Wachovia grants help train better public school teachers - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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The grants, totaling more than were allocated to a program callexd the Teachers Instituteof Philadelphia, or TIP. The moneyy will help to fund professional development seminars that will served about 70 public school teachers in the schoolp districtssurrounding Penn’s campus during 2008 and 2009. “The best way for us to have the biggesgt impact on children in the area is to focus our grantson teachers,” said Susanne Svizeny, Wachovia’s regional president for Greater Philadelphia and Delaware.
Wachovia’ philanthropic focus is education and Svizeny thinksd that giving teachers an opportunit yto re-engage in academia through TIP seminarz helps them to better serve their studentws down the road. “Everybody rises up when you focusa onthe teachers,” she said. “Wwe believe the way to have the greatest impact of our dollars is tosupportr teachers.” TIP is a partnership between Penn and the School Districy of Philadelphia, which begajn offering seminars for K-12 teachers four years ago.
The institute’s seminars connect Penn’s professors with area school teachers, who meet once a week for 14 weekss to study topics ranginvfrom African-American poetry to social studies. The remainderf of the seminar is spent on peer review and Teacher burn-out and teacher retention are major challengews in Philadelphia. The seminars allow Penn scholars to give back to the neighboringy area school teachers and reconnect with academic professionalx fromall disciplines, said Alan Lee, the directot of TIP. “Teachers are incredibly enthusiasti and we have a return rate of close to 50 said Lee.
“Wachovia understands the importanc of the future workforce and this is an investmeng that willbenefit everyone.” Allegiance Bank locations throughour the Philadelphia region are collecting coats as part of an annuak Allegiance Bank Holiday Coat Drive. The bank hopes to collec t approximately 100 coats per branch and plans on donatingt a total of 500 coats to Greater Philadelphiaa Cares andthe St. Vincent DePaul thrift Studentsat St. Martin de Porres Roman Catholic School in Nortyh Philadelphia are now well prepared for the comingfwinter months, thanks to a donatiom from Dunphy Ford and the Auto Dealers Association’s CARing for Kids Foundation.
The two groups donatec 400 coats to the school this year and hope to repeatt the gesturenext year. Philadelphia-based Laborers’ District Councipl Charity Fund, the giving arm of the Laborer’s District Council, donated $20,000 to the Jenkintowjn Day Nursery last month so the nursery can continude to provide affordable child care to The nursery offers services on a slidiny scale based ona family’s size and ensuring that no child is turned away. Iraq war veterab and chiropractor Doug Reilly of Reillhy Family Chiropractic in Plumsteadville is raising money for veteran sone X-ray at a During the week of Nov.
9, the docto r charged veterans new to his practiceonly $25 for an examinatiobn and x-rays and $10 to his veteram patients. Reilly has offered the deal since 2004 and has donatedd the fees he collects tovariouas veterans’ charities and buildings. Reilly has raisede $1,000 since 2004 and this year, the progra donated the proceeds to maintain the American Legioj Post 210 buildingin