Friends’ Central partners with the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy and Schoolyard Ventures – an organization that develops university-level, real-world learning opportunities for ambitious high school students – to offer The Social Innovators Program for rising 10th and 11th grade students. The 12-week virtual program allows students to learn about social entrepreneurship and experience it firsthand, while earning a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania. Friends’ Central is one of only two dozen schools worldwide invited to participate in this unique initiative.

During the fall of 2024, 26 students learned how to launch ventures of their own that created value and a positive impact on society. Students learned in small online classes and through engaging interviews and case studies with young entrepreneurs, with personalized one-on-one guidance and support along the way.

Phoebe Bonin ‘27 - Grip-picks
Phoebe's project is an all-in-one, customizable tool made to meet a range of instrumental needs! Custom made for each guitarist and bassist, Grip-picks are specified to each user’s needs, whether they’re based off of grip, shape, or general aesthetic, they’re all about customizing the music-playing experience. By hand making each pick, Phoebe ensures that musicians get exactly what they want, and keep with the punk tradition of DIY-ing.

Adrian Borthakur ‘27 - Polo Shield
Adrian’s product is focused on helping a major problem in the field of sports; injuries. Specifically, injuries of water polo players, a lesser known sport that doesn’t include much protection. His solution was to develop a sleeve that water polo players could wear to protect either vital or injured spots that still need to be used in the game.

 

Anelia Brown ‘27 - FCS Connect 
Anelia's project, “FCS Connect,” is an easy to access website for students and teachers. When she first started to interview students she noticed a common theme– students felt like there was a lack of information given to them at the beginning of the school year, making their transition challenging. They expressed that they were struggling both academically and with campus life but didn’t know who to go to for help. FCS Connect helps new students joining the FCS community make their transition to a new school easier by providing them with academic support and campus life resources.

Carvel Camp ’27 - Show, Don't Tell
Carvel’s project is dedicated to aiding high school adolescents grappling with mental health challenges by facilitating a creative outlet for their everyday struggles. In pursuit of this goal, Carvel introduced "Show Don’t Tell," an art therapy portfolio designed to offer students a consistent and dependable way of expressing their emotions nonverbally through art. This innovative approach enables them to introspectively engage with their feelings and monitor their emotional journey.

Zheng Xuan (Andy) Cheng ’28 - Care Service Package
Andy's project, Care Service Package, is focused on helping international students build close relationships and connections with each other. Additionally, this project is designed to build confidence within international students and provide them with a good way to face isolation and separation issues.
 

Gemma Chiang ’28 - A-Connect
Gemma’s project, “A-connect,” is an inner connection network between Asian communities in schools in the greater Philadelphia area. It allows students of any Asian descent to fully connect and unite with each other by creating a hub where different organizations can promote and support themselves and each other, helping them fulfill any connection they were lacking, no matter how big or small.

 

Lorena Connolly ’28 - After School Food Project
Lorena’s project, The After School Food Project, brings light to the problem that students face with fatigue and hunger after school. Lorena first learned about these problems while interviewing her fellow students and her teachers about what they noticed that students were complaining about.

 

Silas Costa ’28 - ELEVATE
Silas’ project, ELEVATE, is a website that aims to bring high-school athletic teams together and provide them with opportunities to grow in the mental side of their sports. Through individual journaling activities, group sharing platforms, and a library of additional resources, teams can reflect on prompts, share insights, and gain helpful pro-tips to elevate their approach to the student-athlete experience.

Brooke Dallas ’28 - Highschooling Balance 101
Brooke’s project, “Highschooling Balance 101,” explores a common struggle high schoolers face which is maintaining an academic and social life balance. The project addresses the ripple effects of students’ struggles into other parts of their lives.

 

Drew Feldman ’27 - The Nutrition Lab
Drew’s project, The Nutrition Lab, increases teenager’s access to nutrient packed food options through top rated recipes to improve health and wellbeing.

 

Holden Freedman ’28 - The Inner Game Discussion
Holden’s project, The Inner Game Discussion, is trying to improve teen tennis player’s mental performance so they can play to the best of their ability. Holden noticed that a lot of people struggle with staying positive and confident during matches even though they say it is critical to their performance. This means that a lot of players don’t focus enough on their mental game. The inner game discussion is a support group, led by Holden, where tennis players can connect and learn from one another.

