“When you learn, teach; when you get, give.”

~ Maya Angelou, American Poet

YMWIC would like to thank our Partners who will be sponsoring our 2022 Scholarship & Awards Banquet on May 26, 2022. Among our generous contributors are: Project Management Institute (PMI), a Sponsor at the Saturn Level; AGI, an Ansys Company, a Sponsor at the Neptune Level. Thank you to WSFS Bank for Banquet support and your generous EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) donation in support of our Robotics, Pre-College and Summer Enrichment Programs.

If you would also like to become a sponsor of this fantastic event, please contact me.

Thank you, Cleveland Charitable Family Fund, for your generous donation in support of our Summer Enrichment Programs for 1st - 12th Grade Scholars and our Robotics Team.

On April 7, 2022, West and YMWIC Foundation, Inc., were one of 23 partnerships recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal at the 2022 Faces of Philanthropy Awards Breakfast at the Rivers Casino in Philadelphia. At the breakfast, the Journal honored philanthropic initiatives and partnerships between non-profit organizations and corporations in the Greater Philadelphia region that have made a large impact and difference in the community. We continue to celebrate and appreciate our long-term partnership with West!

During the award acceptance speech, Mr. Roberts shared, “We are very proud of our relationship with West, which started in 2012 as Young Men in Charge that served African American and Latino males. We value and sincerely appreciate the generosity of the West Family and look forward to continuing to impact more lives in the communities we serve.” West employees volunteer to provide support in our Job Shadowing Program, STEM-related workshops, corporate tours, judges during the annual Science Expo, executive coaching and much more.

Some of the YMWIC staff were proud to be invited and attend such an impressive event. In the photo at left, Edoukou Aka-Ezoua, Wanda Allaire, Alicia Thompson, Naomi Hampson and Richard Roberts, III of YMWIC are joined by Laura Pitt and Maureen Hunter of West Pharmaceutical Services (both standing closest to Mr. Roberts).

This month, our 8th through 12th Grade Scholars embarked on the YMWIC 2022 College Tour, an annual event anticipated by Scholars scheduled during Spring Break. On April 11, Mr. Roberts, 22 Scholars and three parent chaperones boarded a luxury coach bus for a trip across Pennsylvania to visit six colleges. The itinerary and events are shared by Mr. Roberts. We departed with a busload of excited Scholars at 7:00 p.m. and headed west arriving at Springhill Suites Hotel in Pittsburgh, where we spent our first night.  

The next morning, after breakfast, we visited the first college of our trip, the University of Pittsburgh (photos below), for a tour of the campus, and a presentation about, dormitory living, classes, financial aid and life on a large urban campus. First, we met with two African American members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) who majored in Engineering. They provided so much knowledge about the school and completely answered every question the Scholars asked, ranging from why they chose their major to how college life is for them as students of color. Read more.

Chester Upland Chapter: Scholar Malcolm Lawrence is in the 8th grade at Chester Community Charter Aston, and this is his first year with YMWIC. He has enjoyed many activities during his time at the Foundation, especially the Robotics Club and participating in Community Service events with his chapter. Malcolm has seen improvement in his school grades since joining and says, “YMWIC staff always encourages me to do better.”

Malcolm is not sure of his career plans yet but has a couple of ideas: playing football, baseball, or possibly being a mechanic. Although he doesn't know which college he would like to attend, he says that he has heard good things about Lincoln University. Malcolm's advice to younger or new YMWIC Scholars, “Never stop working toward achieving your goals.” He would tell others interested in joining, "YMWIC is a great Foundation, has great academic resources, will help you achieve whatever you want to achieve, and is very inspirational." Congratulations, Malcolm, for being chosen in the Chester Upland Chapter to be recognized in Scholar Spotlights.

Coatesville Chapter: Xavier McClanahan attends Collegium Charter School where he is in the 9th grade and has maintained a 90% average in all of his classes this year. He joined YMWIC when he was in the 5th grade and most enjoys the many opportunities provided to improve his future. He especially enjoys the annual College Tours during Spring Break and Job Shadowing. Xavier says that the Foundation has helped him to improve his public speaking skills explaining, "The multiple experiences of presenting at the YMWIC College Expo and other venues via this Program have enhanced my ability to verbally communicate in public."

Xavier would like to become a Chemical Engineer when he graduates from high school. His advice to younger or potential Scholars is, "Do not take this opportunity for granted. Use this Program to leverage opportunities for your future." In his spare time, he enjoys playing football and video games. Continue doing well, Xavier!

Norristown Chapter: Journey Hayward joined YMWIC this program year. She is in the 5th grade at Knapp Elementary School where she is proud to say, “I’m often designated Student of the Week.” She enjoys the activities, science projects, and people she meets at YMWIC. Since joining, Journey believes she has grown as a learner and now sees herself as a “Scholar.”

As a possible career, Journey is interested in becoming an entrepreneur, possibly working with chemicals in the future. She envisions creating new vitamins to help people stay well. Read more.

