WHEREAS,
It is well recognized that for the City to prosper, it must offer businesses a skilled, educated workforce; and
WHEREAS,
Philadelphia ranks 92nd out of the top one hundred cities in terms of residents who have obtained a four year bachelor’s degree; and
WHEREAS,
Mayor Nutter has
committed to double the college degree attainment rate from 18% to 36% over the next five to ten years; and
WHEREAS
, CORE (College Opportunity Resources for Education) Philly was formed in September 2003 as a last dollar scholarship program in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia School District with the unanimous support of both the Philadelphia City Council and Philadelphia School Reform Commission; and
WHEREAS
, CORE Philly is the first scholarship program of its kind in the nation to offer any graduating Philadelphia high school senior resident - whether from the public, private, charter or parochial systems - an opportunity to attend selected Pennsylvania colleges and universities; and
WHEREAS
, CORE Philly has awarded more than $15 million in scholarships since its inception to put college within reach of every graduating Philadelphia high school senior; and
WHEREAS
, CORE Philly scholarships have supported more than 10,000 Philadelphia students through their first year of college with an impressive [93%] remaining enrolled in college; and
WHEREAS
, Philadelphia high school seniors from every Councilmanic District have benefited in this era of declining need based college funding from CORE Philly scholarships, and
WHEREAS
, Community College of Philadelphia has a large percentage of students who receive college funding from CORE Philly scholarships; and
WHEREAS,
Realizing that endowments are a wise financial tool for ensuring its longevity Glen Meade Trust has agreed to administer an endowment for CORE Philly; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,
That we recognize CORE Philly for its accomplishments in the area of increasing college enrollment amongst graduating Philadelphia students and for the creation of a Trust administered by Glen Meade Trust for the benefit of future generations of Philadelphia resident High School graduates.
End