Wonderspring is excited to announce that it is among the first recipients of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) Partnership Grant Program. Grantees were selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants across a nine-county footprint and each received a grant of $50,000.The Partnership Grant Program, part of a comprehensive strategy to end poverty and expand opportunity, is a departure from United Way’s past grant programs.
The program’s application process focused on what United Way can learn from organizations, not strictly on the organization’s demonstration of outcomes. By design, small organizations with deep roots in their communities or expertise in an emerging topic were selected alongside larger nonprofits.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with United Way to end the cycle of poverty that plagues our region by ensuring that children have access to high-quality early education that prepares them for success in school and beyond,” said Wonderspring CEO Zakiyyah Boone.
The mission of the Partnership Grant Program is to further high-trust relationships, productive knowledge sharing, and diverse perspectives. To support this, the decision process prioritized diversity of the group as a whole, including fields of practice, geographies served, size and age of organizations, and leadership diversity. The process was designed to prioritize learning and foster relationships, and to support grantees in their poverty fighting efforts.
Wonderspring CEO, Zakiyyah Boone was admitted to the Forum of Executive Women. The Forum brings together and leverages the influence of professional women to expand the impact and power of women in the workplace and beyond. Its vision is for women to achieve equitable representation in leadership influence and power in the workplace.
The Forum works to:
Make the voices of women leaders he
Provide a venue for the exchange of views and information
Advance parity in the corporate world
Support members for leadership roles
Further diversity, equity and inclusion
Promote the contributions, skills and visibility of Forum members
Mentor junior women as they advance in their careers
Serve as a source of influential contact, business referrals and remarkable friendships
The Forum advocates for pay equity and recently released a Pay Equity Playbook and report that provides leaders and organizations with a valuable resource for advancing the conversation on achieving full participation and compensation parity for women, people of color and underrepresented groups.
“The childcare workforce is largely comprised of women who are vastly underpaid,” says Zakiyyah. “It is my hope that as a Forum will provide both the resources and platform for me to be a more effective advocate for pay equity in our workforce.”
In May, a large group of volunteers from PNC bank came to Wonderspring’s Powelton Village center to clean our outdoor play area and plant flower and vegetable gardens. It was an amazing day and through the hard work of the PNC volunteers, the play area was transformed.
Since that time the staff and students at the Powelton Village center have been faithfully watering and caring for the gardens. The students have loved watching the plants grow and predicting which plants will bloom first. This week they literally saw the fruits of their labor. They were able to harvest radishes, cilantro and spinach, which was then shared with our families. Soon they will be able to harvest the snap peas and lettuce to share as well.
The children have learned so many wonderful lessons about plants and how food is grown in this process all while having fun outside. Thanks to PNC for making these gardens possible.
Check out the pictures below to see the transformation of the gardens.
While operating as a nonprofit in 2021 presented it’s own set of challenges, when I reflect on all we accomplished, I feel a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude for the amazing staff, families, children and partners that make up the Wonderspring community. I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year. Before we kick off 2022, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the highlights of the past year. I also want to remind you that it is not too late to make a tax deductible donation to support our work. Your gift ensures that we can continue to help children and families thrive.
We opened a gorgeous brand new center
After months of anticipation, Wonderspring opened the doors of New Market West–a gorgeous brand-new center in West Philadelphia. To celebrate the momentous occasion, Wonderspring joined with elected officials, early childhood stakeholders and community partners at a festive celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony.
We connected with the community
Despite the challenges of COVID we found numerous creative and safe ways to connect with the families and communities we serve. Big hits this year were the Narberth and Wynnewood Art shows that highlighted the incredible creativity of our children and our first annual Community Fun Day, which thanks to the collaboration of so many partners, was a giant hit with children and families alike.
We gave back
Wonderspring is committed to building empathy and caring in our children. We believe you are never to young to give back to the community and become a socially responsible citizen. In that spirit of giving, this year our Colonial school-age program collected a record 456 items including canned food, clothing, toys and books for the Colonial Neighborhood Council. Our Narberth program partnered with with the Pajama Program to provide pajamas for children in need.
We advocated for the needs of children and families
Working with local and national media outlets, Wonderspring took a lead role in helping our elected officials understand the the childcare staffing crisis, its effect on economic recovery, and the need to support a significant and sustained investment in early childhood education.
Thank you
We are so grateful for the generosity of our families and partners who supported us every step of the way this year. You help ensure we can continue to provide the highest-quality early education and care. If you would like to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children and families we serve, it’s not too late to make a tax deductible donation! Just click the button below.
While operating as a nonprofit in 2021 presented it’s own set of challenges, when I reflect on all we accomplished, I feel a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude for the amazing staff, families, children and partners that make up the Wonderspring community. I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year. Before we kick off 2022, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the highlights of the past year. I also want to remind you that it is not too late to make a tax deductible donation to support our work. Your gift ensures that we can continue to help children and families thrive.
Working with local and national media outlets, Wonderspring took a lead role in helping our elected officials understand the the childcare staffing crisis, its effect on economic recovery, and the need to support a significant and sustained investment in early childhood education.