Stephen WInkler's project idea for GWG
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Harveymilk
Dec 24, 2008, 10:51:16 AM12/24/08
to Geeks Who Give
Stephen Winkler @sawinkler has suggested this great project for GWG:
=============================
Geeks Who Give. . .their time
Philadelphia’s high school graduation rate is approximately 50%. You
read that correctly: only 50% of high school students in Philadelphia
actually graduate (compared with 89% in the suburbs). The percentage
of those Philadelphia students who actually go on to four year
colleges and universities is much lower.
Philadelphia Futures is a local nonprofit that has been doing
something about this for more than 15 years. And you can help.
Inspired by the first Geeks Who Give event and the positive,
interested reactions to my involvement with this organization, I’d
like to take a moment of your time to ask you to consider
donating. . .more of your time.
What Futures does is match one student with one mentor, beginning in
their sophomore year. The student/mentor relationship continues until
that student graduates high school. Futures provides academic support
in the form of tutoring, SAT prep, college visits, advanced course
work, and more.
The mentor just has to show up.
I’m only half kidding about that. You would be amazed at how much
impact the consistent presence of an interested, involved adult can
have on a teenager’s development. These are kids who go to some of the
worst schools and live in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in
the country. Having an adult who offers consistent support and
interest in their lives is a luxury very few of them have. The time
commitment for mentors is one phone call per week, and one face-to-
face meeting per month. That’s it.
We are all busy, but that amount of time equates to listening to one
less podcast per week, and going out for one less brunch per month.
Just think about it.
And for the men out there, Futures is desperately in need of male
mentors. 60% of the drop outs in Philly are young men boys. And in a
city where many of these boys don’t have positive male role models,
you bring an extra benefit to their lives.
If you can’t sign up as a mentor, then please consider volunteering to
be a resource for the program. There is a digital divide right here in
our city. All of these students are from low-income families with
little or no access to the technology we all use every day and that
most college-bound students have grown up with. Spending time with
people who understand and use technology would be a tremendous
learning experience for them. Consider making yourself available for
interviews, job shadowing or offering internships. Or maybe we can
have a Geek Career Day for these kids.
We all care about this city. And many of us are working to create
maintain Philadelphia’s status as a great American city. But if we do
not take care of the kids from this city, it will never truly be
great.
This is the city where American Democracy was born. We are all working
to ensure that future iterations of Philadelphia include equal
opportunity for all, lest we become a city of walls that keep the poor
and uneducated separated from the wealthy and educated.
Only time will tell.
Apply now. They need at least 60 new mentors for their incoming class.
If you can’t mentor but are interested in getting involved in other
ways, e-mail me at stephen.winkler[at]gmail.com and we’ll figure out
how.
=============================
Geeks Who Give. . .their time
Philadelphia’s high school graduation rate is approximately 50%. You
read that correctly: only 50% of high school students in Philadelphia
actually graduate (compared with 89% in the suburbs). The percentage
of those Philadelphia students who actually go on to four year
colleges and universities is much lower.
Philadelphia Futures is a local nonprofit that has been doing
something about this for more than 15 years. And you can help.
Inspired by the first Geeks Who Give event and the positive,
interested reactions to my involvement with this organization, I’d
like to take a moment of your time to ask you to consider
donating. . .more of your time.
What Futures does is match one student with one mentor, beginning in
their sophomore year. The student/mentor relationship continues until
that student graduates high school. Futures provides academic support
in the form of tutoring, SAT prep, college visits, advanced course
work, and more.
The mentor just has to show up.
I’m only half kidding about that. You would be amazed at how much
impact the consistent presence of an interested, involved adult can
have on a teenager’s development. These are kids who go to some of the
worst schools and live in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in
the country. Having an adult who offers consistent support and
interest in their lives is a luxury very few of them have. The time
commitment for mentors is one phone call per week, and one face-to-
face meeting per month. That’s it.
We are all busy, but that amount of time equates to listening to one
less podcast per week, and going out for one less brunch per month.
Just think about it.
And for the men out there, Futures is desperately in need of male
mentors. 60% of the drop outs in Philly are young men boys. And in a
city where many of these boys don’t have positive male role models,
you bring an extra benefit to their lives.
If you can’t sign up as a mentor, then please consider volunteering to
be a resource for the program. There is a digital divide right here in
our city. All of these students are from low-income families with
little or no access to the technology we all use every day and that
most college-bound students have grown up with. Spending time with
people who understand and use technology would be a tremendous
learning experience for them. Consider making yourself available for
interviews, job shadowing or offering internships. Or maybe we can
have a Geek Career Day for these kids.
We all care about this city. And many of us are working to create
maintain Philadelphia’s status as a great American city. But if we do
not take care of the kids from this city, it will never truly be
great.
This is the city where American Democracy was born. We are all working
to ensure that future iterations of Philadelphia include equal
opportunity for all, lest we become a city of walls that keep the poor
and uneducated separated from the wealthy and educated.
Only time will tell.
Apply now. They need at least 60 new mentors for their incoming class.
If you can’t mentor but are interested in getting involved in other
ways, e-mail me at stephen.winkler[at]gmail.com and we’ll figure out
how.
Kara LaFleur
Dec 24, 2008, 10:55:57 AM12/24/08
to geeks-w...@googlegroups.com
Philadelphia Futures, for those of you who want to read more (I'll be adding it to my list & checking it twice ;)
http://www.philadelphiafutures.org/
looking into how to organize / get involved on their terms.--
~ Kara
Work To Ride (a work in progress)
www.karaslafleur.wordpress.com
http://www.philadelphiafutures.org/
looking into how to organize / get involved on their terms.
~ Kara
Work To Ride (a work in progress)
www.karaslafleur.wordpress.com
Stephen
Dec 29, 2008, 10:15:47 AM12/29/08
to Geeks Who Give
so glad to see that this is something you all find worthwhile. looking
forward to working with everyone to spread the word.
here's the "getting involved" link, which includes giving donations,
hiring an intern, setting up a scholarship, and more (http://
philadelphiafutures.org/getting_involved/)
mentor application link: http://philadelphiafutures.org/futurepress/wp-content/uploads/mentor-application.pdf
(if there is a way to include hyper links, I can't find it)
forward to working with everyone to spread the word.
here's the "getting involved" link, which includes giving donations,
hiring an intern, setting up a scholarship, and more (http://
philadelphiafutures.org/getting_involved/)
mentor application link: http://philadelphiafutures.org/futurepress/wp-content/uploads/mentor-application.pdf
(if there is a way to include hyper links, I can't find it)
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages