Fall 2024: Barriers Broken

Breaking Barriers Campaign Newsletter

Lottery Day 2024

Please join CSFP to celebrate the happiest day of the year on Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 5:45 p.m. During our Lottery Day celebration, CSFP Board, staff, volunteers, and your fellow supporters call the families of newly selected scholarship lottery winners to notify them of the good news that they’ve been selected for the first time. These calls change everything for a family and bring so much joy!

Thank you to our partners who are making this event possible! This year’s event is hosted by Janney Montgomery Scott, and presented by Radian. The event is also sponsored by AmeriHealth Caritas, Bentley Systems, Inc., Commonwealth Foundation, and DJS Associates, Inc. 

Thank you, Janney and Radian!

Janney Montgomery Scott believes in helping shape and define strong and sustainable communities through their work to provide individuals, families and businesses with financial advice. Janney employees embody the firm’s values and also frequently volunteer, including attending past CSFP Lottery Days. We are proud that Janney will sponsor and host this year’s cornerstone event at its beautiful Center City office overlooking Philadelphia. Special thanks to CSFP’s dedicated volunteer Karen Shakoske (Janney’s SVP, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications), who is a member of our Breaking Barriers Campaign Steering Committee. 

Lottery Day Presenting Sponsor Radian has partnered with CSFP to support our mission for well over a decade. Since 2013, the company has supported over 300 scholarships through its generous giving. Radian, based in Wayne, PA, is a catalyst for homeownership that transforms risk into opportunity. 

Meet Jonathan, a CSFP Scholar

CSFP is proud to support the whole family during their educational journey. The Araud-Silva Family became a part of CSFP’s community in 2017 when their oldest daughter, Selimar, entered St. Matthew School. While Selimar has since graduated, her brother Jonathan shared his experience with us.  

Jonathan is a current 4^th grade student at St. Matthew School. He has attended his CSFP partner school since Kindergarten. Jonathan’s favorite class is gym, and he excels in his Religion courses. Jonathan also told CSFP that he enjoys the extracurricular activities offered by the school, like sports, the music program, or community service clubs.  

Jonathan’s involvement in the Junior Life Respect Club helped him understand community service and giving back to the community. “I love when we make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the less fortunate and collect baby items to donate to a women’s shelter.” He also shared, “I like the music program, I am excited to start learning to play the violin. I also like sports, I have joined soccer and basketball.”

Jonathan’s mom, Marisel, shared that his foundational education has shaped him into an active, caring, and funny individual. Jonathan already knows what he wants to be when he grows up, “When I grow up, I want to be a professional baseball player because they are disciplined, fit and healthy, and make good contributions to different community organizations.”   

Our research shows that increasing the time that a CSFP student attends their partner school results in stronger proficiency scores on standardized tests in math and reading. We also know that a strong academic foundation helps students build and improve their social-emotional skills; and build strong communities with other students, their school, and their families. For students like Jonathan, a scholarship has helped him achieve his academic goals, realize social success, and shaped his goals for his future.  

CSFP in the News

CSFP was featured in the September issue of Suburban Life Magazine. CSFP President and CEO Keisha Jordan, as well as Lucky, Dagan, and Zuri (three CSFP scholars from Greene Street Friends School) were featured on the cover of the magazine. Read our article.

In October, the Philadelphia Inquirer featured CSFP’s Opinion piece on how school choice and Pennsylvania’s EITC/OSTC programs benefit students in Philadelphia. Read the piece.

Campaign Updates