2018 Grants Awarded

Closing the Summer Achievement Gap

With your generous donations, PCF bridged the opportunity gap for nearly 150 students from all 7 Princeton Public and Charter Schools. These students attended 5 different summer camps:

  • Princeton Recreation Department - Day Camp*

  • Princeton Recreation Department - Teen Travel Camp

  • StoneHill Bible Camp

  • Watershed Nature Camp

  • YMCA Summer Camp

* A truly special thank you to Send Hunger Packing - Princeton (SHUPP) for supporting healthy lunches for over 160 PRD Day Campers this summer! Through our partnership with SHUPP and PRD all campers in need of lunch this summer received it.

In addition to camps, we enrolled 14 students in our PYSI swimming lessons program that was hosted at Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center. Our PHS student partner, Emily Becker, continues to run Princeton Youth Swim Initiative and provide students with the life skill of swimming. 

Opening Doors to College

PCF provided funding for AP test fees for 3 Princeton High School students. Taking the exam was just one step in the college application process. We also worked with 9 seniors to send their scores to 41 different colleges. This fall, those 9 students are all attending colleges like Kean College, Mercer County Community College, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, University of Pittsburgh, University of Vermont, and The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

We also enrolled 8 PHS students in online courses for enrichment and recovered credit via Educere.net in Algebra, English II and III, Financial Literacy, Geometry, and US History. Completing these courses over the summer will allow all of these students to graduate on time.

Providing An Equivalent Experience

Much of what we do at PCF is directly related to enrichment or extracurricular activities, but we also want all students to have an equivalent social experience. That means being able to get a school picture, having an advanced calculator for math class, attending school trips and functions like the senior prom, or participating in swim class during gym. Much of this work is supported through in-kind donations (calculators, gowns, swim attire, luggage, etc.) but PCF also works with vendors in town and in the schools to negotiate a reduced pricing.

PCF funded school pictures for 6 JW students and your donations of gently-used items supported the following: 

  • 45 elementary and middle school students received swim attire and towels

  • 4 JW students received luggage to pack for and attend the Washington, DC trip

  • 4 PHS students received an advanced calculator to use for math class

  • 20 PHS students were able to attend their senior prom (local hair & nail salons donated services too!)