Local Engagement
"What began as an annual team-building activity several years ago has transformed into a larger community service initiative, thanks to the input of my colleagues. Each year since then, we have tackled a local project restoring a home with organizations like Habitat for Humanity." - Lou Peragallo, VP, Operations, Indianapolis
When Wiley opened its global headquarters in Hoboken, New Jersey, in September 2002, then CEO and President Will Pesce emphasized the importance of being an exceptional corporate citizen by working with local schools and non-profit organizations to provide educational opportunities for our neighbors.
From this promise grew Wiley’s Volunteer Program, which began as a modest initiative in Hoboken schools and has since expanded to include similar efforts in Wiley’s Bognor, Chichester, Oxford, Indianapolis, Malden, and Somerset offices. Today, the Wiley Volunteer Program is only one of many ways in which colleagues donate time and expertise to our communities around the world.
The collaborative efforts listed below highlight our firm belief that we—individually and collectively—are responsible to the local communities in which we live and work, and to the global communities we serve. Although only a small sampling of what Wiley colleagues around the world are doing to give back, these initiatives prove that, together, we make a difference.
North America
Read Aloud Program (Hoboken, New Jersey)
This initiative—part of the Wiley Volunteer Program—is based on Wiley’s firm conviction that reading skills form the basis of a solid education and pave the way for the development of more advanced skills. During the school day, Wiley colleagues read books to local schoolchildren and support teachers in a variety of classroom activities. Similar efforts have been launched in Wiley offices around the world.
Shadow Day (Hoboken, New Jersey)
This annual one-day event—also part of the Wiley Volunteer Program—exposes local high school students to the world of publishing and a professional business setting. Students are paired with a Wiley colleague for one day and are granted unique opportunities to observe, ask questions, and learn. Through this program, Wiley hopes to inspire the next generation of professionals to pursue higher education and plan for their future.
Stuff the Bus (Somerset, New Jersey)
At Wiley's U.S. distribution center, colleagues participate in this United Way of Somerset County program that provides children from low-income families with new school supplies to support their studies and encourage learning. In 2010, more than 38,000 items were collected and distributed to 40 Somerset County schools.
Volunteer Instruction Program (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Through this program, colleagues work with local elementary school students on a regular basis over the course of the school year. Participants spend 20-40 minutes semi-monthly helping students in the subjects of math, reading, and spelling.
Everybody Wins (Malden, Massachusetts)
Wiley's Boston-area office launched this reading program to provide children in a local elementary school with the opportunity to read on a regular basis and learn basic literacy skills.
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
The Wiley Scholarship (United Kingdom)
Wiley launched the Wiley Scholarship in 2008 to support an individual student who is pursuing a postgraduate publishing career in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, offices in Oxford, Chichester, and Bognor take part in the Reading Aloud Program with local schools. Among numerous other projects, colleagues in the United Kingdom also regularly volunteer to raise funds in support of Book Aid International.
Promotion of Sciences and Environmental Education in Kindergarten (Weinheim, Germany)
In Germany, Wiley supports this project, which helps students in elementary schools learn about science. Retired Wiley-VCH colleagues tutor students and assist teachers with the curriculum, while colleagues help generate content for tests. The project is underway at four elementary schools in Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Weinheim.
Asia Pacific
Smith Family Foundation Learning for Life (Wiley Australia)
Wiley Australia supports this initiative, which grants learning opportunities for financially disadvantaged children and young people. By providing educational basics, the Foundation aims to prevent current limitations from turning into a lifetime of poverty. Wiley Australia donates corporate funds, and many colleagues choose to volunteer with the program and/or contribute individually on a pre-tax basis.
Mitrataa Foundation (Wiley Asia)
The Mitrataa Foundation seeks to empower future generations of Nepalese through the provision of quality education and by imparting practical life skills to children and women. Wiley supports the Foundation by raising funds through a variety of activities including craft auctions and the annual “Run for a Dream” event.