Penn State York
WOMEN’s Philanthropic Network
Inspiring the Next Generation of Giving
Discovery Meeting: Learn and Engage
Become a part of Penn State history. Become a
member of the first Women’s Philanthropic Network
at Penn State York !
Penn State York is pioneering a new initiative for the
University with the creation of the first Women’s
Philanthropic Network (WPN). A collective voice and realizing
the power of giving together through activities to learn,
engage, give, network, and celebrate defines the key
elements of this unique organization.
Learn and Engage - WPN Annual Discovery Meeting:
 Learn about campus needs and initiatives
 Speak up and Speak out – Make a funding recommendation
WPN Scholarships for Student Leaders: $2,000
In concert with the group’s leadership mission, the WPN
supports the development of student leaders at Penn
State York. Recipients of this scholarship hold a
leadership position on campus.
Leaders in Three Key Student Groups:
 Student Government Association (SGA)
 Lion Ambassadors
 Blue & White Society
Twentieth Anniversary Celebration
Keynote Speaker for STEM/Pathways: $7,500
Pathways to Your Future: Exploring STEM Careers at
Penn State York is a one-day, on-campus career
awareness program for seventh grade girls, their
teachers and parents, which highlights opportunities in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
STEM/Pathways Program
Goals
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To increase young women’s awareness of
STEM careers (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics)
To encourage young women to take college
preparatory mathematics courses in high
school so that the doors to STEM careers
remain open to them
To provide opportunities for young women
to explore career options and to interact
with professional women from STEM and
related fields
To provide teachers and parents with
information to guide young women toward
career opportunities in mathematics,
science, engineering and technology
Objectives
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To expose each student to a variety of
careers, with an emphasis on those careers
that are considered nontraditional for
women; role models for minority and other
under represented groups are included
To actively involve each student in each
workshop that she attends through handson or role playing activities
To provide each student with the
opportunity to speak personally with a
workshop presenter, panelist, or college
career counselor at the conference
Keynote Speaker
We plan to build upon our previous nineteen years of success
and expand the program as part of a twentieth anniversary
celebration with the addition of a nationally-known
motivational speaker.
Our first choice is Debbie Sterling, founder and CEO of
GoldieBlox. We are asking the WPN to be the lead sponsor to
bring this caliber of speaker to the York campus – to be that
role model for our Pathways students and to also share her
success story with the Penn State and York community-atlarge.
First Choice Keynote Speaker
Debbie Sterling is the founder and CEO of
GoldieBlox. She never knew what engineering was
until her high school math teacher suggested she
pursue it as a college major. Debbie couldn't figure
out why her math teacher thought she should be a
train conductor! Nevertheless, she gave engineering
a try during her freshman year at Stanford. Four
years later, she graduated with a degree in
Mechanical Engineering / Product Design. Bothered
by how few women there were in her program, she
became obsessed with the notion of “disrupting the
pink aisle” with a toy that would introduce girls to
the joy of engineering at a young age.
Nittany Success Center Funding: $10,000
The Nittany Success Center provides professional and peer
tutoring, study groups, testing, and academic coaching. WPN
funding would have a major positive impact at the Success
Center with investments made in two areas:
 Seed money to support facility upgrades (create a
matching challenge opportunity for other donors) to
provide private and quiet spaces for all the activities
described above
 Funding for tutor training activities
2014-15 Highlights and Benchmarks
 683 students had contact with the Nittany Success Center. This
is an increase of 24.9 percent from the previous year
 231 students received peer tutoring in at least one course
 32 percent of students who received tutoring received a grade
of A or B. Another 27 percent received a grade of C
 1,914 contacts between students and peer tutors via 1:1 tutoring,
study groups and/or academic coaching (An increase of 13.7
percent)
 107 hours of Academic Coaching were provided to eleven
students by the four professional coaches
 269 exams were administered to students in the 2014-15
academic year (185 of these exams were for students with
disabilities)
2015-16 Goals
 Maintain student use of the Nittany Success Center at the rate of
at least 40 percent of the student population
 Increase use of the Nittany Success Center by first semester
students, students with disabilities, English as a Second
Language (ESL), and minority students
 Increase use of the Nittany Success Center for math drop-in
 Maintain funding to support Nittany Success Center training
activities
Teaching International – “Fieldtrip to Campus”
Kick Off Event Fall 2016: $1,000
Teaching International (TI) is designed to internationalize the
campus experience of Penn State York students.
Teaching International Goals:
 Forge connections between the world inside and outside the
University
 Develop global awareness
 Prepare students for the world marketplace.
Teaching International Goals
Each year, TI chooses a country/region and a theme and designs a
series of co-curricular events highlighting the country/region and/or
theme. Penn State York’s 2016-17 country/region is Pacific Islands
and the theme is literacy.
“Fieldtrip to Campus” Program: Pacific Rhythm
 60-minute performance with six dancers (two adults and four
children)
 Two Samoan fire knife dancers and Maori fire poi
 Coconut demonstration – telling the legend of the coconut to
incorporate the literacy theme
 Presentation of Pacific Islands and their different cultures
 Refreshments native to the Pacific Islands for attendees to
sample
If the WPN recommends all of the projects I have outlined to be
funded, the total amount of money to be raised by March 31, 2016
would be $20,500. I hope we are successful enough to surpass this
minimum amount to support all four initiatives. If we are,
additional money can be designated to increase the seed money
goal for the Nittany Success Center – to allow us to challenge more
donors to match our efforts and increase the impact of success at
the York campus.
york.psu.edu/wpn