Horizons at SCH Hires Executive Director

Horizons at SCH welcomes Jennifer M. Wilmot as its executive director, a newly established role that will enhance Horizons’ commitment to providing high-quality educational and enrichment opportunities. Wilmot will focus on fundraising, community relations, and strategic planning. 

This planned hire, in Horizons at SCH’s sixth year of operation, is an investment in the sustainability of the program. Dr. Kenyatta Patterson, program director, will continue to lead academic programming, daily summer program operations, and teacher, student, and family relations. 

Wilmot is a West Philadelphia native whose own experience in Philadelphia public schools shaped her commitment to educational equity. Over 15 years, she has dedicated her career to expanding opportunities for young people in under-resourced communities—from direct service as a City Year Program Manager in Southwest Philadelphia to leading school transformation initiatives with Johns Hopkins University's national Diplomas Now model.
 
Most recently, Wilmot directed a $1 million research and program portfolio at Stanford University's Walkout Lab for Youth Justice, bridging academia, community, and philanthropy to advance education opportunities for system-impacted youth. Prior to Stanford, she served as the founding Director of Research and Development at Lift Every Voice Philly, where she supported the buildout of the organization's data, evaluation, and fundraising structures. Across her career, she has helped secure more than $2.8 million in philanthropic and public funding.

A proud graduate of University City High School, Wilmot holds a bachelor’s in English literature and communications from Chestnut Hill College, a master’s in English from the University of Missouri, an M.S.Ed. in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, and a certificate in grant writing from Temple University.

 
About Horizons at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (HSCH)

Horizons at SCH (HSCH) is a transformational, tuition-free, long-term academic and enrichment program serving local students who attend Philadelphia public schools and face barriers to opportunity. Hosted on the campus of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Horizons at SCH provides a six-week, full-day summer experience that combines high-quality, targeted academics with joyful, hands-on enrichment. In addition to summer programming, Horizons at SCH offers school-year programming that reinforces students’ connection to learning and to the HSCH community.

Students join Horizons at SCH the summer after kindergarten and return each year through the summer after eighth grade, benefiting from a multi-year, relationship-centered model that builds academic skills, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging over time. Through long-term relationships, high expectations, and a whole-child approach, Horizons at SCH fosters a joyful, inclusive community where learning is active, achievement is celebrated, and students are supported to reach their full potential.