Quote of the Month

Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.

~ Nelson Mandela

Happy Holidays, YMWIC Supporters:

At this joyful and celebratory time of year, we extend our sincere gratitude for your support. We wish you the gifts of health, prosperity, and happiness as we also take the time to fellowship with our Scholars, their families, and staff at our annual Holiday Giving Event. We gathered together to share the warmth and spirit of the season and presented holiday gifts to under-resourced families in each Chapter’s service area.

It is important to recognize our Scholars' academic achievements and hard work thus far this Program Year and congratulate those who have earned Honor Roll status. As we prepare for the Science Expo in February, 2024, we encourage Scholars to continue to be diligent in your studies and take advantage of the resources YMWIC provides to help you succeed.

Even though Academic Excellence is a primary goal with support systems in place to help ensure Scholar achievement, there is also an emphasis on our Scholars' and Families' Mental Health and Well-being. Our fifth workshops this month were devoted to this topic, which has become a very important and valued aspect of our programming. 

Looking ahead to 2024, a new year and a new beginning, we encourage you to take advantage of opportunities to renew your commitment to self, family, community, and organizations you serve.

We are continually seeking partnerships with community members who wish to support us in our mission. I invite you to become a YMWIC Partner, Supporter, or Donor; our continued growth and ability to provide services and support to our Scholars depends on your generosity. Please contact me if you are interested in developing an enduring and mutually rewarding relationship.

With gratitude,

Richard Roberts, III

(610) 340-2844

[email protected]

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.



YMWIC 2023 Promo VIDEO

YMWIC has received a generous donation from the Philadelphia Foundation - 2023 Fund for Children Grant. We are grateful for their support of the YMWIC Mission as we expand our reach in Philadelphia.

We thank GSK - Philly Expansion for their donation which also supports us as we broaden our reach in Philadelphia.

Thank you, LaFrance Corp, for providing over 200 Polo shirts, branded with the YMWIC logo, for our 2023-2024 Program Year Scholars. The shirts are part of our Scholars' informal uniform and worn at many Foundation Events.

This month we are catching up with Chelsea Nicole Campos Calzada, YMWIC Class of 2023. We asked Chelsea to comment on the programming delivered by Foundation staff, partners and vendors for life after graduation; and she responded, "Being a member of YMWIC equipped me with the essential resources and, more crucially, instilled the confidence needed to embark on my college journey successfully. I seamlessly adapted to college life, and the skills acquired during my membership in YMWIC have been integral to my current academic achievements." 

Chelsea continues by saying, "I am currently completing my first semester of Nursing School at Temple University; and it has been a seamless transition from high school. While there have been challenges in this new chapter of my life, I can confidently affirm that my preparedness has facilitated a smooth integration."

When asked what advice or words of wisdom she has for current YMWIC Scholars, Chelsea replied, "When you feel like you're about to fail, reflect upon your past accomplishments. Recognize that your strength surpasses your own perceptions. Don’t crumble under self-doubt; you’re stronger than you think." 

You can see some of Nataki Roberts’ photography in this month’s Newsletter of Scholar headshots. Nataki is the Owner and Lead Photographer at K-Moon Studios, and we are thankful she volunteers her services at many YMWIC Events. In reference to her volunteer services, Nataki says, “I use my Photography to capture events and headshots for YMWIC and my Engineering skills to help students with their Science Expo projects.” She most enjoys meeting the Scholars and inspiring them for greatness.

In addition to being a talented Photographer, Nataki works for Lockheed Martin as a Digital Transformation Senior Manager where she helps manage Digital Transformation. She explained that Digital Transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how it operates and delivers value to its customers.

We asked what led her to where she is today; her response was, “I have always been inspired by the amazing people around me. My first mentor was my Dad; he is a physics teacher and retired military officer. When I was a young girl, my Dad was working on his Master’s Degree and PhD in Physics. I was inspired greatly by him to be a lifelong learner.” Read more.

