Month: June 2025

Originally published by Fred Rogers Productions

PITTSBURGH, June 27, 2025 /3BL/ – Fred Rogers Productions has extended its partnership with the PNC Foundation. Through PNC Grow Up Great^®, the PNC Foundation has awarded a $1.4 million grant to support Alma’s Way, the hit series on PBS KIDS. The grant will also support community events inspired by the series and ongoing Fred Rogers Productions initiatives such as Be My Neighbor Day. PNC Grow Up Great^® is a multi-year, bilingual early childhood education initiative that helps children from birth through age 5 develop a love of learning that lasts a lifetime, which aligns with the Fred Rogers Productions mission and its series’ learning goals. PNC’s support of Fred Rogers Productions’ award-winning programming and events are aimed at helping to meet the needs of children and families where they are, a mission shared by both companies.

“We are so pleased to continue our partnership with the PNC Foundation, a valued supporter of educational and arts programs,” said Paul Siefken, president and CEO, Fred Rogers Productions. “Their sponsorship of our programming and outreach initiatives enables us to continue providing valuable content and hands-on experiences for children and families in their neighborhoods nationwide.”

The grant supports a range of onscreen content and outreach programs with educational and pro-social themes, including 49 Be My Neighbor Day events, the successful, longstanding community-based initiative inspired by Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, plus four Alma’s Way community events, and more.

“Fred Rogers Productions has been a terrific collaborator from the earliest days of PNC Grow Up Great, creating quality programming that encourages young children to discover, learn and grow,” said Sally McCrady, chair and president of the PNC Foundation. “Be My Neighbor Days is one of my favorite initiatives across PNC’s markets, helping families think about how they can be great neighbors and the importance of keeping kindness in mind. We’re excited to see the Alma’s Way Explore Your City events take shape.”

The PNC Foundation will be recognized on broadcast and across digital for its generous contribution to make new Alma’s Way episodes possible.

Alma’s Way focuses on core messages and learning goals to encourage children as they develop problem-solving, resilience, empathy, and other life skills. The series follows 6- year-old Alma Rivera, a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her family among a diverse group of close-knit friends and community members. In every episode, Alma models self-awareness, responsible decision-making and empathy, while encouraging kids to develop critical thinking skills and value their own ideas and questions. The series, which premiered in 2021, is created by Sonia Manzano (“Maria” on Sesame Street) and produced by Fred Rogers Productions in association with Pipeline Studios (Elinor Wonders Why). Ellen Doherty and Manzano are executive producers. Jorge Aguirre (Goldie & Bear) is head writer and co-executive producer. Additional co-executive producers are Luis Lopez and Juan Lopez. Supervising Producer for Fred Rogers Productions is Olubunmi Mia Olufemi.

Be My Neighbor Day, the signature community outreach initiative for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood spinoff Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, has attracted several hundred thousand in-person attendees nationwide since the program started in 2014. There have been more than 126,000 resources shared with participants, and attendees have helped create and assemble over 90,000 “giveback” items, such as health and first aid kits and thank you cards, for their communities. More than 30,000 items, such as sweaters and mittens, have also been collected for donation to the participating locales.

About the PNC Foundation 

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group Inc.(NYSE:PNC) actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The Foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com. 

About Fred Rogers Productions 

Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly rated children’s series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 31 Emmy® Awards among other important honors. The company’s latest series are Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and Alma’s Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano. Fred Rogers Productions strives to inspire a lifelong enthusiasm for learning through its series as well as efforts beyond broadcast including games and interactive offerings, community engagement activities, and much more. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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Press contacts:

Grand Communications (for Fred Rogers Productions) 
Alison Grand 
212-584-1133; Alison@grandcommunications.com 

Laura Liebeck 
845-440-7974; Laura@grandcommunications.com 

Angie Carducci (for PNC) 
412-762-9186; angela.carducci@pnc.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 27, 2025 /3BL/ – In a first of its kind agreement, New Jersey’s West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (WWP) today announced a new partnership with Otus, the leading K-12 assessment, data, and insights solution, and Discovery Education, the creators of essential PreK-12 learning solutions used in classrooms around the world. Through this collaboration, Otus and Discovery Education are providing new resources that help WWP organize student data into actionable insights and enhance district educators’ ability to interpret that data and make informed, strategic decisions that improve achievement. 