Phoenixville Chapter: Davi Alcântara Sampaio attends Phoenixville Area Middle School and is in the 7th grade. He joined YMWIC this program year and says that the biggest impact the Foundation has had on him is that he knows there are staff members and resources available to help him meet his goals. He says, "Knowing I have a Plan 'B' if something goes wrong is one of the best feelings." He also thinks YMWIC is a fun program.

Davi would like to be a soccer player in the future. He advises younger YMWIC Scholars or others who may join, “You must complete tasks on time, and have fun!” He plays soccer and has won some soccer awards, as well as certificates for his good grades. Continue doing well, Davi. We are very proud of you and your accomplishments!

Upper Darby Chapter: Liya Gebru is a 4th grade student at Independence Charter School West. This is her first year with YMWIC. She enjoys learning new things and credits YMWIC with helping her to win a competition; Liya was a First-Place Winner in her Grade Category in the YMWIC Annual Science Expo!

Liya would tell her peers who are members of or considering YMWIC that, "This Foundation has events that happen throughout the year, tutors to help you with your homework, and you learn about so many new and interesting topics during our workshops." Liya plays the trumpet; and in her free time, she likes to draw and make bracelets. Continue taking advantage of YMWIC resources and doing well, Liya!

West Chester Chapter: Seventh grade student Tisya Dinesh attends Peirce Middle School. She joined YMWIC after the principal at her school recommended that she join. Tisya says, “I enjoy all the fun workshops, music bands and camps that I get to participate in and all of the interesting facts and topics we learn about.” She hopes to continue to gain more knowledge in Aerospace, Robotics and Space Technology through hands-on workshops at YMWIC. In the future, Tisya wants to do something in the subject of astrophysics and space technology explaining, “Ever since I was young, I have wondered about things outside of Earth and how they are different from things on Earth.”

Tisya’s hobbies include volleyball, swimming, art and music. She does most of her hobbies with her friends so that she gets better at her hobbies and gets to enjoy her friends at the same time. She would tell other students who are considering joining, “YMWIC is an amazing opportunity to grow and learn about your area of interests so that you will have a better future!” We’re so proud of you, Tisya!

William Penn Chapter: Jada Hitchcock is in the 3rd grade at Kids World Christian Academy where she earned Honor Roll status for the first marking period. She joined YMWIC’s William Penn Chapter this school year and enjoys the workshops she attends. Jada believes the Foundation has helped her to stay focused. She encourages Scholars who are new to YMWIC to, “Stay involved with the Program.” To those who may be interested but on the fence. She encourages them to, “Try it out; it’s a really cool Program."

Jada envisions herself becoming an Engineer in the future. She enjoys soccer, acting club, dance, and talking to her friends. Jada, keep up the good work!

Our high school Scholars participated in the second part of the Career Readiness workshops presented by our valued partner, LaFrance Corporation. The LaFrance representatives volunteered to provide Scholars with meaningful information and tips on preparing for an interview including where to apply for jobs, researching the company, how to dress to give the best first impression to the interviewer, interview etiquette, preparing questions for the interviewer, and many more helpful tips.

Scholars participated in mock interview breakout sessions in which they were able to practice the skills they just learned. Read more.

For Workshop 15, STEM Educator, Wanda Allaire, worked with the younger Future Stars and Pluto Scholars, (3rd through 6th grade) on Cryptography and Cyber Security, engaging in exercises in Data Enciphering and Deciphering. Working in groups, Scholars had to figure out how to decode unknown messages. They worked on a Caesar Shift Code to create and decode coded messages, discovering that encoding data involved using an algorithm and a key. Scholars discussed why Cyber Security is important and why data needs to be encrypted. Despite using a simple cipher code (an alphabetic shift), they very much enjoyed this enriching challenge!

STEM Educator, Naomi Hampson, worked with the 7th through 10th Grade Scholars and discussed Analog vs Digital signals. They started with a discussion of the differences in digital and analog technologies and took a poll of which Scholars were familiar with an analog TV that showed static or snow when it didn’t have a signal, and contrasted that to digital TVs which just say “no signal.” Using plain and graph paper, Scholars participated in a tracing demonstration that led to further discussions about visual signals including known limits and screen resolution.

They then investigated the difference between analog and digital sounds using an app called Phyphox which allowed them to use the sensors in a cell phone for science experiments. They discovered that the extra noise in an analog signal made it very difficult to tell where the signal started and ended; but for the digital signal, they could separate the signal from the noise.

Mr. Roberts worked with our West Chester Saturn Scholars, 11th and12th grade students, on Financial Literacy. Each Scholar received a set of blank checks, a ledger, was given real-life scenarios of income and expenses, asked to manage their finances, and pay their bills while ensuring that their bank accounts supported their expenses. Scholars learned about interest and how to avoid financial penalties. Although we are in a digital world, Scholars also realized that it is important to still know how to complete and sign checks.

The Coatesville Chapter participated in a Clean-Up Day for Coatesville Youth and Women’s Alliance (CYWA) for their second Community Service event. The Scholars and parents of Coatesville beautified the outside of CYWA’s building by pulling weeds, picking up trash, raking, and sweeping the area around the building. Parents helped to show Scholars which plants were weeds and which were the roots of flowers that would bloom in warmer weather. Scholars worked diligently and worked together as a team to complete this project.