On Saturday, December 9th, YMWIC Scholars, their families, and staff gathered for our Annual Holiday Giving Event at East High School in West Chester to celebrate the holidays. With a very diverse membership, YMWIC hosted our Scholars and their families from all Chapters. In addition, we chose a family that could use a little extra help during the holiday season from the community of each Chapter and invited them to attend. Whether they attended or not, each of these families was presented with beautifully-wrapped gifts for the parents or guardians and their children that were donated by our member families.

The day was full of holiday cheer as we enjoyed a delicious potluck meal of a yummy variety of dishes and desserts provided by our families. In addition, Scholars participated in friendly contests, playing games, dancing, mingling, and just having a good time! Congratulations to the winners of the candy-counting contest--Maximilian Schmied of the West Chester Chapter, Jasmyne Thomas of the Coatesville Chapter, and Joshua Gunawan.



Thank you to our DJ, Johnny Johnson aka DJ Johnny Tech, and Emcee, Mr. Edward Ganges, for providing the entertainment, and all of the many volunteers who contributed time and resources to make this event fun and memorable for our Scholars! You can view a photo gallery from the Event by clicking here.

The second of three day-trip College Tours took place on Friday, December 1, when a group of 10 Scholars, along with Mr. Roberts, visited Villanova University in Villanova, PA, outside of Philadelphia. The Scholars enjoyed touring the Villanova campus including the Student Center and learning about the academic programs offered. 

Scholars received valuable information about admissions to the University. They learned that at Villanova, SAT scores are not necessarily the only important requirement influencing an admission decision, being well-rounded holds equal weight. The Admissions representative who met with Scholars was impressed with our Scholars as they recited the Credo and explained what it means to them. 

We pride ourselves in preparing well-rounded graduates from the YMWIC Program with impressive portfolios, resumes, and leadership skills--all of which Villanova seeks in admissions candidates. Out of 25,000 applications received each year, they accept about 1,600 students. We want to make sure our Scholars who apply will be among the top candidates!

Scholars are looking forward to the third College Tour in this series to Lincoln University in February, 2024.

At YMWIC, we expect and celebrate academic excellence. Below are the Scholars who have earned Honor Roll status for the first marking period.

• Coatesville Chapter - Distinguished Honors: Aryan Kumar, Anailah Lamb-Towles, Bi Gui Liu, Xavier McClanahan, Heidi Potts, Jonathan Thomas, Samuel Wilson; Honors: Ayden Bolden-Scott, Cristian Calle, Isaiah Carty, Angie Castillo Colin, Mohamed Elkhouly, Emilee Lopez, Aryana Pugh, Matthew Thomas
• Furness High School, Philadelphia Chapter - Distinguished Honors: Sylvain Farrel, Adam Marcello; Honors: Keith Gray-Mickens, Daniel Gunawan, Lionel Susanto
• Martin Luther King High School, Philadelphia Chapter - Honors: Askia Manley, Layla Manley
• Norristown Chapter - Honors: Angelena Camack, Myla Massolena
• Phoenixville Chapter - Honors: Dylan Nichol Berry, August Kollar, Darien Sampson, Addilyn Smith, Saharra Thomas, Savannah Thomas, Summer Thomas
• Upper Darby Chapter - Distinguished Honors: Fatima Afrani, Layee Dukuly, Ian Eichstaedt, Charlieze Ganges, Maxam Ganges, Clarisa Garcia, Gianna Kurian; Honors: Layla Bente, Mohammed Kamara
• West Chester Chapter - Distinguished Honors: Maria Leon Daza, Symone Howard; Honors: Delight Adeyemi, Janis A. Bady, Tisya Dinesh, Sydney Holland, Braylynn Johnson, Payton Palmer, Spencer Palmer, Maximilian Schmied, Madison Taylor
• William Penn: Distinguished Honors: Omar Adams; Honors: Daviin Jeremiah, Iyana Miller, Inza Soumaro

Chester Upland Chapter: Joseph Davis, a 9th grade student at Chester Community Charter School, is new to YMWIC this Program Year. He stated that he was an Honor Roll student throughout middle school and received a Perfect Attendance Award. 