Located in Central New Jersey’s Mercer County, WWP is a PreK-12 public school district that educates over 9,300 students and employs over 1,300 staff members in 10 schools across the West Windsor and Plainsboro Townships. Building upon their tradition of excellence, WWP’s mission is to empower all learners to thoughtfully contribute to a diverse and changing world with confidence, strength of character, and love of learning. 

To enhance the district’s ability to collect, read, and react to student assessment data, WWP’s team sought a digital solution that offered unparalleled insight into student performance. In addition, school administrators sought one resource that would provide both educators and families the tools and insights needed to support student success. Following a careful review of available solutions, WWP selected the Otus platform provided through Discovery Education. Through the Otus platform, WWP educators will: 

• Gain a holistic view of student learning with district assessment data in one place, including insights from DreamBox Math by Discovery Education, which is used by WWP teachers and students. A K-8 online math program that supplements core instruction in the classroom or at home, DreamBox Math, which was updated earlier this year with a host of improvements, is independently proven to increase math achievement.  
• Improve educators’ ability to collaborate in PLCs to group students with similar needs for targeted intervention or extension and align instructional strategies directly with data insights to ensure all student needs are met.
• Set every student up for success with a collaborative plan that outlines achievable goals and milestones to address academic, attendance, and other needs—while making progress visible to families. 

According to Allan Johnson, WWP’s Supervisor of Technology, Training, & Media Sources, “The addition of Otus to the district tech stack improves our educators’ ability to easily pull and analyze achievement data and then adjust instruction to improve student outcomes. We look forward to deploying this new resource districtwide.” 

WWP educators using Otus will receive dedicated professional development from Otus’ team of professional learning experts. Through these interactive professional development sessions, participants will learn best practices for integrating their new digital resources into instruction. Effective professional learning increases student engagement and supports the continued academic development of all students.    

“Discovery Education is thrilled to continue to support the students and teachers of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District through its unique collaboration with Otus,” said Tori Byrd, Discovery Education’s Manager of Educational Partnerships. “As the first school system nationwide to leverage the unique partnership between Otus and Discovery Education to combine high-quality learning solutions and state-of-the-art data analytics, West Windsor-Plainsboro is setting a new bar for innovation in this space.” 

To learn about how Otus and Discovery Education have collaborated to support student achievement, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/Solutions/Otus. 

For more information about Otus, visit www.otus.com and stay connected to Otus on social media through X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.    

For more information about Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.     

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About Otus 
Otus, an award-winning edtech platform, empowers educators to maximize student performance with comprehensive solutions for K12 assessment, data, and insights. Committed to student achievement and educational equity, Otus combines student data with powerful tools that provide educators, administrators, and families with the insights they need to make a difference. Built by teachers for teachers, Otus creates efficiencies in data management, assessments, and progress monitoring to help educators focus on what matters most—student success. Today, Otus partners with school districts nationwide to create informed, data-driven learning environments. Learn more at Otus.com. 

About Discovery Education  
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art, PreK-12, digital solutions support learning wherever it takes place. Through award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and strategic alliances, Discovery Education helps educators deliver powerful learning experiences that engage all students and support higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Through partnerships with districts, states, and trusted organizations, Discovery Education empowers teachers with essential edtech solutions that inspire curiosity, build confidence, and accelerate learning. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.  

Contact 
Mike Peterson 
Otus 
Phone: 651-307-9251 
Email: mike.peterson@otus.com 

Stephen Wakefield 
Discovery Education 
Phone: 202-316-6615 
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com

A spokesperson is available. Please contact media@actionagainsthunger.org for inquiries. 

NEW YORK and JERUSALEM, June 27, 2025 /3BL/ – Action Against Hunger is devastated to share the news that two of our colleagues, Mohammed Hussein and Obada Abu Issa, were killed the afternoon of June 26^th during an airstrike. They were not working at the time, nor were they in a zone under displacement orders. Mohammed and Obada had been beloved members of Action Against Hunger’s team in Gaza for the last year.  

