IMPACT REPORT a Message from Our President/CEO
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2018 IMPACT REPORT A Message From Our President/CEO If those close to Ed Snider were asked to name his most admirable qualities, it’s doubtful that patience would make the list. That’s not to say Ed didn’t put a lot of thought into what he did. It’s just that he believed sooner or later (and for Ed, it was most often sooner) the time comes to put an idea to the test—and if necessary—refine it on the fly. From our inception in 2005, Ed encouraged us to think boldly. If we saw a need or an opportunity (Ed typically thought these were two sides of the same coin), he urged us to take action. And—while we’ve grown in ways that may have surprised even Ed, we’re still inspired by his healthy restlessness. Consider some of the bold steps taken in 2018: u The University of the Sciences and Elizabethtown College were added to our cadre of higher education partners, providing our students with two more terrific post-secondary institutions at which they can access full college scholarships through our Goals & Assists program and graduate free of debt. u In efforts to deepen our commitment to foster good citizenship, broaden students’ horizons, and support our children, youth, and families in times of crisis, we created two new full-time positions: Coordinator of Service Learning & Career Development and Community Resource Specialist. u The Pew Charitable Trusts selected us to participate in its Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative, a rigorous 18-month training curriculum that will help us become even better at using data to measure and evaluate our success. u Ever-focused on efficient use of resources to meet our objective of whole-child development, we increased our growing list of partnerships with leading non-profit organizations. New collaborators in 2018 included: Freedoms Foundation, Philadelphia Futures, Support Center for Child Advocates, Turning Points for Children, and Vetri Community Partnership. u In developments you’ll hear much more about in 2019, we started a new chapter in our acclaimed public- private venture with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation that will bring significant improvements to four of the city rinks at which we operate. And—we forged a Use and Development Agreement with the University of Pennsylvania that will result in a major overhaul of Penn’s Class of 1923 Arena and a long-term alliance that will dramatically expand our daily services to under-resourced young people in West Philadelphia. We can’t predict all we’ll accomplish in 2019. But—with the support of generous donors, tireless volunteers, committed partners, and an uncommonly dedicated staff—we can promise that we’ll be relentless when it comes to unearthing ways to empower our students to build healthy, happy lives and to become agents of positive change in their homes, schools, and communities. Scott Tharp T AC 20 P 1 8 M Cost Paid by Students and Their Families I {$0} to Participate in Snider Hockey Programs Our Mission Drawing on the excitement of ice hockey and the mental and physical demands it makes on those who play it, the mission of Snider Hockey is to build lives and unite communities, while helping empower young people to succeed in the game of life. Whom We Serve We serve approximately 3,000 children each year in Philadelphia and Camden. Most come from under-served backgrounds. Thanks to the vision and generosity of our founder, Ed Snider, and the kindness of our donors, all programs and services are delivered free of charge. How We Do It We use hockey as a “hook” to gain and hold our students’ attention while we immerse them in a rigorous life skills curriculum and supplemental educational and health services. We serve students for long periods of time over the most formative years of their lives, from crayons through college, to rewarding careers. Our programs are designed to build character, support academic success, and nurture emotional wellbeing. From our students’ perspective, this means growing up in an ecosystem of support, in which leadership, personal responsibility, accountability, and hard work are positively reinforced at every turn. Our Ultimate Goal Though hockey will always be a part of our students’ lives, we know that as they mature, it will become a smaller piece of a much bigger future. Ultimately, we strive to help our students build happy lives and be good citizens who are eager to redistribute opportunity by paying forward the life-changing experiences they’ve had as members of the Snider Hockey Community. 2018 Impact Report: Lineup The Challenges We Address ........................................................................ 4 Hockey .......................................................................................... 6 Education ...................................................................................... 10 —Game Ready for Life! .......................................................................... 12 —Post-Secondary Education Partners ............................................................. 15 Keeping Score ................................................................................... 16 Life Skills ....................................................................................... 18 Testimonials .................................................................................... 19 Student Profiles .................................................................................. 23 Rink Locations .................................................................................. 24 Special Events ................................................................................... 25 Non-Profit Teammates . 26 Corporate Teammates ........................................................................... 27 Feel–Good Stories................................................................................ 28 Financials ....................................................................................... 29 Investors ....................................................................................... 30 Leadership & Staff ............................................................................... 33 THE CHALLENGES WE ADDRESS With 26% of residents—and 37% of children—living below the poverty level (2018, U.S. Census Bureau), Philadelphia has become the poorest metropolitan area in the United States. Helping young people overcome the challenges inherent to growing up poor is one of society’s most pressing and complex issues, and one that will have implications for generations to come. Snider Hockey’s “whole-child” approach to youth development is an important part of a sustainable solution. Children from low-income backgrounds At no cost to families, we provide out-of-school-time safe lack access to high-quality out-of- havens that foster academic success, physical fitness, school-time programs. citizenship, and valuable life skills. Only one in five Philadelphia children receive the minimum recommended At a minimum, our students engage in three more hours level of daily physical exercise (60 per week of physical exercise than Philadelphia minutes); one in five children children do on average. get no exercise at all. Children from low-income backgrounds Education about nutrition and making healthy experience disproportionately choices are core elements of our high levels of obesity. Life Skills program. On average, students from poor Snider Hockey students have a 99.6% grade-to-grade zip codes don’t keep pace with the promotion rate; 89% of our students perform at a academic achievement of their satisfactory level or above in core classes; and 99% wealthier peers. of our high school seniors graduate on time. Through our Breakaway and Goals & Assists programs, Many children from low-income families we offer qualified students scholarships to can’t afford a high-quality education. high-performing high schools, colleges, and trade schools. College students from low-income Our Game Ready for Life! program not only helps prepare families leave college without earning students for the rigors of college, but our counselors a degree at far greater rates continue to work with them through graduation. than their wealthier peers. While the game of hockey reinforces traits such as work ethic and teamwork, our Life Skills program helps students develop Young people are often unprepared soft skills such as critical thinking, relationship building, and to enter the workforce. conflict resolution. Our older students have the opportunity to put what they learn to work in summer jobs and internships. 4 New Position Created: Community Resource Specialist As an organization that seeks to nurture the well-being of the whole child, we’ve learned that children exist in the context of their families. In turn, families exist in the context of their communities. With that in mind, in 2018 we created the position of Community Resource Specialist to connect students and their families with resources in their communities to address their socio-emotional needs. As the first person to staff the position, Hilary Maggio, MSW CCTP, remarked, “I was thrilled to join an organization that was willing to make the commitment to go the extra mile to do everything possible to support the total wellness of the children and families we serve.” 5 HOCKEY HOCKEY . TRAINING FOR LIFE Yes! Hockey is a terrific metaphor for instilling in young people the attitudes, behaviors, and skills—hard and soft—that they’ll need to succeed in the game of life. Few sports are as simultaneously physical and cerebral as hockey.