A Program Year of Exciting Growth |
Quote of the Month
"You are an endless project . . . changing, evolving, surprising."
-- James Patterson, American Author
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Greetings, YMWIC Supporters:
Welcome to another promising New Year; again, we thank you for taking this ever-evolving journey with us as we continue assessing and implementing innovative strategies to improve our internal structures and better support our Scholars!
As with every new calendar year at YMWIC, some things will change, and other things have become part of our ongoing Program curriculum. For the latter, we are fast approaching the YMWIC 12th Annual Science Expo on Saturday, March 4, 2023. This is one of the core events of our Foundation, one of the first that was created. We have received so much positive feedback over the years from our Partners who are involved in the Science Expo, our Partner School Districts, the community, parents, and the Scholars themselves, about how enriching the entire Science Project and culminating Expo have impacted our Scholars.
YMWIC Alumni who return to speak to current Scholars often stress the importance of what they learned while completing their Science Projects, collaborating with other Scholars, and making their presentations has helped them immensely in college and in their personal lives. What they learn are real-world skills that can be transferred in every aspect of their lives—academically and professionally.
As we continue to evolve, the Foundation continues to grow. We are excited about the launch of a new Philadelphia Chapter of YMWIC at St. James School in February. We look forward to this new partnership, its successful beginning and a new cadre of Scholars we will serve.
If you believe in our Mission and would like to help us strengthen communities and a talented workforce one Scholar at a time, join us. We would love for you to become a valued volunteer, partner, and/or donor as we work toward a shared goal creating meaningful connections and relationships.
With gratitude,
Richard Roberts, III
(610) 340-2844
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YMWIC MISSION:
To empower and prepare economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented youth to excel and become leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers through a structured and rigorous curriculum, academic tutoring, mentoring and financial assistance programs, accomplished by leveraging alliances with K-12 school districts, universities, corporations, and our committed partners.
YMWIC CORE VALUES:
We Believe we can significantly impact the future of our youth through education and extraordinary leadership.
We Value Commitment, Honor and Accountability and through these principles we are dedicated to the tradition of excellence in serving our youth, our partners and our community.
We Promote Engagement and Collaboration by treating all people with respect and sincerity to create an environment of openness where shared success can be achieved.
We Demonstrate Quality by working efficiently and effectively to continuously improve our programs for the benefit of our Scholars.
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Thank You for Your Continued Support |
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Bentley Systems: We are grateful for the generosity and continued support of Bentley Systems.
Philadelphia Foundation: The Philadelphia Foundation has provided YMWIC with a donation to support Scholars in our Philadelphia Chapters. Thank you for your generous support.
Ansys: The YMWIC family is so appreciative for the generosity and support from the Ansys team. We look forward to working together in serving the community.
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Submitted by Sandra Bradley
My name is Sandra Bradley, Community Engagement Specialist at the West Chester Area School District, and my position supports non-English-speaking parents in our community. In 2014, I co-founded West Chester Area School District Padres Latinos, known by many as simply Padres Latinos. It is a Parent Volunteer Group for Spanish speaking families in our area with a mission to support the connection between schools and parents in order to engage families to support their children´s education. Concurrently to the work with Padres Latinos, I worked as an Independent Contractor and provided Translation and Interpreting Services to several clients supporting different industries including Education, Energy, and Environmental.
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Chester Upland Chapter: Armand Phillips attends STEM Academy at Showalter, a school in the Chester Upland School District that serves Grades 7 through 12. Armand, a recent Honor Roll student, is in the 10th grade and joined YMWIC when he was in the 8th grade. He likes that the Foundation is open to most age groups and feels that being a member has led him to focus on college and has given him a new perspective on his community.
Armand’s advice to younger or new Scholars stresses the importance of communication and being able to listen to others and see through their perspective. Read more.
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Coatesville Chapter: Scholar Samuel Wilson is in the 11th grade at Downingtown West High School in the Downingtown Area School District. Sam, as he prefers to be called, joined YMWIC in the 5th grade as a Summer Program Scholar. Throughout his many years with us, he has discovered that he most enjoys the people he comes in contact with at the Foundation and how loving we have been towards him. He believes for himself and for other Scholars, "Everything you learn here will be important sometime in your life," and advises them to, "Just get your work done early. I believe by following my suggestions, you will have the best experience at YMWIC.” Read more.