Obada was 30 years old. He leaves behind his wife and two children. Obada joined the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) team in February 2024 as a Program Field Assistant. His loss creates an irreplaceable gap for the team. A treasured colleague and friend, Obada will be remembered for his humor and professionalism. 

Mohammed was 20 years old. He was looking forward to extending his contract for another year, carrying a vision for his future and trying to shape it as best he could. Mohammed’s friends and colleagues cherish him as an example of morality, a boy with a generous heart that embraced everyone, giving those around him sincere support without asking anything in return  

Action Against Hunger will continue to remember Obada Abu Issa and Mohammed Hussein with warmth. Our thoughts are with their families at this tragic time. Psychological support is being provided to Action Against Hunger’s teams in Gaza. 

Action Against Hunger calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. The protection of humanitarian workers and civilians must be upheld in accordance with international law. Action Against Hunger reaffirms its unwavering commitment to its humanitarian mission and will continue to provide support in Gaza.  

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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA, June 27, 2025 /3BL/ – KeyBank has been named a 2025 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (the Chamber), in partnership with globally recognized nonprofit Points of Light, lead partner the Philadelphia Foundation, and other local partners. Modeled after Points of Light’s national program, the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia measures and recognizes civic-minded companies using their time, talent, and resources to drive social impact within their organizations and communities – setting the standard for civic engagement in the region.

“At KeyBank, we believe that being a good corporate citizen means showing up for our communities with purpose and consistency,” said KeyBank Eastern Pennsylvania Market President Youseff Tannous. “We are honored to be recognized as one of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees. This distinction reflects the deep commitment of our teammates who invest their time, talents and resources to help our neighborhoods thrive. It’s a proud moment for all of us at KeyBank to be acknowledged for doing what we believe in—making a meaningful difference where we live and work.”

The 2025 Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees represent private and public companies, as well as nonprofits, agencies, and institutions (e.g., hospitals and universities) of more than 10 employees operating in the 11-county Greater Philadelphia region. They have been selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement program:

• Investment of resources;
• Integration across business functions;
• Institutionalization through policies and systems; and
• Impact measurement.

Since 2011, the national Civic 50 has provided a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and has showcased how companies drive social impact in their business and within the community.

“The Chamber is proud to recognize KeyBank as a 2025 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia,” said Chellie Cameron, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber. “Each of this year’s honorees are valued members of Greater Philadelphia’s business community, exemplifying what it means to be a positive corporate citizen and demonstrating the power of service. We thank KeyBank for their efforts to drive impact and congratulate them on this tremendous achievement.”

In keeping with the Chamber’s efforts to drive regional impact and achieve its vision, it also serves as home to the Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Network (GPCVN), a community of diverse businesses committed to giving back to their communities.

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees were officially recognized on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at an Honoree Reveal Celebration hosted at the Cira Centre. The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia Self-Assessment is administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value, and consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process.

To learn more about the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia and its honorees, please visit Chmbr.biz/Civic50.

About Keycorp 

In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189 billion at March 31, 2025.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

About the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia works together with members, investors, and stakeholders, to realize our bold vision: Greater Philadelphia is a top global destination for business and a leader in inclusive growth. As the metro-regional chamber of commerce serving the 11-county, tri-state Greater Philadelphia region, we are the premier organization to convene and connect business, government, and civic leaders to drive economic growth and prosperity for all. Learn more at ChamberPHL.com.

About Points of Light

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to create positive change through volunteering and civic engagement. Through work with nonprofits, companies and social impact leaders, the organization galvanizes volunteers to meet critical needs in communities. As the world’s largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service, Points of Light engages more than 3.8 million volunteers across 32 countries. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.

Partners for Greater Philadelphia Civic 50

Regional partners with the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia on the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia are the Philadelphia Foundation (lead partner), Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Network, Philanthropy Network, and True Impact (National Partner).

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Joleen Ong, senior director of brand and retailer membership at Cascale, recently joined a panel of industry experts at the Outdoor Retailer Industry Day in Utah to discuss external factors impacting the future of the outdoor industry. The “Under Pressure: Understanding the Continuing Forces Redefining Outdoor Business” panel explored how brands are responding to tariffs, supply chain disruptions, sustainability demands, evolving consumer values, and boycotts of American products, offering actionable insights on building resilience and driving impact in a rapidly changing landscape.