So far, he is enjoying being a member, "I feel that being part of YMWIC will help me meet more people and stay on track to accomplish my career goals." He plans to commit to YMWIC and complete all membership requirements. His career objective is to become a Game Developer, and he would like to study Coding and Graphic Design. However, he hasn't selected any colleges he would like to attend yet.

In his free time, Joseph is learning Japanese; and he enjoys drawing in his sketchbook.

Welcome to YMWIC, Joseph; we look forward to supporting you in your journey to higher education.

Coatesville Chapter: Matthew Thomas has attended Collegium Charter School since kindergarten and is currently in the 11th Grade; he joined YMWIC three years ago. Matthew has earned Honors or Distinguished Honors recognition each semester, and his GPA is Top 5 in his graduating class. Other awards he has earned include 2nd Place Winner at the 2023 YMWIC Science Expo in the High School Group and recognition as part of the College Board’s National African American Recognition Program. In addition, he will become an AP (Advanced Placement) Scholar in May and is on track to receive the Presidential Service Award by January 2024!

A committed YMWIC Scholar, Matthew has attended every Workshop and Community Service Event so far this year for his Chapter. He says, “I aim/hope to be named YMWIC Scholar of The Year in May.” Read more.

Furness High School, Philadelphia Chapter: Adam Marcello, a senior at Furness, joined YMWIC this year with some very specific goals in mind. He says, "I want to improve myself and my critical thinking skills. I can benefit from YMWIC's Academic Tutoring Program which can help me improve in my subjects. YMWIC also offers numerous scientific projects which gives me a taste of what to expect in my dream career of becoming an Astronomer." He says, "I plan to do my best in all the projects and requirements that YMWIC wishes me to do, as well as improve my own skills and talents by being part of this community-based program that supports student success. 

Adam further explains his dream of becoming an Astronomer, "Space has always fascinated me since childhood. Growing up, my mom first made me watch numerous science channels on YouTube. Read more. 

Martin Luther King High School, Philadelphia Chapter: Jayonna Couch is a senior at MLK High, our newest Chapter, where she received several Attendance Awards in the past few years, earned Honor Roll status, and received a NSHSS Award in June for her academic achievement. 

We asked Jayonna why she wants to be involved in YMWIC, and she responded, "I would like to be involved because membership opens my world to new possibilities and better opportunities. I think I can benefit by networking and taking advantage of the opportunities to meet new people, collaborate with like-minded peers and participate in experiences that will help me prepare for college." She plans to continue taking advantage of the opportunities YMWIC offers. Read more.

Norristown Chapter: Angelena Camack is an 8th Grade student at Renaissance Academy Charter School. Her goals as a member of YMWIC are to improve her grades especially in science and math, become more focused, and add value to her community through service. As a member, Angelena has been benefitting from the Academic Tutoring Program offered at the Foundation to help meet a primary goal of improving her grades. In addition, she has made many new friends and is learning how to give back to others by participating in Community Service Events. 

Angelena would like to study Nursing or Finance, or own her own business in the future. She is not sure what colleges she may consider but is confident that YMWIC is helping her to prepare for her future and college. She is committed to taking advantage of all resources the Foundation offers and is committed to attending workshops and participating in activities.



We at YMWIC are here to support you in your efforts, Angelena!

Phoenixville Chapter: Summer Thomas, an Honor Roll 9th grade student, attends Phoenixville Area High. Her core courses are Honors Level. Summer joined YMWIC when she was in the 7th grade. She shared the biggest advantage of being a member are the opportunities, resources and experiences that impact her grades and what she is learning. She most enjoys the Community Service events and plans on being actively involved in as many YMWIC events and activities as she can.

