The inspiration for the program came when Mr. Weiss was a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania and his fraternity hosted a Christmas party for 12 inner-city children. Nineteen years old at the time, Mr. Weiss struck up a friendship with the 12-year-olds, playing basketball and pool with them and listening to stories about their hardscrabble lives. Moved by their courage and resilience, he stayed in touch with all of them. When he returned to Penn seven years later for homecoming, he finally had enough money to take them out to lunch! At the restaurant, he learned that all 12 had graduated from high school. One of the young men told him, "We could not have dropped out and looked you straight in the eye." Inspired by these words, Mr. Weiss promised then and there to help make a difference in the lives of children facing overwhelming obstacles. After building a successful career, Mr. Weiss fulfilled his promise. The Say Yes to Education program was born when he promised 112 economically disadvantaged sixth-graders from one of Philadelphia's toughest neighborhoods that if they could make it through high school, he would pay for their college educations. Say Yes now operates chapters in Philadelphia (pa), Hartford (ct), Cambridge (ma), and Harlem (ny).