The Coatesville Chapter’s third Community Service event was at Lamancha Animal Rescue. Read more.

It’s not even May 1st, and we have some Senior Scholars already committed to their colleges!

Isabella Mena of the West Chester Chapter will attend Temple University in the fall and will be studying Psychology. She is currently using Temple-related social media sites to meet friends, find out about clubs she may be interested in joining and search for roommates!

Karen Aguilar, also from the West Chester Chapter, has committed to West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Esteban Ramos, an East High School senior and member of the West Chester Chapter, has committed to Penn State University, College Park. He will begin his first year with an undecided major but thinks he will be a marketing major.

At YMWIC, we consider our Alumni to be our greatest ambassadors. After high school when they graduate from the Foundation, we follow and support them through college graduation (undergraduate and graduate degree programs) and their careers. We are excited to share our latest Alumni News!

Asia Tilghman (at left) is matriculating at Lincoln University where she is running for Freshmen Class President. Currently, her favorite classes are Intro to Computer Programming and Sociology.

She still attends and supports many YMWIC events and helps out with the Robotics Team on Saturdays. Thank you, Asia. It’s wonderful knowing you’re doing well academically, and we can still count on you!

Cecilia Casteneda Jiminez (on right) is having an amazing time and doing very well at West Chester University of Pennsylvania where she is majoring in Nursing. She says she’s enjoying meeting so many new and interesting people and that her professors are great!

Edith Bradley, a sophomore at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, has had a busy year. She just received two awards for Outstanding Performance from the West Chester University Languages and Cultures Department and the Political Science Department. She was also just introduced into the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society and the Sigma Delta Pi Hispanic Honor Society.

And there is more! Edith is off to Ireland this summer for a study abroad experience. We couldn’t be more excited for her!

Brooklyn Green, a YMWIC West Chester Chapter alum, is completing her third year as a Chemical Engineering major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T). She will be returning to Exelon Corporation as an intern for the third time this summer. This year, she will be working at their nuclear site.

We are so proud of her for continuing to embody the values of YMWIC.

We at YMWIC like to recognize parents or guardians who go above and beyond in service to their chapters. This month, we salute Germaine Scherzer, mom of Scholar Steven S. Scherzer, Jr., of the Coatesville Chapter. The Scherzers joined YMWIC in 2018 because Germaine says, "The Scholarship Program sounded amazing." She has seen so much growth in Steven's interpersonal skills and his ability to speak in front of others since being part of YMWIC and says that he really enjoyed the college tours during the YMWIC Summer Program. Read more.

YMWIC will host our 12th Annual Scholarship & Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 26, 2022. We are excited that this year we can return to having a live event, which will be held at the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel in King of Prussia, PA! During the Gala, we showcase our Scholars for their achievements and reward our senior Scholars with the college scholarships they earned to attend the colleges of their choice. In addition, there will be a Silent Auction, Dinner, and a Caribbean Trip-for-Two Raffle.

Our Keynote Speaker will be Ronald A. Bradley, Jr., Vice President of Gas Operations for PECO, an Exelon Company (pictured above left). Mr. Bradley joined PECO as an engineer in 1984 and was quickly promoted to high profile leadership roles in PECO and Exelon Utilities. In addition to his illustrious career, he also serves on multiple corporate Boards and holds positions of leadership at his church.

We are pleased to again welcome Barbara Gee as our Mistress of Ceremonies. Barbara has been a consistent contributor of YMWIC, and we are truly thankful for her many years of support.

We will honor industry executives who are champions in supporting YMWIC and our communities with:

Join us in celebrating our Scholars and community leaders as you enjoy an evening of fellowship and fun! We are now accepting donations to participate or be a part of this amazing event. To register, use this link.

Join us on Monday, August 29, 2022, 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, an open buffet lunch, and an open buffet dinner. There will be a Silent Auction and prizes for our guests and winners. For non-golfers, please join us for the evening banquet and networking dinner event, which will include a buffet dinner, live jazz, and much more. You can click on this link to register.

The YMWIC 2022 STEAM & Language Arts Camp is an exciting, educational, and fun-filled six-week experience for rising 1st through 8th grade Junior Scholars, who will have great experiences exploring new concepts in math, chemistry, biology, computer science, robotics, language arts, reading, art, and much more! There will be weekly field trips. Previous field trips have included The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Zoo, Camden's Adventure Aquarium, and The Academy of Natural Sciences -- all included with registration!

The camp is scheduled for the weeks June 20, 2022, through July 29, 2022. Camp days and times vary per location; use the links below for more information about a specific camp location. After-program arrangements can be made separately. Camp locations are within our partnering school districts in Pennsylvania which includes Chester Upland, Coatesville, Norristown, Phoenixville, Upper Darby, West Chester, and William Penn. Campers at the Chester Upland and William Penn locations will be selected by school district personnel.

We are now accepting applications for the 2022 Summer STEAM & Language Arts Programs. Note: Payment Plan options are available where applicable for families meeting specific financial criteria. For more information about Scholars' grade levels as of September 2022, the dates, times, and cost of each camp and to register for these amazing and exciting summer programs, use these links:

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 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.