In the future, Summer would like to be a Forensic Scientist, Medical Lawyer, of Physician. She is not sure of what college she may want to attend. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and listening to music.

Continue to take advantage of all that YMWIC has to offer you, Summer. We're sure you will be successful.

Upper Darby Chapter: Eva Zhao began her YMWIC membership in our 2023 Summer Program. She is currently in the 9th Grade at Upper Darby High School. She is proud to share that she earned Distinguished Honor Roll for all four marking periods last year, was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society, and received a Principal's Award for 8th Grade Awards Night. She is also heavily involved in multiple clubs and other extracurricular activities at school, such as participating in the Marching Band and Volunteering.



Eva takes her commitment of YMWIC membership seriously by actively participating in engaging workshops and SIGs (Special Interest Groups) that interest her. We asked her what the biggest impact the Foundation has had on her so far and she said, “The biggest impact on me has been learning the importance of careers and jobs that can potentially lead you to wealth. Read more.

West Chester Chapter: Kevin Ayllon, a junior at Kennett High School, has received many achievements including IUP Latino Exploration Day Scholarship and a Career Compass Dual-Internship Program Certificate of Completion. In addition, he attended the Lincoln University Upward Bound Summer Program and received multiple awards which included Highest Academic Achiever in Math, Most Improved Student Overall and Highest Academic Achiever.

Kevin joined YMWIC as a sophomore and has most enjoyed the annual College Tours, because they have exposed him to colleges outside of Pennsylvania. He says that the Foundation, "Is an amazing Program that helps students of color as well as all students with anything college related." His advice to younger Scholars is to embrace the challenges in front of them. Read more.

William Penn Chapter: Daviin Jeremiah is a 7th grade student at Penn Wood Middle School. He has achieved Perfect Attendance in the past. He joined YMWIC this year; and, so far, he is very much enjoying himself as a member. One reason he joined is to learn more about computer programming, coding and to improve his skills. He is also having fun participating in many collaborative experiences available such as hands-on Robotics learning activities and meeting and interacting with other Scholars his age. 

Daviin visited and liked Delaware County Community College for a school trip and is considering attending. He would like to be a Game Developer, specifically for a game called Five Nights at Freddy's. He currently codes games on a website called Scratch (a coding community for children); and in his free time, he likes to watch YouTube videos, and sleep.

We have lots of opportunities for you to learn more about Programming and Robotics, Daviin. Continue taking advantage of the resources, learning activities, and experiences offered. Most important, keep learning.

Workshops #4

During Workshops #4 in all Chapters, Scholars continued to progress with their Science Projects. Phase 2 of the Projects, the Lab Reports, were due on December 11th, in which Scholars were required to carry out their experiments, repeat if necessary, and photograph and record their results.

Workshops #5

Scholars from all YMWIC Chapters met for Workshops #5 at YMWIC Headquarters at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate Center. Buses were arranged for Scholars who needed transportation. Scholar cohorts were divided into groups in separate rooms for subject matter relating to Mental Health appropriate to their ages as follows:

The 3rd and 4th Grade Future Stars Scholars participated in an Anti-Bullying Workshop with Mr. Jimmy White, IV. He led them in conversations about self-esteem and bullying. Mr. White discussed being on the receiving and giving ends of bullying, how bullying affects others, and how they can react if they, or their friends are experiencing bullying. Read more.

YMWIC Project Coordinators team with parents and guardians in their Chapters to research and contact organizations within their Chapter area to arrange events at which our Scholars and family members can be of service.

Coatesville Chapter: GRANDFamily Connections Holiday Crafts -- The Coatesville Chapter participated in its first Community Service project of the Program Year on Monday, December 4. GRANDFamily Connections of Chester County is a county-wide program providing information and assistance to informal and formal kinship families and connects them with specialized services, that are free, to support their unique needs. We partnered with GRANDFamily Connections to host a Holiday Craft event. The Scholars created different holiday crafts with the child participants of GRANDFamily Connections. Some of the craft options were building a snowman, making two different types of ornaments, coloring a fabric stocking, and creating holiday festive coloring books. We also fed everyone with pizza, chips, cookies, and hot chocolate while listening to Christmas music in the background. The YMWIC Scholars helped the younger children with their crafts and were able to interact and chat with them. Our Scholars also helped set up before and clean up after the event. 

