Thank you, once again, for helping our Power Partners through your fundraising efforts in conjunction with Penn. We appreciate all that you have done to help our students. Please share with your colleagues what our program is able to do, thanks to their help.

This year, our program pairs volunteers here at the School District Administration Building with 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders from Meade Elementary School for weekly mentoring. The students meet with us every Thursday, at lunchtime, during the School Year, to read with our volunteers. As many of our students come from challenging backgrounds, the individual time that they spend with their “partner” is so valuable to their personal growth, as well as their literacy skills.

Power Partners is an initiative through Philadelphia Reads, an organization that has been most helpful and generous with their support and resources. All that we do for our students is on a volunteer basis, without funding. Along with our students weekly sessions, we also have special events for them, including a “Read Across Philadelphia” event which honors the legendary Dr. Seuss, a year-end class trip, a Christmas Party and various other activities throughout the School Year acknowledging different calendar events. With each special event for our students, we provide them with books, snacks and projects, which costs increase every year. Our fundraisers throughout the year never seem to cover enough of what we want to do for our students, but with the help of the generosity of the volunteers, we do our best.

Your donation of $50 will put it to good use to purchase books for one of our upcoming events this School Year, Read Across Philadelphia. We will be more than happy to share pictures of our event this coming Spring.

Thank you once again for what you have done for our students.

Sincerely,
Barbra Bell,Coordinator
Power Partners
School District of Philadelphia

Additional Information about Philadelphia Reads

"Philadelphia Reads works with individuals, schools, community and faith-based organizations and businesses to provide mentors, resources and advocacy for in-school, after school and summer programs. Together these partners and Philadelphia Reads help to strengthen the literacy skills of Philadelphia's youngest and neediest school children."

Philadelphia Reads is a collaborative effort with the School District and Free Library of Philadelphia. It is an initiative of the Office of the Mayor and an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition."

A major component of Philadelphia Reads' volunteer effort is the Power Partners program. Power Partners matches major Philadelphia corporations, law firms, banks, public agencies and other professional organizations with children from public school classrooms for weekly reading sessions. The staff members participate in a one hour orientation/training session and a conveniently located school is selected. The coaches and students meet once a week, from October to May, for a one-on-one coaching session that is about 30 minutes in length. The sessions take place in a central office location or staff offices."

The school, company and Philadelphia Reads coordinator handle the logistics. There are approximately 30 students per class and the children bring their own books to read. Any additional coaches may serve as substitutes. A commitment for participation throughout the school year is requested. Please contact Executive Director Adrienne Jacoby at (215) 851-1748 for more information on becoming a Power Partner."

The Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, through its Inter-Ivy Quizzo events, has raised funds and books for first, second and third grade classrooms at Meade Elementary School that participate in this mentoring and literacy enrichment program. These students are paired with mentors who work in the School District of Philadelphia's administrative offices.

Funds raised throughout the year support special programming that includes a “Read Across Philadelphia” event, which honors the legendary Dr. Seuss, a year-end class trip and a holiday party. Throughout the year, students are provided with with books, snacks and various projects. The Penn Alumni Club's recent donation will be used "to purchase books for Read Across Philadelphia."