PHILADELPHIA—The Comcast Foundation recently gave a $12,000 grant to support a nonprofit organization that helps the area’s newly arrived immigrants to assimilate with the region’s social economic environment. The grant, which went to the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, will be used specifically for Project Bridging Cultures at South Philadelphia High School (SPHS), which deals with racially-targeted school violence.
The Welcoming Center intends the program to aid the diverse student body at SPHS—both newly arrived immigrants and native-born at SPHS to excel and achieve a productive academic experience that benefits their future. The program provides academic and social support to students, with an added emphasis on building cross-cultural understanding and harmony among the students group as well as the larger multicultural community in South Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Councilman James Kenney was instrumental in securing funding for the program. Kenney informed the Comcast Foundation of the challenge faced by the Welcoming Center when a major donor pulled out from funding for 2011.
“We are grateful to Philadelphia Councilman James Kenney for bringing the Welcoming Center’s challenge to our attention. Knowing the program lacked funds for 2011, we felt the Comcast Foundation grant would go far in helping students facing a real challenge,” said Kathleen Sullivan, Comcast vice president of Government and Community Affairs. “Comcast and the Foundation work with nonprofits to boost programs that improve the quality of life in our communities but it’s particularly meaningful when we can positively impact a critical situation.”
According to statistics from South Philadelphia High School, the school has about 1,500 students (October 2006 figure), 65.8 percent are African-American, 17.9 percent are Asian, 10.4 percent are White, 4.7 percent are Latino, and 1.3 percent are others.
The number of assaults on students, teachers, and administrative staff has steadily increased from 2002 to 2005. Serious incidents of racially-targeted violence against newly arrived Asian immigrant students that occurred since 2009 have made both local and national headline news.
A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Asian immigrant students by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian-Americans, against the school district.
The lawsuit alleged the school district of “deliberate and discriminatory indifference” against Asian students. In April, the U.S. Justice Department said they found merit in the claims. In a letter to the district, the Justice Department advised school officials to take steps to settle the matter.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast is the nation’s largest cable operator and home Internet service provider. The Comcast Foundation provides support to nonprofits and since its inception in 1999, has donated more than $77 million to organizations in communities nationwide.
The Welcoming Center intends the program to aid the diverse student body at SPHS—both newly arrived immigrants and native-born at SPHS to excel and achieve a productive academic experience that benefits their future. The program provides academic and social support to students, with an added emphasis on building cross-cultural understanding and harmony among the students group as well as the larger multicultural community in South Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Councilman James Kenney was instrumental in securing funding for the program. Kenney informed the Comcast Foundation of the challenge faced by the Welcoming Center when a major donor pulled out from funding for 2011.
“We are grateful to Philadelphia Councilman James Kenney for bringing the Welcoming Center’s challenge to our attention. Knowing the program lacked funds for 2011, we felt the Comcast Foundation grant would go far in helping students facing a real challenge,” said Kathleen Sullivan, Comcast vice president of Government and Community Affairs. “Comcast and the Foundation work with nonprofits to boost programs that improve the quality of life in our communities but it’s particularly meaningful when we can positively impact a critical situation.”
According to statistics from South Philadelphia High School, the school has about 1,500 students (October 2006 figure), 65.8 percent are African-American, 17.9 percent are Asian, 10.4 percent are White, 4.7 percent are Latino, and 1.3 percent are others.
The number of assaults on students, teachers, and administrative staff has steadily increased from 2002 to 2005. Serious incidents of racially-targeted violence against newly arrived Asian immigrant students that occurred since 2009 have made both local and national headline news.
A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Asian immigrant students by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian-Americans, against the school district.
The lawsuit alleged the school district of “deliberate and discriminatory indifference” against Asian students. In April, the U.S. Justice Department said they found merit in the claims. In a letter to the district, the Justice Department advised school officials to take steps to settle the matter.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast is the nation’s largest cable operator and home Internet service provider. The Comcast Foundation provides support to nonprofits and since its inception in 1999, has donated more than $77 million to organizations in communities nationwide.