Furness High School, Philadelphia Chapter: Snyder Avenue Congregational Church Food Pantry -- On November 18, our Furness Chapter partnered with Snyder Avenue Congregational Church Food Pantry in Philadelphia to help distribute food to approximately 200 people in the community. Scholars assisted by sorting and packaging the food to be distributed. Afterwards, they broke down boxes and assisted in clean-up.

Martin Luther King High School, Philadelphia Chapter: Men Who Care Food Distribution – Martin Luther King Chapter Scholars partnered with Men Who Care of Germantown, Inc., to distribute food to approximately 300 people. Read more.

Congo

Written by Dayanis Morales, Norristown Chapter

What is cobalt? It is an elemental metal needed to manufacture lithium-ion batteries, and it is used in phones as well. Many companies rely on these batteries because they are efficient, meaning they can store more energy and supply clean power to devices and electric vehicles (EVs). To obtain this metal, it first must be extracted from the earth and then processed further in several ways to reach the appropriate purity levels. According to cobaltinstitute.org, 57% of cobalt is used for EVs. The United States is responsible for producing 0.37% of cobalt, yet it consumes 7,800 metric tons of it. The largest producer of the world's cobalt is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which is accountable for 70%. 

Currently, there is a silent genocide happening in Congo. One of the main reasons for this was the spark of a new wave of anti-Rwanda and anti-United Nations protests. Read more.

The YMWIC 13th Annual Science Expo and Scholar Presentations will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania in Sykes Hall. Our Scholars have been hard at work identifying, carrying out, and documenting their Science Projects. 

At this highly-anticipated event, our Scholars will present and defend the Science Projects they have worked so hard on in front of judges, their families and community members. Each Science Project and presentation will be judged, and the winners will be honored at our end-of-Program Year Scholarship Banquet. You are cordially invited to view all of the Projects on display at the afternoon Expo and meet and speak with the Scholars about their Projects. Please click this link to register to attend.

If you are a YMWIC Partner and would like to sponsor this event or purchase an ad in the Souvenir Booklet, please click here.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Below are key dates for upcoming events for the YMWIC 2023-2024 Program Year:

• February: College Tour to Lincoln University (date to be determined)
• February 24: YMWIC 13th Annual Science Expo and Scholar Presentations
• March 22 - 24: NSBE 50th Annual Convention (National Society of Black Engineers)
• March 25 - 29: College Tour to Atlanta, GA, and visit to The King Center
• April 27: Robotics Team Competition in Washington, DC
• April to May: Scholar Job Shadowing with YMWIC Foundation's Corporate Partners
• May 23: YMWIC 14th Annual Scholarship & Awards Banquet at the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel
• June 17 - July 26: Elementary School STEAM & Language Arts Camp, Middle School Science Retreat, and High School Upward Bound Summer Programs
• May - August: Summer Internships for YMWIC High School Scholars and Alumni
• September 9: YMWIC 11th Annual Scholarship & STEM Golf Classic at Penn Oaks Golf Club

YMWIC is growing! In order to support our growth, we are constantly looking for talented, highly-qualified individuals who are committed to staff our Fall, Winter, and Summer Programs. We are seeking candidates for the following positions:

• Project Coordinator – Full-time
• STEM Educators – Part-time
• Tutors – Part-time

Click here for more information about these openings. 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.

Volunteers Needed

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!

Keep up with our Scholars and Program! You can stay on top of what YMWIC Scholars are doing by following 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 must 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.

Educational 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 through Community Service activities, increases the number of college graduates, and develops 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.