Our Mission:
PCF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Philadelphia public schools by installing internet-ready computers in classrooms and publicly accessible locations. We also help outfit school libraries with books, provide computers to low-income families that do not have them, and teach 3D printing and computer literacy classes.
Our mission is to help children of all ages find their passion, develop needed skills, and make positive career and life decisions for a successful future.
- Improving reading skills. 40% of Philadelphia students scored below proficient in reading & 22% of the city’s population is illiterate and 41% of Phila households do not have a computer.
- Decrease drop-out rates. 42% of students entering 9th grade in 2006 failed to graduate in 2010.
- And address youth unemployment. The unemployment rate is 22% for Philadelphia residents ages 20-24, and 76% of Philadelphia households are economically disadvantaged.
How P.C.F. Got Started/History
Founder John Bannan shown on the left along with other current and past Board members.
John Bannan formed the Philadelphia Children’s Foundation (PCF) in July of 2006. It was John’s involvement with sports and the mentoring relationships he had with his coaches that helped him become a successful Olympic Rowing Coach, business person, and leader of PCF.
John was motivated by three things: his passion to provide young people with the support they need to excel in life; the understanding that resources in the city are abundant, but do not connect fully with the community they aim to serve; and the educational inequality that many students in Philadelphia face.
In 2013, 4,500 students in grades K-12 in 20 area schools were touched by PCF’s programs. PCF started libraries in 12 elementary schools with over 16,500 donated books and provided more than 1,500 refurbished computers to low-income families.
PCF & Sponsors News:
~160 Computers Donated, Delivered, and Installed at Houston Elem.
For the second year in a row, HealthShare Exchange (web ») employees helped PCF with a full day of volunteering. About 30 employees showed up on a hot late summer day at the beginning of [...]
60 High-End Laptops to Three Schools
On August 20th, PCF Western suburbs co-founders Ashwin and Srikar, along with their new volunteer Divyesh G., had the opportunity to visit three Philadelphia public schools to distribute a total of 60 laptops. Over the summer, [...]
$1,000 Community Partner Grant from Wells Fargo
Last Friday PCF received a $1,000 Community Partner Grant from Wells Fargo. We are extremely grateful to receive this annual unrestricted grant from Wells Fargo. To receive the grant, we visited our sponsoring Wells Fargo [...]
Friends’ Central Donates iMacs and Projectors to PCF
Today we picked up a donation of iMacs and Projectors from Friends' Central School in the Overbrook area of Philadelphia. We are extremely excited to accept this donation as both the iMacs and the Projectors [...]
iMac Donation by Pan American School
Over the summer, we met with Pan American School's Director of Technology Zach Brown to discuss a possible equipment donation to PCF. Earlier today, we were delighted to pick up 12 iMacs that were already [...]
PCF Receives Phila. Dept of Commerce Grant
The Philadelphia Children's Foundation has received a $30,000 Grant from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. The grant was part of the StartupPHL initiative, which uses public money to match investment in Philadelphia’s innovation ecosystem. PCF received [...]