Mission: To build lives and unite communities. Snider Hockey uses the sport of hockey to help educate young people to succeed in the game of life.
Core Objective: Hockey is simply the hook used to gain and hold the attention of our youngsters, while keeping them fully engaged in structured recreational and educational programs that strengthen their physical, academic, and emotional development. The underlying purpose connecting these activities is to turn young people on to self-improvement, while turning them away from unhealthy and dangerous lifestyles.
Participants: Snider Hockey serves more than 2,500 boys and girls (ages 5-19) most of whom come from at-risk underserved inner city neighborhoods… and enrollment is growing every day. The current City Rinks construction project will allow the Foundation to double its capacity. No child is ever turned away. Participation is community-based. Recruiting is done primarily in the schools and neighborhoods that surround the 11 sites at which services are provided.
Services: All services including equipment, coaching, travel, tutoring, and other academic support are provided at no cost to our participants. Year round programs include:
The After School Excellence Program (delivered daily at Recreation Centers and rinks throughout the school year) combines healthy recreational activities with a wide array of supplemental educational services that include homework help and a nationally acclaimed life skills curriculum;
Weekly Inter-Rink League Play promotes friendly competition among participants from the 5 City ice rinks;
The All-City Select Teams, and the Snider Hockey DVHL Teams and Girls Only Teams compete against scholastic, club and recreational league teams throughout the region;
Day Camps and Specialty Clinics take place on a weekly basis throughout the summer. These programs are complemented by a wide array of Educational Activities including Field Trips and extraordinary Travel opportunities – all designed to provide our youngsters with unique Experiential Learning situations.
Partnerships: Snider Hockey has an unprecedented private/public partnership with the City of Philadelphia to manage and operate the City’s 5 public ice rinks through the year, 2030. This will result in an outlay of $50 million in operating expenses over the span of this agreement, which is in addition to the Foundation’s current $6.5 million capital investment (matched by the Commonwealth) to completely renovate these facilities – including the enclosure of 3 rinks for year round use.
Snider Hockey has forged additional partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia (participants come from over 100 city schools); the University of Pennsylvania; Drexel University; Philadelphia University; the National Hockey League (which has cited the Foundation as a National Model for youth enrichment programs); the Police Athletic League; the Girls and Boys Clubs of America; a rapidly expanding network of Charter and Parochial Schools; and other youth service providers.
Funding: Support comes from private donations, foundation grants, corporate contributions, and public support, all of which the foundation’s founder, Ed Snider, has personally matched with two dollars for every dollar donated.
What Are Our Results? Since its inception in fall 2005, over 96 percent of our students have successfully matriculated from one grade level to the next, staying squarely on track for on-time graduation from inner city schools in neighborhoods where graduation rates rarely exceed 46 percent. The following participant data has been gathered from School District report cards:
-School Attendance: 70% increase -Late or Tardiness: 41% decrease
-Above Average 62% increase -Below Average 49% decrease
Academics: Academics:
-Satisfactory Behavior: 76% increase -Unsatisfactory Behavior: 54% decrease
