A Reunion at The Treehouse

About 10 years ago, the ‘Cats at AgileCat started a project with La Salle Academy that we refer to internally as “Operation Inspiration.” It’s a day of co-inspiration and fun as anything.

But first some background. Top Cat Peter Madden serves as a Trustee – and therefore co-owner – of this incredible school in West Kensington. The school was founded by Jim Lynch, also known as “Jim Lynch the Banker,” over 20 years as a place for kids in grades 3 through 8 whose families want them to have a Catholic-based education. To qualify for attendance, families must show an annual income of $20k or less.

So, as you can imagine, these great kids come from very challenging backgrounds. However, this doesn’t dampen their collective spirits, desire to learn, inquisitiveness, and sunny dispositions. And make no mistake, they come in uniform, look you right in the eye, offer a firm handshake, and a warm smile. When it comes to serving on the La Salle Academy Board, Peter had the idea of making a deeper and more meaningful connection between our team and the children.

On a recent visit, the 6^th Grade class came to us, and we took them through an agenda that included giving them background on our agency, our humble beginnings, lessons learned, and more. We also worked on a project together, where their “assignment” was to produce logo designs for a fictional social media company called Blink.

They quickly and excitedly tackled this project. You could see the intensity and joy on their faces as they sketched designs and ideas. This was all followed by arguably their favorite part—the pizza party! But not before some fun photos so we could all reflect on our special day together.

When Peter reflected on this visit—and past visits—the mission is simple: connect and validate, mentor and make it memorable. Our great Mayor, Cherelle Parker, talks about One Philadelphia. Well, this is that mantra in action, and always has been. Though we may come from different backgrounds and neighborhoods, we all want the same thing—to be believed in. And everyone at AgileCat firmly believes that each of the 15 kids who visited left our HQ feeling uplifted and believed in. As one young lady summarized, “this was the best trip of the year.”

And that’s the point.

To learn more about La Salle Academy, please visit http://lasalleacademy.net