MFS Offers Penn Social Innovators Program for Upper School Students – Info Sessions 10/20 and 10/22

The Social Innovators Program allows Moorestown Friends School Upper School students to learn about entrepreneurship and experience it first-hand while earning a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania. During the 12-week virtual program, students learn how to launch ventures of their own that create value and a have positive impact on society.

For a second consecutive year, the program will be offered for Upper School students in 2020-21. Two Virtual Information Sessions will be held on Tuesday, October 20 at 6 p.m. and Thursday, October 22 at 7 p.m. Upper School students and families should look for an email with more details about the virtual meeting.

Social Innovators Program Graduates – Spring 2020

Trisha Nelson ’22 – Treats by Trisha
Treats By Trisha aims to bring the joy of baking to young people of many ages via real time virtual cook-a-longs that she hosts on Zoom.

Vani Hanamirian ’22 – Worth My Weight
Worth My Weight is an initiative to ignite the conversation about body image, disordered eating, and diet culture with 7th and 8th graders with the goal of arming them with the tools they need to take on these challenging topics when they encounter them in their own lives or the lives of their friends. Worth My Weight partners with middle schools to bring this conversation to health classes.

Aaniella Desai ’22 – TeenTalks
TeenTalks is an online network for teenagers who are interested in politics and are looking for a place to discuss, disagree and learn in a productive environment. TeenTalks hosts small group, virtual explorations of divisive topics – like gun control – for teens.

Heqing “Amy” Yin ’21 – RainbowPedia
RainbowPedia aims to create an online library of resources for LGBTQ+ teens in China. Through research and personal observation Amy recognized that these resources were far too sparse for young people in China and she set out to create a space where young people had open access to LGBTQ+ content and resources.

Priya Shah ’21 – Project Planet
Priya Shah has created Project Planet for people who want to save the planet but don’t know how to do it! Project Planet provides students with simple ideas of how they can help their home, school, or community become more green. Project Planet also aims to inspire meaningful change by not only making green suggestions but also by connecting those suggestions with the impact that each individual can have if they incorporate them into their eco lifestyle.

Aidan Connolly ’21 – MFS Quarantine Lacrosse
Aidan Connolly has created an initiative called MFS Quarantine Lacrosse. Aidan and his lacrosse teammates are dealing with the challenge of missing out on this spring’slacrosse season, which impacts both their skill development and their sense of community from feeling connected with the team. Aidan has created an informal series of practices that follow state social distancing guidelines.

Cal Blumberg ’22 – Service.io
Cal Blumberg has launched Service.io. The goal of Service.io is to provide high school students with an easy way to find service opportunities.

Lia Marshall ’22 – LGBTQ+ Hangout
Lia Marshall has created the LGBTQ+ Hangout. Lia has been working to bring the community of LGBTQ+ students at Moorestown Friends School back together during a period when people are without the ability to be connected with each other in person.

Jaylen Patel ’23 – Only Outfielders
Jaylen Patel has started Only Outfielders, which is a social media platform that provides outfielders with the training and support they need to perform at a higher level.

Madalena Hughes ’21 – Heritage Hangout
Madalena Hughes has launched a venture called Heritage Hangout. The goal of this venture is to provide a space for students of different backgrounds to tackle issues like immigration stigma and racial discrimination and speak out about their experiences.

Campbell Mae McHale ’23 – Organization For You
Organization For You aims to help teens who are struggling with the challenge of managing everything in high school and get a leg up by offering teen specific tips and tricks about staying organized and getting stuff done. Organization For You creates an opportunity for teens to pick and choose organization tips that work for them by providing them with teen centered insight through a weekly newsletter.

Lily Buchdahl ’22 – Volunteer-It-Up
Lily learned that many teens who are interested in volunteering don’t know where to go to do it. In response, she is starting Volunteer-It-Up, a service event that allows students to connect with service organizations that interest them most.

Roma Jha ’22 – Discovering Health Care
Roma Jha created Discovering Health Care. Roma focused her project on expanding and deepening the access that teens have to information about health care related careers by putting students in the same (virtual) room as professionals in the field and igniting a conversation between them about working in that domain and so much more.

Ella Miller ’22 – Advokid
Ella Miller has started Advokid, a program where students with learning disabilities are paired with older students who also have learning disabilities. The program offers advice and help with a toolkit of resources.

Julianna Boreas ’22 – Let’s Talk
Julianna Boreas has created Let’s Talk, an online forum for students to have a safe and anonymous conversation about mental health.

Jacqueline Barr ’20 – Pawnut Butter
For dog owners who need an easy way to give their pet their prescription, Jackie Barr is launching Pawnut Butter, an easily accessible product that allows pet owners to administer pills to their dogs.