Middle Grades Initiatives
WHAT WE DO
At PEF, we believe that all students deserve access to the opportunities and resources that inspire a successful future. Our Middle Grades Initiatives aims to engage with the greater Philadelphia community to provide career exploration and self-discovery opportunities that help students – as early as in middle school – to understand, experience, and be motivated to pursue the possibilities for college and beyond.
Get involved
Contact: Liza Rangel, Senior Program Manager, Middle Grades Initiative lrangel@philaedfund.org
87 percent
of students agree that their experience with Spark helped them discover new career possibilities to explore.
74 percent
of Spark students improved in critical competencies for successful classroom engagement, as reported by their teachers.
355
working professionals helped students develop social capital, build social-emotional skills, and improve academic performance through Spark programming.
Spark Philadelphia
Through a combination of hands-on workshops, in-school presentations and job site visits, Spark Philadelphia engages seventh and eighth graders with career-connected and social emotional learning experiences.
With the generous and enthusiast support of our partner companies in the Philadelphia region and in collaboration with the schools Spark aims to curate relevant and real-world experiences for students, exposing them to a wide range of career options they may not have otherwise considered, from architecture and engineering to financial and pharmaceutical fields.
Spark Companies & Volunteers
On behalf of their companies who are invested in making an impact in our city, working professionals have meaningful opportunities to contribute to advancing Community Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility efforts.
Volunteers help our students build social-emotional skills, broaden their understanding of industries and professions, and plant the seeds of career pathways that begin as early as in high school.
North 10 After School Program
Funded through the H. Chase Lenfest Foundation, PEF’s newly launched after school program at North 10’s Lenfest Center operates each spring, serving students from the surrounding community.
During the 10-week session, the program provides homework help, creative crafting projects, and general college & career exposure opportunities for students in seventh and eighth grades, three afternoons a week.