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Norristown Chapter: Leo Peal is in the 3rd grade at Marshall Elementary School and joined YMWIC this year along with his two brothers. As a member, he most enjoys learning about math, the Foundation-sponsored trips he has taken, and the Science Projects he participates in at the workshops. He advises other Scholars to join because YMWIC helps you to have an outstanding identity and will help them to become more knowledgeable in math, science, reading and technology. Read more.
Previous issue correction: Lionel Peal, Jr.'s school was listed incorrectly in the November, 2022 YMWIC Newsletter; he attends Stewart Middle School.
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Phoenixville Chapter: Summer Thomas is in the 8th grade at Phoenixville Middle School of the Phoenixville Area School District. She has been an Honor Roll student for two years. Summer joined YMWIC last year when she was in the 7th grade and most enjoys the Robotics activities she takes part in. Her advice to other YMWIC Scholars, “Use your time wisely.” She encourages those considering YMWIC to join, "Because it's fun!"
Summer would like to study to become a lawyer or doctor in the future. She enjoys reading in her free time.
We hope you continue to learn and have fun with YMWIC, Summer!
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Upper Darby Chapter: Nyla Dukes (Written by Nyla Dukes)
Hello! My name is Nyla, and I attend Drexel Hill Middle School.
I am in the 7th grade, and this is my first year as a YMWIC Scholar. I have earned Honor Roll status many times and also an award called The Triple Crown Award. It is given to students having zero referrals and perfect attendance or few excused absences.
What I enjoy most about YMWIC are the workshops, because I get to try something new and exciting in each one! A huge impact YMWIC has had is helping me with public speaking, whether it is just standing up and saying my name or explaining what I learned during the workshop. Read more.
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West Chester Chapter: Third grade Scholar Sahara Datil attends East Ward Elementary School of the Downingtown Area School District where she has earned various medals for her accomplishments. She joined YMWIC this program year and enjoys learning new and cool things as a member of the Foundation. She advises other Scholars to always try their best.
Sahara would like to become a professional dancer. She enjoys playing the cello and basketball and dancing. In her free time, she likes to watch TV, read, and play with her dog.
We see a bright future ahead of you, Sahara.
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William Penn Chapter: Kesmyn Mugo is an impressive first-year YMWIC Scholar. He is a tenth grade Distinguished Honor Roll student at William Penn High School. He dived right into being a Scholar, attending workshops, community service events, and joined the Robotics Special Interest Group (SIG). He says it has been fun to learn about all the ways robotics can be used and building them is his favorite part.
Kesmyn is interested in attending MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, or California Institute of Technology. He would like to be a Robotics or Mechanical Engineer. Read more.
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Workshops #6
The 3rd and 4th grade Scholars learned about surface tension and soap with YMWIC STEM Educator Dr. Naomi Hampson, performing three separate experiments during the workshop. The first was to investigate what water looks like when dropped onto wax paper. They observed that it balls up and becomes as close to a sphere as possible, and when they touched each drop with a bit of soap they observed that the ball collapsed and the water just became a wet spot that did not hold a shape. In the Upper Darby Chapter, the Scholars designed an additional experiment that they tried. Read more.
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Every year in each YMWIC Chapter, Scholars participate in up to four Community Service Events that focus on Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement. Scholars must participate in at least two of these events, with many opting to participate in all four. They experience, first-hand, the sense of fulfillment gained by doing activities that improve their communities and help others in need.
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Chester Upland Chapter: For their second Community Service event, Chester Upland Scholars visited the Life In Christ Ministries and assisted with their after-school program. They collaborated with the staff by participating in a Life-Skills Food Preparation class in which they assisted in making a strawberry shortcake and BLTs.
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Upper Darby Chapter: Scholars assisted the CUSA (Chester Upland School of the Arts) to prepare for their holiday celebrations by decorating walls and Christmas trees and creating favors for the students. They also assisted CUSA staff members with other party preparations.
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William Penn Chapter: Scholars volunteered at Murphy's Giving Market in Upper Darby for their first Community Service event. The community resource center's goal is eliminating food insecurity in the area while helping the members of the community any way it can. Scholars worked together to fold and organize clothing donations in order to help future shoppers at the market. They had an insightful discussion about the mission of Murphy's Giving Market and why it is important to volunteer their time.
