Phoenixville Community Education

TO ENHANCE AND ENRICH THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF PHOENIXVILLE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHOENIXVILLE COMMUNITY EDUCATION FOUNDATION (PCEF) WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT OF MANY EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES IN PHOENIXVILLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED:SUMMER REMEDIATION PROGRAMS: FOR THE 2021 SUMMER, PCEF PROVIDED $30,000 IN GRANT SUPPORT FOR LITERACY AND MATH REMEDIATION PROGRAMMING AT ALL GRADE LEVELS. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE THEY NEEDED TO IMPROVE/MAINTAIN THEIR SKILLS OVER THE SUMMER ALLOWING THEM TO ENTER THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR READY TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL.PACK A BACKPACK PROGRAM: EACH YEAR, PCEF DONATES BACKPACKS FILLED WITH GRADE APPROPRIATE SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO STUDENTS IN NEED. IN AUGUST OF 2021 PCEF DISTRIBUTED OVER 474 BACKPACKS TO STUDENTS IN GRADES K - 12 AND DONATED BINDERS AND OTHER SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO THE PHOENIXVILLE AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PHOENIXVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL. SUPPLIES VALUED AT OVER $14,694 WERE DISTRIBUTED. SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED IN 2004, PCEF HAS DISTRIBUTED OVER 7,503 BACKPACKS TO STUDENTS IN NEED.SUPPORT OF SCHOOL CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS: WITH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES BACK IN FULL SWING, PCEF WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE OVER $15,000 IN SUPPORT TO VARIOUS CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING JR. AIR FORCE ROTC, BARKLEY SKI CLUB, STUDENT TRIP TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM IN DC, SCHUYLKILL MEMORIAL GARDEN, AND TSA STATE COMPETITION SUPPORT TO NAME A FEW.WINTER TRIVIA NIGHT: PCEF HOSTED A VIRTUAL TRIVIA NIGHT IN JANUARY 2022 WITH 140 COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS. THROUGH TICKET SALES AND DIRECT DONATIONS WE RAISED $7,500 FROM THIS EVENT.TEACHER MINI GRANT PROGRAM: WE GRANTED $8,195 TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM, ALLOWING THEM TO BRING INNOVATIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO THEIR STUDENTS.PRINCIPAL GRANT PROGRAM: PROVIDED $3,166 IN FUNDING FOR PRINCIPALS TO CREATE CALMING ROOM/ZEN DEN SPACES FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF TO GO WHEN NEEDING A QUIET PLACE TO REGROUP AND DESTRESS, PREVENTING CRISES ESCALATION IN THE CLASSROOMS.DESTINATIONS WITH DIRECTIONS: CONTINUED FUNDING WAS PROVIDED FOR DESTINATIONS WITH DIRECTION (DWD). UP TO 30 HIGH ACHIEVING, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. THESE STUDENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH GUIDANCE, MENTORING AND TUTORING THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY STUDENT TUTORS AND PAHS STAFF TO KEEP THEM ON TRACK FOR ENTERING COLLEGE AFTER GRADUATION. NORMALLY, THESE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A COLLEGE TOUR VISITING VARIOUS SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. DUE TO COVID-19, THIS TRIP HAD TO BE CANCELED. UPON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, THE STUDENTS ARE AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION EXPENSES BASED UPON THEIR PARTICIPATION LEVEL IN THE GROUP.OPERATION FOCUS: THIS ORGANIZATION OPERATES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF PCEF. THE ALL-VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION RAISES MONEY AND HOSTS A POST-PROM PARTY FOR PAHS JUNIORS, SENIORS AND THEIR GUESTS. NORMALLY, 300-400 STUDENTS ATTEND THE EVENT FREE OF CHARGE! THE EVENT PROVIDES A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER PARTIES WHERE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL MAY BE PRESENT, PARTIES THAT MAY BE UNSUPERVISED, OR SITUATIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS. PCEF PROVIDED GRANT FUNDING AND DIRECTED DONATIONS TOTALLING $6,500 IN SUPPORT OF THE 2022 POST PROM EVENT.SCHOLARSHIPS TO SENIORS: PCEF WAS PROUD TO AWARD $2,000 SCHOLARSHIPS TO FIVE PASD SENIORS. WE ALSO AWARDED $16,900 IN DONOR ADVISED SCHOLARSHIPS.PRE-KINDERGARTEN SCHOLARSHIPS: AS AN APPROVED EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT TAX CREDIT ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PCEF WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE $22,950 IN PRE-K SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS TO AREA PRE-SCHOOLS TO ASSIST FAMILIES IN NEED WITH PROVIDING OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS WITH A GREAT START TO THEIR EDUCATION.ACTIVITIES ACCESS/STUDENT GRANTS FUND: PCEF PROVIDED $10,275 IN FUNDING TO HELP FINANCIALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS IN COVERING THE COST OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.COVID-19 SUPPORTS: AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE WERE CONTINUING OUR SUPPORT TO THE DISTRICT WITH WIFI HOTSPOTS FOR OUR STUDENTS WITHOUT INTERNET AT HOME AND FOOD SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS. ONCE SCHOOL WAS BACK IN SESSION REGULARLY, WE WERE ABLE TO SCALE BACK ON THE FOOD PROGRAM AND PUT BACK IN PLACE OUR PHANTOM FOOD PACK PROGRAM PROVING OUR FOOD-INSECURE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WITH WEEKEND FOOD.PAMS HOUSE/POSITIVE BEHAVIORS/ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAMS: PCEF CONTINUED TO FUND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL'S MANY PROGRAMS THAT HELP CREATE A SAFE, POSITIVE COMMUNITY FOR OUR PRE-TEENS TO LEARN AND GROW.PHOENIXVILLE AREA POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES: FOR MANY YEARS, PCEF HAS SUPPORTED THIS LOCAL NONPROFIT WHICH PROVIDES VITAL PROGRAMMING FOR AT-RISK YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. A $5,000 GRANT WAS GIVEN IN SUPPORT OF THE SAFE SUMMERS CAMP THAT PROVIDES MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WITH A FREE SUMMER PROGRAM FOCUSING ON ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND DEVELOPING POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS.