gap-filling scholarships to 140 students annually. FOR TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS VISIT: https://lnkd.in/eJR6xdUN

We are so appreciative of the PwC volunteers who spent time last Thursday during their Day of Service, helping to prepare over 150 college care packages that will be sent out at the start of this coming school year to PEF's Philadelphia Scholars! The students who will receive these lovingly assembled care packages have graduated from our College Access Program and are now recipients of PEF's Last Dollar Scholarship, which is the largest non-university based scholarship program in Philadelphia, awarding over $600,000 in aid annually. #PwCCares #DayofService #CollegeAccess #CollegeSuccess - Kim Tombasco

Philadelphia’s high schoolers showed off their one-of-a-kind talent for a chance to win one-of-a-kind prizes through the 2024 I AM PHL contest presented by PhillyGoes2College in partnership with Wawa Welcome America Inc. and Vanguard. 9th-12th grade students entered I AM PHL by submitting work in the creative arts or investment. Students submitting in the investment category responded to a case study designed by our partners at Vanguard while students submitting in music, visual arts, or spoken word poetry penned original pieces connected to the contest themes “I Am College Bound” or “Great Things are Happening in Philadelphia.” Students from across the city shared submissions celebrating their unique and momentous potential. They reflected on how our city has shaped who they are and will become, how they will assert influence on the city’s future to create a place where all can thrive. Trust us when we say that Philly’s future looks bright! THE RESULTS ARE IN: Student submissions were reviewed by judges at the top of Philadelphia’s creative and financial fields. Our judges selected one winner in each submission category to receive: - $1,000 in cash furnished by Vanguard recognition and the chance to perform at the 2024 Wawa, Inc. Welcome America Inc. Festival - special guest experience tickets to the festival’s July 4th concert and fireworks - a 6-month membership to creative co-working space Indy Hall - exclusive mentor sessions generously provided by Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia; Quentin Williams, Storyteller, Poet, and Executive Director of We The People Stage; Ben Thomas, Grammy-winning Founder of After5 Studios and co-owner of nicethingsMUSIC; Omar K. Sanders, CFA, Senior Credit Analyst at Vanguard - and more!   MEET THE WINNERS: Check out the talented student winners in each category and hear from them about their experience with the contest by visiting https://lnkd.in/ea99aACE or stay tuned to PhillyGoes2College social media to see the winning student submissions. WINNERS PRESENTATION & PERFORMANCES: Don’t miss the I AM PHL winners’ presentation and performances live at the Wawa Welcome America Festival’s Avenue of the Arts Block Party on Saturday, June 29th which starts at 11:00am on South Broad Street between Walnut & Pine Streets. A special and sincere thank you to all students who entered the I AM PHL contest and to our partners at Wawa, Inc. Welcome America Inc. and Vanguard who make this contest possible!

On Friday, May 10, PEF’s Philadelphia Postsecondary Success Program (PPSP) Fellows convened for the Annual Spring Institute at La Salle University Library. The focus of the professional development was, “Learning to Take Notes and Taking Notes to Learn”, with the aim of helping students become active and strategic learners in the postsecondary classroom. The PPSP Fellows is a team of high school and college educators interested in bridging the gaps between the secondary and postsecondary classrooms. The annual Spring Institute is a professional development event informed by the work the Fellows engaged in throughout the school year. To learn more about PEF’s College Culture Consulting work visit https://lnkd.in/emEEjEZm #CollegeAccess #CollegeSuccess #PHLed