Summer is an exciting time for the Center for Education. As the school year winds down, we get to look back at the accomplishments of the students in our youth programs, and earlier this month, we hosted our annual youth program graduation ceremony.
The Center for Education hosts four summer and after-school programs for Philadelphia area high school students from historically excluded communities who are interested in careers in healthcare or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). is a three-year summer and after-school program for students interested in careers in healthcare or medicine. is a science and social-justice oriented summer and after-school program for Philadelphia high school students who have been impacted by community violence. is an after-school program that provides Philadelphia’s LGBTQIA youth with healthcare and STEM-oriented instruction, mentorship, academic support, and college/career preparation in an inclusive, safe space. is an after-school program that helps young women from Africa and the African Diaspora learn about STEM and build peer support networks.
This year, we were proud to honor 39 graduating seniors across all four of our programs. Included in our graduates was the sixth cohort of the Junior Fellows program, who started their program way back in 2019! All 39 students will be attending college in the fall, and many of them will be pursuing healthcare and STEM-related majors.
In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of our recent graduates, the ceremony was special for two other reasons. First, it was the first time since the start of the pandemic that we were able to have an in-person graduation (in 2020 and 2021, we held virtual graduation ceremonies over Zoom), and second, our amazing Advancement team was able to raise enough funds for us to give every graduate a scholarship to help them offset the costs of their education.
We cannot fully express how proud we are of their accomplishments, and we are certain they are well on their way to becoming the scientists and healthcare innovators of tomorrow.