Dana How and Mentoring
A key figure in the long tradition of the Christian Association is one of our former Executive Directors, Dana How. Dana How served the Christian Association from 1928 to 1958 and is fondly remembered for his support and oversight of the CA’s Green Lane camps, and his efforts to develop student leadership at Penn's Christian Association and in the camps. His legacy lives on through the dedicated work of a team of University of Pennsylvania/CA/Green Lane Camp alumni that serve on the Dana G. How Social Service Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation. This fund has supported our Peacemaking Through the Arts program for several years and now supports expansion to this program, Dana How Scholars. The goal of this expansion is to develop a high school mentoring program that would celebrate more of the spirit of the camp experiences they feel Dana How should fund. The program will offer Penn students opportunities for increased interaction with Philadelphia children over a longer period of time and would include some camp-like experiences.
To provide some perspective, in a fundraising pamphlet, probably from the late 1940s, Dana How says in part:
“Thousands of little children struggle their way forward amidst the baffling obstacles which surround them in a great sprawling city. Created in God’s image, they have every potential for loving beauty, appreciating cleanness and creating goodness, but “man’s world” shuts off their chance to romp and play, to dream and sing, to wonder and aspire – those normal childhood activities through which they grow.
“I am hopeful that you will be among those who sense the longing of “these little ones” for something better and will join with us through your gifts in the happy privilege of lifting hundreds out of their hardships and unhappiness and of actually setting them on the road to a new and better world.”
Dana How Scholars builds on that faith heritage with a viable solution for today. Philadelphia's youth interact with Penn students in ways that will help to “set them on the road to a new and better world.” More specifically, the goal of the program is to create and sustain mentoring relationships between Penn undergraduates and Philadelphia high school students that have the potential for impacting both for their betterment, similarly, as the CA camp experiences, in the past, were transforming for both Penn counselors and children who attended, so this program will be transforming for those who participate.