Philadelphia, PA – The Evoluer Personal Development Workshop, a contemporary program designed to help girls reach their full potential, recently graduated its 600th teen girl, carrying on its mission to motivate its students to character and excellence. The Spring 2011 session of the highly acclaimed Empowerment Program, presented by The Evoluer House, culminated with the celebration of this milestone in Evoluer history.
The ceremony was held on the historic Center City campus of Peirce College in Philadelphia, the host site for both the Summer 2010 and Spring 2011 programs. Peirce’s own Dr. Rita Toliver and Vito Chimenti were both on hand to celebrate the current graduates’ accomplishments and the 600th teen girl successfully completing the program.
With the tone set by such an auspicious occasion, July 5th saw the start of the 2011 summer session due to the generous contribution of The Northwest Fund and a newly formed partnership with La Salle University. This eight-week session will be conducted at La Salle’s West Campus and will continue the important work of addressing issues that impact teen girl’s self-esteem and ability to succeed in life.
The Evoleur House Workshops are part of a committed community effort to prevent young women from engaging in risky behavior that can scar them for life. Recently, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported three days of violence that culminated in 32 people wounded. This past spring, public health officials reported the rates of sexually transmitted diseases are rising with new HIV cases among city teens and young adults up 40 percent over the past three years. Evoluer House Executive Director Cheryl Ann Wadlington wants to ensure the program continues to provide the teens with potentially life-saving action steps.
“We believe it is more important than ever for individuals to dig deep in their pockets and support Evoluer House programs to help curb the violence in our streets and to empower teen girls in Philadelphia to do good and do well,” explained Wadlington. “We remain committed to provide programs because of the immediate behavior and attitudes changes we see amongst students who have gone through our program.”
Fourteen-year-old Imani Pendergrass recently made a $100 donation to Evoluer House. Imani’s generosity far exceeds just giving—it exemplifies her understanding of the importance of aiding others. Soon after her benevolent act, she received a special congressional recognition from Congressman Robert Brady for outstanding service to her school and community.
“Because of the Evoluer program I am more aware of my physical presence, attitude and actions in public settings. It is important to make good impressions,” 15-year-old Chante told the Philadelphia Mennonite High School Newsletter.
“The Evoluer Workshop has been an amazing life-changing experience,” shared Ophelia, 14. “It taught me self-esteem, confidence and even how to manage my money. I’m not intimidated any more about saving and investing.”
The comments offered by these young women reflects the amplified demand for this social initiative noted Wadlington: “It is things like this that make our heart leap and gives us reason to celebrate our organization’s milestone and the achievement and personal growth of Evoluer program graduates.”
To schedule an interview, please contact Christopher Sample at 215-919-9567 or sampleilead@yahoo.com. For more information about Evoluer House, visit www.evoluerhouse.org.
About Evoluer House: The Evoluer House is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers at-risk girls by nurturing positive self-expression and personal development. Since 2004, Evoluer House has served girls from the city of Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region in its programs. Girls participate in a series of structured workshops, designed to challenge them to develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, such as leadership, being goal-oriented, having strong values, social consciousness, and having conviction about their own potential and self-worth.