WHEREAS, Experience Corps Philadelphia began in the 1995-1996 school year by engaging older adult volunteers in tutoring and mentoring K-3 students in order to increase literacy support in Philadelphia’s public elementary schools; and
WHEREAS, Experience Corps Philadelphia, which started in just two schools with a handful of volunteers, now operates in over 40 schools with more than 500 volunteers providing 200,000 hours of support to 3,500 students; and
WHEREAS, Students supported by Experience Corps Philadelphia have raised their reading ability by an average of 1.5 grade levels per year; and
WHEREAS, Experience Corps Philadelphia is the “flagship” and leader within the national Experience Corps program, which spans 14 cities, serving as a model for similar projects in cities such as Boston, Cleveland, New York, Washington D.C., Portland, Minneapolis, Port Arthur, Chicago, Baltimore, Kansas City, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and others; and
WHEREAS, Volunteers of Experience Corps Philadelphia have been shown to benefit through improved physical and psychological health, increased community connections, and rewarding friendships with fellow volunteers; and
WHEREAS, Experience Corps Philadelphia has been hailed by local teachers, principles, community leaders and legislators; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia Experience Corps has developed a national model
Leadership Institute
for older adults to develop their skills as community and civic leaders, and
WHEREAS, These achievements were recognized nationally in 2004 when the U.S. Administration on Aging selected Experience Corps Philadelphia as an “
Aging Well, Living Well Program Champion,
” calling the program a “pioneering” model for the nation, and in 2006 was recognized by the National Council on Aging as one of four premier models for the civic engagement of retirees and older adults, and was selected by Harvard University’s Robert Putnam as one of the 12 most effective programs in the US at building Social Capital; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor Experience Corps Philadelphia on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Robert Tietze, Director of Experience Corps Philadelphia as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
End