We just celebrated our milestone 10th Anniversary with our very first gala event. It was a joy-filled time that brought together longtime champions of our work and new friends for an immersive gathering that felt part retreat, part vision of what’s possible, and part honoring of a decade of positive impact.

To help us celebrate, Pat Croce, serial entrepreneur, former owner of Philadelphia’s 76ers, and founder of Meditation Hill Sangha, Philadelphia Councilmember Anthony Phillips, Executive VP of XPRIZE’s Learning & Society Alexander Nicholas, Inner Strength Board Co-Chair Anthony Holland, and a personal message from Governor Josh Shapiro showered praise and words of inspiration to help us continue to spread the magic of inner strength for outer stability.Twenty high school students, graduates of our school programs and internships, went from table to table, leading mindfulness practices, building a collective gratitude tree with all the guests, distributing affirmation cards and talking about the importance of affirming the positive. They asked questions and made connections, sharing their hopes, dreams, and the impact Inner Strength has had on them. So much fun!

We celebrated the milestones of working with 35,000 students, 5,000 teachers, and establishing key partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia, the innovation organization XPRIZE, and Villanova University.

Our 10th Anniversary marked an important milestone. Yet, for the Inner Strength team, as always, the accomplishments of the past all serve to fuel our momentum to expand in the future. We are already working on a model to bring our evidence-based curriculum to many more youth through a new partnership program and to innovate on student learning through the currently in development Inner Strength AI Coach.

We thank our generous 10th Anniversary Sponsors The Orenstein Family, Tim & Kim Wertz, Ginny & Jim Doerr, Steve & Sheila Gross, and The Donahue Family for their support. We also thank the Westin Hotel for the wonderful ambiance and care, Encore for AV support, and Forget Me Knot who upcycled our flowers with families at the Ronald McDonald House and Laurel Manor Senior Care. We also extend thanks to all our donors over the past decade and all the donors to come for helping mentor young people to become the wise, compassionate, and creative leaders that will build a bright future.

See you at our next milestone!