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Society’s Treatment of People with Special Needs
By Kimora White – Norristown Chapter
People with special needs are often frowned upon in today's society as some may not fit today’s beauty standard or the aspects of what some people call normal. As a result of these opinions, some people may choose to disparage people with disabilities by making derogatory comments, slurs, assaulting them, and even telling them to harm themselves. This is a huge problem in today's society that hasn’t been addressed or brought to the world's attention.
Today, the world seems to revolve around social media, which defines a standard on how “pretty” people should look. Popular social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat often promote the idea that fitting today’s beauty standard will cause people to accept and respect you. Read more.
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Climate Change
By Dayanis Morales-Salgado – Norristown Chapter
Climate change, who is most affected? Well, to begin with, everything and everyone is connected in a way; so if something is affected, something else will be, too. It's a never ending cycle that can only be changed with great effort. Throughout history, climate change has become a serious problem that affects our planet; and in return, affects the way we live. Even if one person decides to speak up or start a movement, it will be challenging because many people don't see the importance of decreasing climate change for a better future. In conclusion, climate change affects everything because it's a universal issue.
Let’s say, however, that someone does get the support to raise awareness on climate change; it will still take time for climate change to end because it takes time for a planet to react. Read more.
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Annually, during the college winter break, our alumni are invited to participate in a workshop at their YMWIC home chapter to share their college and post-college experiences with the Scholars. Mr. Roberts attended the Norristown Chapter workshop and spent time with the alumni, and answered great questions asked by the Scholars.
Following the workshop, Mr. Roberts and a few of the Norristown alumni met at the King of Prussia Bonefish Grill for a delicious meal. Each shared how well they are currently doing in college or their careers and reflected on the years they spent as members of YMWIC. The Alumni are (left to right): Jason Bady, Lauren Sitek and friend, Raisa Sabiha, John Coleman and Josh Coleman.
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"I’m John Coleman, and I am a proud Alumni of YMWIC. I graduated from high school in 2018 and am currently continuing my education at Millersville University pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Music Business Technology. I was the first of many Scholars who joined YMWIC at the very beginning, and I’m so happy to see how much the Foundation has grown. Being part of this group has helped me not only become a better student but also a better person."
Keep up the hard work, John; YMWIC stands behind you all the way.
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College Corner - Scholars Preparing for Their Futures |
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College Prep
In the second installment of the College Corner series, Dr. Koreem Bell, School Counselor in the Lower Merion School District at Harriton High School, Adjunct Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and recipient of the 2022 YMWIC Community Leadership Award, outlines the steps YMWIC Scholars who are High School Juniors should be completing now in preparation to apply for college acceptance.
- Schedule a parent/student meeting with your counselor to begin the College Selection Process.
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Register for the ACT Test at www.act.org or the SAT at www.collegeboard.com (for late spring).
- Continue preparing for the SAT or ACT tests.
- Meet with your counselor to review Senior Year Course Selection and Graduation Requirements.
- Stay involved with your extracurricular activities, as colleges look for consistency, commitment and leadership.
- Consider which teachers you will ask for college letters of recommendation and ask before the end of the year.
- Register online or call the admission offices for visits to colleges you are considering, and visit the campuses of your top college choices.
- Inquire about personal interviews at your favorite colleges.
- After each college visit or interview, send a thank-you note or email to the person or people with whom you met.
- Begin to work on your College Application Essays. The Common Application Essays are available online and The Common Application will be available in early August.
The next Newsletter issue will feature the third installment in this series which will outline what High School Sophomores should be doing now to prepare for college.
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Our Scholars’ parents greatly contribute to the success of YMWIC. Our featured parent this month is Marie-Luise Faber of our William Penn Chapter which they joined in the 2020-2021 program year. Marie says, “We started with YMWIC during the pandemic while the students were learning from home and needed something more in the way of engaging education. My daughter stuck with the organization because it provides lots of hands-on workshops on various STEM topics that she loves. She gets a lot out of the workshops and interacting with like-minded peers. She also loves the different professional instructors the lead the workshops.” Read more.
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YMWIC 12th Annual Science Expo
On Saturday, March 4, 2023, YMWIC will host our Annual Science Expo. Beginning in September, YMWIC Scholars selected a Science Project and used the scientific method to execute their projects. They are required to meet specific deadlines for their Project Research Plan, Lab Report, Project Board, and PowerPoint Presentation. The culmination of their project is the presentation and defending of their project at the Expo.
