WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 17, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:WSFS), the parent company of WSFS Bank, today announced that the WSFS Foundation has awarded $300,000 over the course of the next five years to Teach for America’s Lead for Delaware initiative.
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Lead for Delaware was developed in partnership with Teach For America, Delaware public schools and a range of other education-based organizations for the purpose of the recruitment, development and retention of diverse school principals in low-income communities across the state.
Through this highly selective program, candidates participate in a two-year experience while also teaching and leading in the classroom. They receive more than 400 hours of professional development delivered by expert practitioners, as well as over 600 hours of real-time leadership practice overseen by current Delaware school leaders. Additionally, candidates embark on an international leadership journey to expand their personal vision and to build strong cohorts who will become part of a growing peer support network in Delaware.
“The WSFS Foundation is inspired by the vision of Lead for Delaware,” said Rick Wright, Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Banking Officer and Chairman of the WSFS Foundation. “This effort will make a big difference in public education and student achievement, especially for students at risk. We look forward to watching this program positively impact our local schools.”
Each leader’s study and practice are guided by an individualized leadership development plan. To complete the program and earn principal certification, each candidate must master 26 research driven competencies and meet the highest national cut score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment. Each will continue to be supported once they start in a leadership position.
“WSFS’ grant will make a significant impact helping us to recruit and prepare certified school leaders for instrumental positions in our low-income communities,” said Laurisa Schutt, Executive Director, Teach for America - Delaware. “One excellent principal impacts hundreds of lives. These leaders will enable children in our schools to develop skills to advocate on behalf of themselves and their communities toward life readiness. We are incredibly thankful for this investment in our kids from the WSFS Foundation.”
About Teach For America - Delaware
Teach For America works in partnership with communities, school districts, and individual schools to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Today 100 alumni and 40 corps members call Delaware home, leading schools and contributing to communities through work in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Alumni include three principals, two assistant principals, several deans, four Teacher of the Year award recipients, and founders of two nonprofits that tackle high school readiness and summer learning loss. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit delaware.teachforamerica.org.
About WSFS Financial Corporation
WSFS Financial Corporation is a multi-billion dollar financial services company. Its primary subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is the oldest, locally-managed bank and trust company headquartered in Delaware and the Delaware Valley. As of June 30, 2016, WSFS Financial Corporation had $5.8 billion in assets on its balance sheet and $13.4 billion in fiduciary assets. As of August 15, 2016, WSFS operates from 76 offices located in Delaware (45), Pennsylvania (29), Virginia (1) and Nevada (1) and provides comprehensive financial services including commercial banking, retail banking, cash management and trust and wealth management. Other subsidiaries or divisions include Christiana Trust, WSFS Wealth Investments, Cypress Capital Management, LLC, Cash Connect®, Array Financial and Arrow Land Transfer. Serving the Delaware Valley since 1832, WSFS Bank is one of the ten oldest banks in the United States continuously operating under the same name. For more information, please visit wsfsbank.com.