National Service Agency Officials Meet with Mayor Nutter, Help Launch Philadelphia’s Summer of Service Challenge with Lisa Nutter

The Officials Will Visit EducationWorks Summer Program and Discuss How Service is Transforming Philadelphia Communities

Washington, DC—Stan Soloway, Board Member of the Corporation for National and Community Service, will meet with Mayor Michael Nutter on Wednesday, July 28, to discuss ways that the federal agency can support Philadelphia's efforts to engage more residents in service that helps solve the city's toughest problems – from homelessness to illiteracy and youth violence.

On Tuesday evening, Corporation Chief Strategy Officer Heather Peeler will join Lisa Nutter at Fairmont Park to launch “Let's Read. Let's Move. Philadelphia,” Mayor Nutter's initiative to engage citizens and answer President Obama's national call to service. Philadelphia, a member of the Cities of Service coalition, is home to over a million volunteers who have contributed $2.7 billion dollars worth of service to those in need.

Soloway's Wednesday visit will include a City Hall meeting with social sector thought leaders, including Philadelphia Eagles President Joe Banner, Philadelphia's Chief Service Officer Catie Wolfgang, and Executive Director of PennSERVE Karen Kaskey, among others. Following the meeting, Soloway will host a community dialogue to engage diverse communities in the Corporation's new vision for national service. Several dozen nonprofit and social sector leaders will gather to discuss the agency's five-year strategic plan to drive measurable impact toward solving local challenges.

Additionally, Soloway and Peeler will host a lunch with 135 new AmeriCorps VISTA members, who will start heading up local service projects and recruiting volunteers to make a difference in Philadelphia in the coming months. The officials' visit will conclude with a tour of the EducationWorks Summer Program at Edward Steel Elementary. Through the Program, AmeriCorps members are deployed to support teachers and students in School Based Teams, an innovative model that has produced real results. Teachers report a 65% improvement in classroom behavior and 88% improvement in academic achievement.