Pennsylvania, United States Aug 4, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR), charged with empowering Philadelphia public school students to reach their highest potential through academic support, mentoring, nutrition education, and enrichment activities in conjunction with a highly structured athletic program, has recently appointed Stephanie Hodges, Theresa Spencer, and Leona Thomas to their Board of Directors.
The three new board members raise the total number of board members to nine, including board chair Milton S. Schneider, Catherine Reddick, Robert Baldry, John Hogan Sr., James Lynch, and Chris Savage.
“We are thrilled to have Stephanie, Theresa and Leona join our board of directors,” said Caitlin Mance, the Executive Director of Philadelphia City Rowing. “Each of these women brings invaluable expertise and resources to our organization, as we work to grow our programs and increase the impact we have on hundreds of students throughout the School District of Philadelphia. As members of our board, their energy, experiences, and passion for supporting our community and the young people we serve are palpable. It’s a particular honor to have Stephanie come onto the board, as she is a PCR alumna from the first group of students in the program back in 2010.”
Hodges participated in the first PCR class while attending Philadelphia’s Masterman High School. She attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Sociology. Hodges is currently the Project Manager for Music Partnerships at Peloton.
Spencer is the Director of Communications for the American Heart Association. She is the owner of #TrainHuman!, an initiative she created to introduce the human aspect of training adult learners. Spencer is also a volunteer with the Mighty Writers of Philadelphia and Center for Literacy, and the owner of a personal branding/professional writing company called Vintage Green, which focuses on improving self-confidence and developing professionals.
Thomas served for eight years on the board of William Way, Philadelphia’s LGBTQ Community Center, as well as over 10 years as the Chair/Co-Chair of their Strategic Planning Committee. Thomas is the founder of Enabling Investments, LLC, providing strategic management consulting and executive advisory services, as well as the co-founder of CDL Depot, Inc., an online community serving the trucking and transportation industries. Previously she has worked as the CTO for Benefits Data Trust, COO for Wylie, Inc, provided strategic planning and advisory services for multiple non-profits, and spent over 10 years with CSC Consulting.
PCR is a privately funded, non-profit organization founded in 2009 in response to the many challenges facing young people in Philadelphia. Years of underfunding resulted in many after-school activities, including sports teams, being cut. At the same time, Philadelphia's high school dropout rates have remained among the highest in the nation. The founders of PCR sought to draw on the rich rowing history of Philadelphia and the proven power of sports to improve student academic achievement and long-term outcomes.
PCR provides nutrition education, mentoring, enrichment, swim lessons, and academic support in conjunction with a highly structured athletic program, to improve the academic achievement, health outcomes, and personal development of their participants. All of these components are incorporated into each of PCR’s programs, each of which is tailored to suit different age groups and levels of experience.
In addition to the high school and middle school academic year programs, PCR also offers a free 2-week Summer “Learn to Row" program, which allowed over 150 Philadelphia Public and Charter School students to try out rowing in a safe and welcoming space.
Rowing is a demanding sport that requires exceptional discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. PCR reinforces these values and helps young people apply them in all aspects of their lives. PCR strives to provide an atmosphere that encourages excellence, teamwork, accountability, and sportsmanship. The non-profit’s multi-faceted programming leverages staff, volunteers, and community partners to provide all PCR student-athletes with a variety of services and opportunities for growth and development. The organization actively recruits students who have the most to gain from their programming and ensures that all participants benefit from a team environment that reflects the rich racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of Philadelphia.
Since its founding, PCR has graduated over 130 students from its programs, with most going on to colleges and universities including the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, University of Toronto, Drexel, Columbia, and Bryn Mawr College, among others.
About Philadelphia City Rowing:
Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR) has a mission to empower Philadelphia public school students to reach their highest potential. We believe that by providing academic support, mentoring, nutrition education, and enrichment activities in conjunction with a highly structured athletic program, we can improve the academic achievement, health outcomes, and personal development of our participants. PCR maintains a culture that reaches under-resourced youth, puts students first, and is inclusive, transformative, and engaged with the community. We actively engage youth who have the most to gain from our programming and to ensure that all of our participants benefit from a team environment that reflects the rich racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of Philadelphia. Additional information is available at http://www.philadelphiacityrowing.org.
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