City of Philadelphia Programs Funded By The Philadelphia Beverage Tax Continue To Thrive — Winter 2021 Update

Philadelphia PA

13 January, 2021

8:36 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Philadelphia : Lauren Cox Office of the Mayor | January 13, 2021 The Philadelphia Beverage Tax (PBT) was passed and signed into law in 2016, and it went into effect in January 2017. In the four years since the tax went into effect, a great deal of progress has been made by each of the PBT-funded programs: PHLpreK: Free, quality pre-K for 3- and 4-year-old children across Philadelphia. Community Schools: Public schools where programs and partnerships promote wellness, stability, and learning opportunities for students, families, and neighbors. Rebuild: A once-in-a-generation investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to improve recreation centers, parks, libraries, and playgrounds. Below are some notable achievements from each of the three initiatives. Rebuild 65 facilities with work underway 41 completed projects—from swings and spray grounds to roof replacements and new sidewalks 96 diverse small businesses enrolled in Rebuild business support programs 34.4 percent of contract dollars awarded to minority-owned businesses and 25.5 percent to women-owned businesses 42.6 percent of hours worked by women and people of color 27 Philadelphians accepted into a workforce development program 15 percent of trainees are women, 100 percent are people of color 70 percent of trainees accepted into union apprenticeships 17,153 paid career training hours completed by Rebuild trainees PHLpreK 137 PHLpreK sites citywide offering 3,300 seats in the 2020-2021 school year, including virtual learning opportunities in response to COVID-19 8,000+ children served since January 2017 93 percent of providers have high-quality ratings in the state's STARS system 98 percent of PHLpreK families would recommend the program to others PHLpreK employs teaching staff in 241 classrooms Over 2,500 instructional coaching sessions funded for pre-K teachers and providers in the 2019-2020 school year Community Schools 17 Community Schools with 9,400 children enrolled Over 570 students have received City-funded support to improve their regular attendance 307 students participated in summer out-of-school time (OST) programs More than 7,300 students and families received food, school supplies, and other necessities through Coordinator-supported events 1,200+ out-of-school time opportunities available for elementary and middle school students beginning January 2021 Over 250 internships and out-of-school time opportunities created for high school students this school year View the Winter 2021 PBT Programs one-pager. This press release was produced by the City of Philadelphia.The views expressed here are the author's own.