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Check out news, notes, and publications that illustrate CSFP’s mission in action.
Above: Mayor Jim Kenney poses with a family at the CSFP Application Launch. Photo credit – AMP Studios PHILADELPHIA- Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) released applications to its random lottery for need-based, K-8th grade scholarships for Philadelphia children on September 14. The organization opened applications at simultaneous events at six neighborhood recreation centers, libraries, and community centers across the city. CSFP will award 2,000 new, four-year scholarships to children from low-income families to use starting in September 2020. Crowds of eager parents and children joined CSFP staff, and families to celebrate the application launch. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney was on...
Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia welcomed new scholarship recipients and their families at our annual Student Award Ceremony on June 18th. Sponsored by Stradley Ronon, PHLY, The Phillies, The Liacouras Center, A.C. Moore, and Independence Blue Cross, the event also honored CSFP current students and alumni. CSFP Board member, Shelley Boyce, received CSFP’s Citizen of the Year Award, and Robert Poliseano accepted the Corporate Citizen of the Year Award on behalf of long-time scholarship supporter Chubb.
Betsy Porth with CSFP students and alumni. Long-term organizational friend and supporter Betsy Porth has been a fixture on CSFP’s Board for a number of years. She states that CSFP holds a special place in her heart, and this is reflected in her dedication to our mission. We recently spoke with Betsy about what inspires her work on behalf of Philadelphia children and families. Q: Why are you interested in CSFP? Do you have a personal connection to our mission? A: My favorite day of the year as a child was the first day of school … new teachers, new...
On March 16, CSFP families flocked to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University to see exhibits on dinosaurs, butterflies, natural history, and even Mythic Creatures, as part of our annual visit. Families and volunteers spent the day exploring, questioning, and learning new things together. The importance of immersive learning experiences like those offered at the Academy of Natural Sciences is well-established. CSFP began offering discounted admission for CSFP families to tour the Academy back in 2005, so that families with children in our scholarship program could spend some quality time together at one of our city’s great educational...
CSFP notified winners of our recent K-8th grade scholarship lottery at a celebration last night. CBS Philly joined us to take part in the excitement.
As CSFP Parent Ambassadors, supporters, and volunteers called the families of children recently-selected from our random scholarship lottery, the 6abc team came out to capture the joy and excitement of new scholarships.
There is nothing more exciting that telling a family that they have been selected to receive a CSFP scholarship through our random lottery. NBC10 joined CSFP at FS Investments to cover our Lottery Day celebration, when the CSFP community gathers to make the calls that tell families this good news.
CSFP’s dedicated staff strives to make quality education financially accessible to children in Philadelphia. Meet one of the people behind the scholarships: SVP of Scholarship and Program Operations, Julie Raiken. Julie has been with CSFP since 2004 and has helped thousands of children access schools that they love. We sat down with Julie to hear what she has to say after 15 years of leading the program team. Q: What keeps you interested in CSFP? Do you have a personal connection to our mission? A: Early on in my career in social services, I realized the importance of empowering people....
CSFP’s PreK initiative focuses on sharing information about quality early childhood education with Philadelphia parents and our partner schools. As part of our PreK initiative, CSFP provides opportunities for our partner schools to learn from area experts in early childhood education. We hosted our second PreK Forum this February. CSFP assembled a panel of experts for this session, including representatives from Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Keystone STARS, and PHLpreK. Panelists spoke about their respective programs and answered questions from CSFP partner school administrators. They shared best practices and resources for schools to grow PreK programs,...
CSFP is fortunate to partner with a large community who believe in our mission and the power of education to transform lives. One of those people is our Board Chair, Pat Burke. CSFP Board Chair Pat Burke, with the Phillie Phanatic and our 2018 Teachers of the Year, onstage at the Kimmel Center. Pat joined the CSFP Board several years ago. Growing up in a large family that struggled financially, Pat chose education as his path to future success. For that reason, he connects with our mission on a deep level: “CSFP’s mission is very personal to me because of...
We are delighted to announce that The Malinda R. Farrow Fund of the The Philadelphia Foundation (TPF) awarded a generous $20,000 leadership development grant to Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) in November 2018! This competitive grant was awarded in recognition of CSFP’s ongoing efforts to assess and enhance the diverse skills and backgrounds that are best suited to serve CSFP’s mission. CSFP is incredibly grateful to TPF for this opportunity, and our staff looks forward to honing our skills to ultimately better serve Philadelphia families. About The Philadelphia Foundation Founded in 1918, The Philadelphia Foundation (TPF) strengthens the economic, social and civic vitality of Greater...
On December 13, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) staff, donors, parents, and volunteers gathered to personally call the families of the children recently selected through our priority lottery for K-8th grade scholarships. Our friends at NRG hosted this year’s Lottery Day celebration at Lincoln Financial Field. Football legends Jason Avant and Harold Carmichael joined in the festivities. Just before the event, CSFP’s Executive Director, Heather Frattone, surprised some new families in person. It was an emotional moment: when Heather let these families know that their children would receive 4-year, need-based scholarships for up to three children in their family, parents...
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