News & Events
News & Events
A Legacy of Hope
On the evening of Friday, March 15, Philadelphia Futures celebrated the unique and abiding connection that exists between our students and their sponsors. The Sponsor-A-Scholar (SAS) high school and college students - many for the first time - met the individuals and representatives of companies who have provided the financial resources to help them make successful journeys to- and through- college. Nearly 150 members of the Philadelphia Futures community - students, sponsors, supporters, Board members and staff - came together for this inspiring evening.
Our A Legacy of Hope dinner provided SAS students and sponsors with the opportunity to express their appreciation for the gifts each brings to Philadelphia Futures. Students, a staff member and a sponsor delivered powerful remarks during the dinner program. Centered around the theme of "Because of You", speakers conveyed how the people in the room have impacted their lives. Immediately following this moving presentation, all guests participated in the creation of a live "word cloud" by texting in a word to convey how students and sponsors have made a difference in their lives. The responses were then projected onto a large screen for everyone to see.
We were delighted that 6abc covered our Board member and 6abc News Anchor Rick Williams' participation in our A Legacy of Hope dinner. You can watch it here. KYW Newsradio also did a recent story about the SAS Program and how the financial resources donated by our sponsors provide critical resources to students. That story can be read here.
Futures Forward: A $1 Million New Year
Philadelphia Futures kicked-off 2013 in an electrifying way.
At our 2013 Annual Conference on January 5, we made an exciting announcement: long-time supporters John Langan and Judith Nadell have made a leadership gift of $1 million to help launch our new Strategic Plan.
It was indeed a very thrilling moment when this transformational gift was revealed to the more than 500 students, families, volunteer mentors, board members and friends in attendance. To relive the excitement of the day, please watch our "Million Dollar Movie" here.
Less than a week after the announcement, the gift and the impact it will have on Philadelphia Futures was the subject of a front page story in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The full piece can be found on philly.com here.
One Year Strong: New Annual Report is Released
Philadelphia Futures is proud to release our new 2011-2012 Annual Report - One Year Strong. This year's Annual Report provides our funders, supporters and friends with a comprehensive review of our program and financial results in our first full year following the merger between Philadelphia Futures and White-Williams Scholars.
The last year saw the vision for the merger begin to be realized. Our two boards are now one, we integrated staffs into one location, eliminated duplication of costs and efforts and addressed the many infrastructure issues associated with a merger of this type.
Most important, we leveraged the best practices of both organizations to improve the services being offered to Philadelphia's low-income, first-generation-to-college students. As a combined organization, we brought additional resources and expertise to our existing programs and services. We also significantly increased our capacity to extend our reach and impact to support student success across a range of populations and needs. We are proud to report that, in our first full year of our union, all of our programs posted strong results. Our college graduation rate for the SAS Program - our key benchmark data point - continues to rise. We are excited to be seeing the effects of our enhanced services over the last several years both at the high school and college levels.
“Giving the Gift of Time” on The Huffington Post
Philadelphia Futures' Sponsor-A-Scholar (SAS) Program is grounded in the belief that a caring adult can make a significant difference in the life of a student. As one of the key cornerstones of the SAS Program, each student is matched with a volunteer mentor who commits to working with the student through at least the first year of college. Mentors serve as role models, advocates and cheerleaders for their students. Mentors open countless doors for our students to new social, cultural and educational experiences.
As an organization that has seen first-hand the successful impact of these long-term relationships, we are pleased to have our Executive Director Joan C. Mazzotti's op-ed piece about mentoring featured on The Huffington Post. The commentary - entitled "Giving the Gift of Time" - discusses how the act of mentoring a teenager living in poverty is a powerful gift. The full piece can be read on The Huffington Post here.
An All-Star Visit
The summer of 2012 was a busy and productive season for Philadelphia Futures. The College Admissions Marathon, four academic enrichment programs, the one year anniversary of the White-Williams Scholars and Philadelphia Futures merger and the entire staff's move into one newly expanded office were all packed into three short months. These were all certainly special moments for the organization, but the most exciting day of the summer occured on August 16 when "Get in the Game" hero Carlos Ruiz visited the Philadelphia Futures office!
