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Rowing can have a profound impact on a young person’s life. For the last decade, PCR has built a high-impact youth development organization that uses the sport of rowing to empower Philadelphia public school students to reach their highest potential both on and off the water. More than just a rowing team, PCR's outcomes and impact are unequivocally enhanced by the suite of wrap-around services and enrichment programs we offer, including subject-specific tutoring, swim lessons, nutrition and health education, mentoring, SAT prep and college admissions support, and community engagement activities.
In just one decade PCR has grown from one employee and several volunteers to what it is today – a thriving organization that is on track to serve over 350 students from more than 50 Philadelphia public schools in 2021. Over the years, we’ve made strategic changes to enhance our impact, including adding a middle school program that engages students earlier in their development, integrating swim instruction into all our programs, and improving our support services by adding a certified guidance counselor to our staff who provides individualized oversight of student academics and post-graduation planning. Even with these enhancements, we continue to offer all of our programs at no cost to participants and families.
Throughout this time, PCR has grown steadily in numbers, speed, and towards our goal of creating a truly diverse and inclusive program that successfully allows all young people to thrive, including students of every race, socioeconomic status, and gender identity. Although 55% of our participants come from low-income households and 60% have two or more risk factors for drop-out, I am proud to tell you that PCR students continue to outperform the district population in SAT scores, GPA, on-time graduation, and college acceptance. To date, 100% of PCR students have graduated on time and with plans to pursue their education or training, compared to just 69% of students in the District as a whole.
We are now at a critical point in our growth and are seeking support from individuals like you who believe in the power of sport to change lives and who truly understand the profound impact after-school enrichment programming can have on a young person’s life. PCR continues to gain traction in the schools and communities most impacted by systemic marginalization and with the fewest resources. Demand is at record levels across all programs… but now we are having to turn students away due to space and budgetary constraints.
Our future success depends on generous people like you who share our values and who seek a better future for our city. We hope you will consider making a gift that is personally significant to you and your family. Your gift not only helps ensure that PCR can continue providing our life-changing programs to an increasing number of young people each year, but also helps us make key improvements to the enrichment and support services we offer, enabling us to continue meeting the needs of the city’s most vulnerable students.
A diverse and passionate new generation of rowers is ready to shine. Will you help make it possible?
Just like a race on the water, the race to reach our Annual Fund goal of $60,000 by the end of the year will be the result of the collective effort of our friends, community, and supporters. When you give to PCR, you're helping us provide access to rowing, the Schuykill River, and so much more! PCR's annual fund supports every part of our budget including facility maintenance, equipment purchases, SAT prep and tutoring, college counseling, race entry fees, and professional development for our coaches. Your gift has a direct impact on the quality of our programs and the lives of our student-athletes.
Want to hear what current student-athletes, parents, and PCR alumni have to say about our program? Click here to read their stories and testimonials!