Our Story

Our initial objective was simple…help young people.

We were surrounded by bright students who could benefit from academic structure and support.

Carmen secured a corporate grant and used those funds to create an after-school tutoring program. Volunteers helped with homework, test-taking skills and SAT prep.

While the tutoring program provided consistent support, many of our students had never been outside the confines of their neighborhoods.

We believe that when young people are exposed to new places and things – including higher education, they see new possibilities for themselves.

Lee Rubin and Dwayne Fitzpatrick began taking a group of students on a trip to Penn State University for the annual Blue-White Game (Penn State’s intra-squad football scrimmage).

The impact of those trips was overwhelming! Students returned driven and focused. They now had a new vision for their future.

The Penn State Trip grew from throwing a couple kids in the back of a car to renting 15-passenger vans to chartering a 55 passenger bus.

We added additional college tours.

The Penn State Trip involved team-building exercises on Friday night, a campus tour and watching the football scrimmage. The expenses for the trip were covered by sponsors. (The Village was taking shape!)

Carmen had an idea: with thousands of Penn State fans attending the Blue-White game, what if we hosted a fund-raising event on Saturday morning before the game? Folks have to eat, right?

The Blue-White Scholarship Breakfast was born!

This event has grown dramatically over the years, and the Village has grown with it. (Learn more: Blue White Scholarship Breakfast)

We are proud of the success of our students.

Our results have been exceptional and encouraging. There have been a number of students who have benefited from the program and now attend a variety of colleges and universities, graduated and work in professional settings, and contribute back to their communities.

In recent years, we began partnering with high schools throughout the country to help us identify students who could benefit from the support of the village.