Courtnee Gibson ’26 - Affinity Mentoring Program
Courtnee’s project, “Affinity Mentoring Program,” is focused on making students feel more comfortable and connected through a mentoring process that contains fun and educational projects for kids. It also helps older students who want to be a mentor, or get out of their comfort zone to create a connection with younger students to make them feel safe.
 

Corinne Gorham ’28 - Helping Hands
Corinne's project, “Helping Hands,” is a resource list focused towards teens who are struggling with mental health and anxiety in a world where it is not really thought about and focused on. It helps by giving them resources to websites to seek out counseling and informative information to also educate. This makes sure that they are getting the mental health resources that they deserve while also letting them be independent.

Alejandro (Ale) Guzman ’28 - Dale with Ale
Alejandro’s project, Dale with Ale, is focused on helping the Latino community solve its issue of unhealthy eating habits and insufficient nutrition by introducing new information about nutrition and recipes!

 

Shane Heinzenknecht ‘28 - Total Soccer Recruiting
Shane’s project, Total Soccer Recruiting, is focused on helping high school soccer players get recruited to play Division 1 soccer by giving them helpful information on how to get recruited by more and by better soccer programs.

 

Sunte (Lister) Li ‘27 - Guidance for People that Want to Protect the Environment
Motivated by a passion for the environment, Lister created “Guidance for People that Want to Protect the Environment” to give communities and students the tools they need to begin planting trees and specific plants. This project breaks down the process into easy, actionable steps, making environmental action accessible for everyone.
 

Ana Mora ‘27 - Food For Good
Ana's project is a volunteer-based program for high school students that allows them to earn volunteer hours for donating and transporting leftover food from restaurants, businesses, and food drives to homeless shelters and food banks. It is a program that aims to curb food insecurity and food waste in the Philly area by getting high school students involved in being part of the solution. In the future, Food For Goods' goal is to collaborate with restaurants to not only give food to those in need, but to stop food from being wasted.
 

Avantika (Tika) Nasta ‘28 - Backstage
Tika’s project is aimed at helping high school choral singers manage their busy performance schedule by streamlining the information singers need for each performance. Tika noticed that her choirmates were often trying to fully rearrange their schedules leading up to performances, so she is working on a program that will help organize each chorister’s schedule around choir.
 

Jade Nichols ‘27 - MiniCafs
Jade’s project, MiniCafs, is focusing on helping hungry student athletes access snacks on campus after school and practice.

 

 

Lisa Perini ‘27 - A Seat at the Table
Lisa’s project, A Seat at the Table, is focused on making public spaces like restaurants less overwhelming and overall more accommodating to families of children with special needs. Lisa has a younger brother on the spectrum, and has seen how difficult things can get, which motivates her to help the special needs community.
 

Kalyan Satti ‘27 - Clutch Mindset
Kalyan’s project, "Clutch Mindset," focuses on reducing pressure teenage tennis players experience in tournaments and improving performance in matches. Clutch Mindset is an app that creates individualized routines before matches to reduce pressure but also improve physical performance.

 

Ryan Scarlett ‘27 - Producer Connections
Ryan is a music producer whose goal has been to work in the music industry ever since he was 13. After experiencing how hard it can be trying to make connections and friends in the industry while starting from scratch, Ryan has launched Producer Connections as a way to help other people who share the same goal as him have an easier and more accessible experience.
 

Hannah Seidel-Nini ‘27 - The "Should I Test" Project
Hannah created The "Should I Test" Project, which focuses on leading teenagers to take action in their own healthcare by nudging them towards pursuing ADHD testing. It does so by giving students a sample quiz, with the results telling them whether or not they should seek out official testing.

 

Charlie Sorg ‘27 - At Home Golf Guide
Charlie has grown up surrounded by the game of golf and aims to give golfers different ways to get quality practice no matter their situation. Charlie recognizes the struggle involved with a strict seasonal sport as he has observed countless players take months off and lose the progress they made the previous season. Through his project, the At Home Golf Guide, Charlie aims to give golfers quality structured practice no matter the season.
 

Raina Treat ‘28 - Release
Raina’s project, Release, is designed to help students de-stress during social events. Students with ADHD and noise issues tend to have a harder time in larger group settings. Release is a library of sounds for students to listen to “in the moment” during social gatherings.

 

Nia Washington ‘27 - BSC Meets the Athletes
Nia’s project, BSC Meets the Athletes, is an organization connecting black athletes across the mainline area. Through hosting social events and gatherings, the goal is for student athletes to connect with other student athletes, feel heard by their larger community, and voice their opinions.