Nearby Phoenixville-based Customers Bank contributed $150,000 to the Alvernia University in Reading for its Reading Youth Initiative.

The after-school initiative aims to improve the academic progress of children who live or go to school in the Reading area through academic enrichment, mentoring, and support for healthy choices.

The program is conducted at Millmont and Tyson-Schoener Elementary Schools and is being offered by the university through the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement. This is a collaboration between Alvernia faculty, staff, and students and the Reading School District.

The initiative provides annual summer camps, after-school mentoring, and a variety of cultural activities, such as visits to museums and sporting events and educational field trips.

Since the program started fifteen years ago, the initiative has provided enrichment and literacy services to over 1,100 students.

“Helping students gain access to better educational opportunities and afterschool programs helps prepare them for continuing their education, so they are able to enter the workforce and provide meaningful contributions back to their communities,” said Richard Ehst, President and Chief Executive Officer of Customers Bank.

The funding provided by the bank will be used to expand offered services and to hire professional staff for ongoing support, increasing both the program’s scale and quality.

Read more about Customers Bank funding here.