Volunteers from many YMWIC partner corporations and universities serve as mentors to the Scholars throughout the project process and also as judges for the Scholars’ presentation boards and oral presentations. During the afternoon session, you can view all of the science project exhibits. After the exhibits, our dynamic keynote speaker will deliver an inspiring science-related message. Scholars' parents and guests and members of the community can register here.
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YMWIC 13th Annual Scholarship & Awards Banquet
This year, YMWIC will host our 13th Annual Scholarship & Awards Banquet. This exciting event will be held at the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel in King of Prussia, PA on Thursday, May 25, 2023. During the Banquet, we showcase our Scholars for their achievements and reward our graduating senior Scholars with the college scholarships they have earned to attend the colleges of their choice. There will be a delicious dinner and a poignant message from our Keynote Speaker.
We will also honor industry executives who are champions in supporting YMWIC and our communities with the following Awards:
- West Impact Award
- Educational Leadership Award for Secondary Education
- Educational Leadership Award for Post-Secondary Education
- Community Leadership Award
Join us as we celebrate our Scholars and Community Leaders and enjoy an evening of fellowship and fun! To register to be a part of this amazing event or to make a donation, use this link.
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Mark Your Calendar!
Registration for the YMWIC Elementary School STEAM & Language Arts Camps will begin next month. Camps will be held in June and July of 2023, within our Partner School Districts in Chester Upland, Coatesville, Norristown, Phoenixville, Upper Darby, West Chester and William Penn. Keep an eye out for more information on our social media (Facebook and Instagram), the YMWIC website, and in our February Newsletter.
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YMWIC 10th Annual Scholarship & STEM Golf Classic
Join us on Monday, August 21, 2023, at the fabulous Penn Oaks Golf Club in a Scramble Golf Tournament and Fundraiser to support our Scholarship Program for the Young Men and Women In Charge (YMWIC) Foundation, Inc. You will meet our Scholars, network, and have fun as you help us raise scholarship funds.
Golfers will receive gifts and enjoy an open buffet lunch and an open buffet dinner. There will be prizes for our guests and winners. For non-golfers, please join us for the evening banquet and networking dinner event, which will include a delicious buffet dinner and much more. Mark your calendar!
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Follow YMWIC on Facebook and Instagram |
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Hey, YMWIC Family! Don’t forget to follow us on both of our social media platforms, Instagram and Meta (formerly Facebook). This is a great way to receive constant updates on what’s happening at YMWIC. All you have to do is go on your Instagram and/or Meta (Facebook) app and type YMWICscholars. Once you see our logo pop up, click Follow. Drop a Comment to say hello! Welcome to our social media family! Looking forward to seeing you join in on the fun.
To connect with us online on Meta/Facebook select this Link! To stay up to date with what’s happening at YMWIC via Instagram, you can select this Link.
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YMWIC is a non-profit 501(c3) Pennsylvania Corporation. Our Mission is to empower and prepare economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented youth to excel and become leaders in STEM careers. We are looking for talented and dedicated individuals to fill the following roles in the Foundation:
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Project Coordinator - Full-time
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Summer Educator – Full-time, June-July, 2023
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Tutors – Part-time
Click Here for more information about these positions. If you are interested in applying for a position listed above, please let us know your preference and submit your resume to [email protected]. All candidates must have the required clearances: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Clearance, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Criminal History Clearance which is required for all employees and some volunteers).
If you or your organization would like to be a valued volunteer for YMWIC, please use this link. We welcome and appreciate your talents, time, and willingness to work with us!
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Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC): YMWIC Foundation, Inc. is eligible to receive funds from the EITC Program which is administered by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. We thank those businesses that donate their EITC funding to YMWIC Foundation and encourage others to consider directing funding to our impactful community nonprofit that provides college and career preparation for K-12 students; empowers their families; counseling, financial support and internships for YMWIC college alumni; and enriches our communities by developing a talented and skilled workforce. Please contact Rick Roberts at (610) 340-2844 if you would like to consider our YMWIC Foundation, Inc., as the recipient of your company's EITC funds.
Amazon Smile and YMWIC: Using Amazon Smile costs you nothing but can make a world of difference to our Scholars and the resources we provide. When you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. When making online purchases from Amazon, simply search for YMWIC Foundation or YMIC Foundation. Your product cost will not increase when donating to YMWIC.
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Thanks for your Generous Support |
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