July 8, 2024

For the Third Year, WCU Recognized as One of the 50 Most Community-minded Employers in the Philadelphia Region

Pictured at the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia Award announcement are (L-R) Helen Hammerschmidt, associate vice president for communication, operations, and strategy, WCU Provost Office, and Rita Patel-Eng, senior director, WCU Center for Civic Engagement and Social Impact.For the third consecutive year, West Chester University has been recognized with the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia Award.

The awards are presented by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (the Chamber), in partnership with globally recognized nonprofit Points of Light, lead partner the Philadelphia Foundation, and other local partners. Modeled after Points of Light’s national program, the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia provides a standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how employers use their time, skills, and resources to drive social impact in their communities and companies.

The Civic 50 honorees are both private and public companies and other employers operating in the Philadelphia region. They have been selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement programs:

Investment of resources
Integration across business functions
Institutionalization through policies and system
Impact measurement

“We are thrilled to be a Civic 50 honoree for the third year in a row,” said Rita Patel-Eng, senior director of the University’s Center for Civic Engagement and Social Impact. “This impactful work is only possible through a community of educators dedicated to bringing the WCU mission to life: to develop graduates to succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good. This honor is earned by our students, faculty, and staff who believe in making a difference in our community.”

WCU engages communities on the global, national, state, and local levels. Service learning is an integral component of many courses at West Chester and the keystone of the Honors College. As a public state institution, WCU’s primary community-engagement efforts focus on addressing community-identified needs throughout the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, encompassing Philadelphia as well as the counties of Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester.

“The Chamber is proud to recognize West Chester University as a 2024 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia,” said Chellie Cameron, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber. “Each of this year’s honorees is a valued member of Greater Philadelphia’s business community, exemplifying what it means to be a positive corporate citizen and demonstrating the power of service.”

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees were officially recognized on June 27 at a celebratory event at the Cira Centre in Philadelphia.

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia self-assessment is administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value, and consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process.

To learn more about the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia and honorees, visit Chmbr.biz/Civic50.

 

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