Moderated by Suzanne Stroeer, owner of Dreamland Safari Tours and founder of AWExpeditions, the discussion also included Laura Schaffer, vice president of integrated marketing, brand amplification and impact at Orvis, and Jenni Staudacher, vice president of supply chain at Salomon.

Ong highlighted the impact of tariffs on supply chain decisions on brands, not only on costs but also on sourcing and planning. She noted how abrupt factory exits in response to trade shifts could result in unpaid wages, an increase in contract labor, and weakened supplier trust, which could subsequently dull the market signal needed for suppliers to make CAPEX investments for decarbonization.

On the importance of embedding responsible purchasing into governance, Ong shared how leading brands build cross-functional alignment — between sustainability, sourcing, and finance — in order to make decisions that reflect long-term priorities, not just a short-term response to tariffs, thereby shifting from transactional to strategic sourcing.

She emphasized the need to consider key trade-offs between local and global sourcing, urging sourcing professionals to consider localizing the sourcing of trims, raw materials, and components, which, in some cases, need to be imported to ensure supply and demand are met.

Delving deeper into resourcing and deprioritization of sustainability initiatives, Ong noted that brands are doubling down on efforts despite tight budgets, reframing sustainability as a business continuity issue in alignment with growing regulatory requirements. She highlighted how brands with long-term supplier relationships are more resilient when capacity is limited.

Ong also pointed out how brands are increasingly integrating sustainability KPIs into sourcing scorecards, rethinking what they measure and refining their metrics to reward trust, on-time delivery, emissions progress, and social performance, instead of prioritizing cost as a top scorecard metric, which can unintentionally penalize sustainability.

Ong shared insights on how competitors within the same market can collaborate to drive systemic change in sustainability. Reflecting Cascale’s mandate to foster pre-competitive collaboration, she emphasized that most environmental and social challenges, like factory emissions or excessive overtime, cannot be solved by any single brand in isolation. Ong underscored the importance of competitors aligning on shared expectations, data systems, and improvement frameworks to level the playing field, sending clearer, more consistent signals to suppliers across the value chain.

Reflecting on the recent Cascale Forum, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Ong shared insights from the event, where 42 percent of attendees said aligned brand requirements are key to accelerating decarbonization. She emphasized the importance of brands collaborating —on shared KPIs, improvement programs, or supplier scorecards — to reduce duplication and give factories confidence that sustainability progress will be rewarded, not penalized.

Ong shared how Cascale is encouraging brands to integrate climate and labor data more deeply into sourcing decisions — not just for reporting, but for actual business decisions, which is essential to driving a shift from ambition to accountability. She concluded by urging the outdoor industry to treat sustainability as a strategic infrastructure, not a side initiative, to build a future-proof industry.

The clean energy transition isn’t just driven by technology—it’s powered by conversation, collaboration, and informed action. Last week, David Smart, CCO at BioStar Renewables and Jacob Feutz, VP of Renewables for Faith Technologies, attended the Smart Energy Decisions (SED) Summer Forum in Hollywood, Florida, where they joined peers and partners in deep-dive discussions about the future of energy strategy in the commercial and industrial space.

The SED Summer Forum is known for fostering meaningful connections between energy buyers and solution providers. From curated one-on-one meetings to insightful panels and peer learning, the event offered a unique platform to explore evolving challenges and real-world solutions in energy efficiency, electrification, and sustainability leadership.

“We found the sessions to be highly relevant, the conversations incredibly productive, and the momentum toward clean energy stronger than ever.”

As companies face increasing pressure to balance cost, compliance, and climate impact, opportunities like the SED Forum are essential. They provide a space to align goals, clarify strategies, and spark innovation.

At BioStar, we are proud to be part of this forward-thinking community and remain committed to helping organizations design, finance, and deploy renewable energy solutions that deliver both environmental and economic returns.

If your organization is navigating policy changes or exploring a clean energy strategy, we’re here to help you understand your options and stay ahead of the curve.

Learn more about BioStar Renewables and Faith Technologies and how their initiatives are driving action in the renewable space.