BVSPCA event

^{Members of the MGKF team and their four-legged friends support community events,}^{including this 5K run/walk for the Brandywine Valley SPCA.}

Community Service

MGKF is known for its professional, yet down-to-earth and collegial culture. In addition to encouraging the professional development of our attorneys, technical consultants, and paralegals, we have a strong tradition of encouraging participation in environmental, energy, and other civic programs and community activities outside of the office.

The firm's professionals serve in many capacities such as adjunct professors at law schools; officers and board members of recognized environmental, energy, and community organizations; lecturers and course planners for numerous trial advocacy and other educational programs; and as elected and appointed governmental officials. MGKF professionals are active in the general community as well participating in sporting activities, theater and the arts.

Service Spotlight

Bryan P. Franey, Esq. and Marketing Director, Julie Hayes
Volunteers, Upper Merion Middle School Aquaponics Competition

^{Manko Gold Awarded Upper Merion the 2017 Environmental Community Service Award.}

Back in the fall of 2016, as part of the 8th grade Science curriculum, Upper Merion Area Middle School partnered with Riverbend Environmental Education Center to immerse 8^th grade Science students in a yearlong project learning about Sustainability through Aquaponics. In the first half of the school year, 8^th grade students were divided into 12 small companies to create and manage a basil lemonade business. The companies were divided into divisions: CEO, Aquaponics Farming, Production, Distribution and Marketing, Finance, and Risk/Waste Management. Students were completely responsible for every aspect of the project including: cleaning/ maintaining the aquarium; growing the crops; creating a recipe from scratch; determining the environmental impact of all aspects of the business; creating a marketing plan; using a fixed budget to determine costs/profits based on the recipe and sales; and identifying ways to mitigate possible risks. Halfway through the project, 16 professional experts from each field met with the student divisions to provide feedback for their business.

^{MGKF's Bryan Franey meets with the "legal team" at a recent Expert Day.}

This amazing program continues today, and its current focus is a “Food Truck Friday” competition that involves the entire 8^th grade (350 students). MGKF Partner Bryan Franey and Marketing Director Julie Hayes are among the 50 professional expert volunteers that participate in the program. Bryan Franey regularly volunteers to be one of the legal experts to offer insight on their plans. The legal side of the business has evolved to include AquaCivics, where a “Congress” of elected students propose and pass legislation that is used by the “attorneys” to monitor the implementation of certain aspects of the project.

Recently Julie Hayes was able to offer feedback to the marketing teams in charge of the food trucks. Each team had selected a food to serve, developed a logo and tagline, planned in-school promotional campaigns and reached out to local businesses to ask support with their efforts. “I was really impressed that these students were having a ‘real life’ experiential learning opportunity like this at such a young age,” said Hayes. “This program definitely builds teamwork skills and boosts self-confidence.”

To see our past service spotlights, click here.