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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...

This past Saturday, CSFP and our partners at GreatPhillySchools (GPS) teamed up to host the Philly K-8 School Fair. We brought together 1,300 children and family members, 93 diverse schools, and community partners for a day of sharing information at Girard College.   We developed the Philly K-8 School Fair back in 2016 to increase Philadelphia families’ knowledge of their K-8th grade school options in the city and surrounding area. The Greater Philadelphia region hosts hundreds of public, private, and charter schools serving grades K-8, and gaining an understanding of the different applications processes and requirements for these diverse schools...