For more than an hour, Ruiz met with Philadelphia Futures' high school students and talked with them about their involvement in the Sponsor-A-Scholar Program, and their college and career goals. Ruiz then joined the Philadelphia Futures collegians at the annual College Kick-Off event, where he spoke with the new college freshman and wished them well as they begin their first year at their new schools.
Ruiz is normally much more comfortable behind the plate than behind the microphone, and the entire Philadelphia Futures community was absolutely delighted that he chose the organization for this special appearance. Ruiz's time at the College Kick-Off was covered by the Philadelphia Daily News and all of the major television outlets in the City. Ruiz's visit to the Philadelphia Futures office, and his commitment to the organization, also was documented by ESPNDeportes.com (the Spanish language ESPN network) and will run in September as a part of its Hispanic Heritage Month stories.
Philadelphia Futures Holds Its First Joint Graduation Celebration
Tears filled Dean H. Pete Curry's eyes as, one by one, the Philadelphia Futures' students that he has mentored at Gettysburg College came to the stage. As the Dean of Intercultural Advancement, Dean Curry has guided 26 of the organization's students to earn their degrees from Gettysburg. For the difference he has made in the lives of these students and his commitment to equality in higher education, Dean Curry was honored as a 2012 "Hats Off to You" award winner at the Philadelphia Futures 2012 Graduation Celebration on the evening of June 5 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. As a part of his honor, the students whose lives Dean Curry has transformed over the last 11 years surprised him by participating in the award presentation and expressing their immense thanks. It was a gesture that clearly touched Dean Curry. One of those students was Jennifer Ramirez, a 2008 Gettysburg College and Philadelphia Futures alum, who shared with the audience a poignant lesson that Dean Curry taught her during her first semester as a college student.
"When I found myself struggling in that first semester, Dean Curry said something very important to me. He said, "It's not can you do the work; it's will you do the work?"", said Ramirez.
Dean Curry's honor was just one the many moving and inspirational moments that occurred that evening. Philadelphia lawyer and philanthropist Sheldon M. Bonovitz, Chairman Emeritus at Duane Morris, joined Dean Curry as a "Hats Off to You" award winner and was honored for his sustained commitment to Philadelphia Futures' mission and his support of the Sponsor-A-Scholar students. Philadelphia Futures Board Member Gordon Fowler explained to students and guests how at a young age, Bonovitz became keenly aware of the injustices that exist in our world, and the influence that he could have to level the playing field for others. He has dedicated himself to creating educational opportunities for Philadelphia's youth and advocating for first-time, untrained artists that create Outsider Art, demonstrating his commitment to bringing people from the margins to the center.
Chooch and The Phillies Raise More Than $175,000 for Philadelphia Futures' Students
On the evening of Sunday, April 29, Carlos Ruiz and the Phillies, "Got in the Game" in support of Philadelphia Futures and the students we serve at a bowling and billiards tournament. The event raised more than $175,000 and was attended by 400 Philadelphia Futures supporters, including Phillies players, local TV personalities and notable members of the Philadelphia region's business and civic communities.
The Phillies star catcher, Ruiz, served as the "Get in the Game" host and was joined by 13 of his teammates - Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, Vance Worley, John Mayberry, Jr., Laynce Nix, Ty Wiggington, Michael Schwimmer, Freddy Galvis, Antonio Bastardo, Jose Contreras and Joe Savery. Two of the event chairs, Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Regional CEO for Mid-Atlantic Region, Citizens Bank and David Montgomery, President and CEO, The Phillies also were in attendance. That evening Ruiz, met 16 year-old Sponsor-A-Scholar Student Adrian Gomez. In honor of Ruiz, a $7,500 sponsorship was established for Gomez's college education.
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