Three-Year Grant Will Support ASPIRA's New Leadership Clubs For Middle School Students And Annual Citywide Youth Conference

NEW YORK, NY October 14, 2004 — ASPIRA of New York, a nonprofit organization that serves Latino youth and families, announced today that it has been awarded a three-year, $226,700 grant from the New York Life Foundation to develop curriculum and pilot ten gender-specific Leadership Clubs for middle school students in New York City schools. This grant will also fund ASPIRA's annual Citywide Youth Conference, a daylong event held each January, that explores topics such as college admissions, business careers and financial literacy.

"Our goal is to begin to cultivate a relationship with youth in middle schools to help them successfully enter high school and to ensure their continued academic achievement so they can pursue a college degree," said Hector Gesualdo, executive director, ASPIRA. "Thanks to the New York Life Foundation, we've taken a giant step closer to achieving this important goal."

"We are proud to support this dynamic program that will empower many Latino young people by educating them about their culture while helping them develop their leadership potential," said Sy Sternberg, chairman and chief executive officer of New York Life and chairman of the New York Life Foundation.

This year, ASPIRA will launch the first six gender-specific Leadership Clubs at four schools in the Bronx, including: MS 222; PS 86; Intermediate School 123; and Junior High School 22. Students will have the opportunity to plan their own activities, including field trips and community service projects, and will participate in the annual Citywide Youth Conference. Additionally, the Leadership Clubs will provide tutoring services as well as high school preparation workshops. This new initiative complements ASPIRA's existing program for high school students, which provides a forum for youth to become aware of their culture and community while developing their leadership skills and advancing academically.

About ASPIRA
Founded in 1961, ASPIRA of New York was created to combat the exorbitant dropout rate among New York City's Puerto Rican youth. ASPIRA's mission is to foster the social advancement of the Puerto Rican/Latino community by supporting its youth in the pursuit of educational excellence through leadership development activities and programs that emphasize commitment to the community and pride in the Puerto Rican/Latino culture. With a current annual operating budget of $3.8 million and with 85% of ASPIRA's services being delivered on school grounds, ASPIRA provides in school and after school program services in the areas of Youth Development & Educational Achievement, Youth Leadership and Parent Engagement to over 8,000 Latino youth and families annually.

About the New York Life Foundation
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2004, the New York Life Foundation (www.newyorklifefoundation.org) is the major vehicle through which New York Life Insurance Company channels contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. Through its Nurturing the Children initiative, the Foundation supports organizations, programs and services that target young people, particularly in the areas of mentoring, safe places to learn and grow, and educational enhancement opportunities. Through Volunteers for LIFE, its national community involvement initiative, New York Life also encourages volunteer participation by its employees, agents and retirees.

 Rate This
Rating: 0/0 (0 votes cast)

 Be the first to Comment