Cook-Wissahickon Elementary and Middle School Honors PBP for its Twenty Years of Sponsorship

PhilanthropyOn June 20th, 2017′, the Cook-Wissahickon School Community (CW) gathered to honor its business sponsor, Progressive Business Publications (PBP), for twenty years of effective Corporate Social Responsibility. The award-winning CW Choir opened the celebration with a medley of songs dedicated to “Our wonderful Sponsor, Mr. Satell”. CW Principal Mike Lowe presented Ed Satell with a special plaque, saying “We can’t imagine what CW would look like without PBP. You’ve given us wings. You’ve made us great. We are deeply grateful.” The PBP employees present were especially thanked for their commitment to the Mentor Program. It was a wonderful event!

How did this twenty-year partnership come about? More than two decades ago, PBP’s Founder and CEO, Ed Satell, heard General Colin Powell speak on Independence Mall in Philadelphia. The General called on businesses across the nation to rally for “America’s Promise” by supporting schools, providing Mentors, and sponsoring after-school care programs plus a myriad of other valuable activities school districts no longer could afford. Ed rose to the challenge, pledging that PBP would sponsor a failing city school in Philadelphia. Cook-Wissahickon, then a 600 student K-5 elementary in the shadow of the infamous East Falls Housing Projects, was selected. And so, a vibrant twenty-year partnership was born.

In 1997, CW was plagued with poor student performance, high teacher turnover, low family engagement, lack of supplies, no safe after-school program -all the indicators of failure. It ranked in the bottom 20% of the Philadelphia school district. Today, enriched by its partnership with PBP, CW is a thriving school community, grades K through 8, with a wait list to attend. Its before- and-after-school programs, created, funded and staffed by PBP, are models of success. The PBP Employee Mentor Program, the award-winning Choir, unique class trips, the grade 8 yearbook and graduation, professional development opportunities for the faculty…all of these PBP-supported initiatives makes CW a high-achieving, positive environment for learning–a truly great school! PBP + CW= Twenty Years of Success.