Impact

Net Impact and Beta Alpha Psi partner with KPMG to fight illiteracy

Earlier this semester, the Penn State Smeal College of Business Net Impact Undergraduate Chapter partnered with KPMG, accounting and fiinance honors society Beta Alpha Psi and First Book for a corporate social responsibility event providing 200 children at Penns Valley Elementary School in Spring Mills, Pa., with books and a day of literacy activities.

KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm and one of Smeal’s corporate associates, partners with First Book to assist with the cost of books in an effort to support literacy. First Book is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide books to children.

The partnership with KPMG was Net Impact’s first corporate social responsibility event, which the chapter’s president, Ethan Espina, said they hope to do more of in the future.

“Corporate social responsibility is really about volunteering time and making an impact,” said Espina. “Net Impact wants to focus on both sustainability and corporate social responsibility.”

All volunteers were able to interact with the students ranging from kindergarten to third grade by reading together, talking, and doing art projects for the day. Attendees felt that they were able to positively influence these children’s lives and make a difference through the simple act of spending time with them.

Espina said, “When we better ourselves outside of the workplace, we in turn become better employees.”

Espina, along with KPMG Managing Director Lori McLaughlin and KPMG Campus Recruiter Becca Miceli, spearheaded this day of service.

Net Impact partners with companies throughout the year to provide experiences like this one, as well as other beneficial events for chapter members and Penn State students. The group’s mission is to inspire, educate and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world. To learn more about Penn State’s Net Impact Undergraduate Chapter, visit http://sites.psu.edu/netimpactugchapter/.

Last Updated April 15, 2014

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