With a small grant from the Nelson Foundation, local philanthropists founded Chester County Futures in 1996 under the Chester County Community Foundation. For 25 years, the nonprofit organization has facilitated academic enrichment for underrepresented students throughout Chester County. Since then, Chester County Futures programs have helped over 1,000 students navigate the trials and tribulations of higher education.
Chester County Futures provides comprehensive academic support, mentoring, and scholarships for disadvantaged youth motivated to succeed in education and life after schooling. Through the mission of Chester County Futures, more children in Chester County will have access to the support necessary to become active members of society.
With the assistance of community partnerships and local businesses like Howell Engineering, Chester County Futures hosted its Annual College & Career Expo on September 30, 2022. This event provides students in Grades 7 & 8 with the opportunity to explore career and educational options by speaking directly to workers within the varying fields represented.
A couple of our young engineers, Denny Howell III and Dylan Ulshafer, participated in this year’s event as Career Presenters at the Chester County Intermediate Unit Learning Center. Denny & Dylan not only brought Land Development Plans, hard hats, and calculation books but also brought their unwavering enthusiasm for civil engineering. As young students filtered in and out of their station, it was easy to recognize their eagerness to learn more about working in the professional world.
CCIU and the Career Presenters created an interactive environment for the students to explore the varying career fields Chester County offers. Similarly, Howell Engineering has provided our young engineers with a collaborative work environment to keep the job interesting. Howell Engineering allows our young engineers to take on different tasks, ask questions, and make mistakes while completing projects at top-notch quality. This type of environment enables young people to develop confidence in what they do by learning from some of the very best in their field. If more companies and organizations adopt the philosophy of Chester County Futures and Howell, we can foster opportunities for the next generation of workers that otherwise may not have thought possible.
If you would like to donate, get involved, or simply learn more about the Chester County Futures organization, visit the links below.
