Children's Aid Society Teens to Present Their Views on Education to Elected Officials

February 17, 2009

Amazing Young People and Scholarship Winners Honored at Youth Conference on Education

Project Runway’s Korto Momolu to Speak

Contacts:
Ellen Lubell, The Children’s Aid Society – (w) 212-949-4938, (c) 917-854-6864
Emily Crossan, The Children’s Aid Society – (w) 917-286-1548, (c) 201-344-5742

When:
Thursday, February 19, 2009
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where:
The Children’s Aid Society’s Philip Coltoff Center at Greenwich Village
219 Sullivan Street, between Bleecker and West 3rd Streets

What:
Approximately 150 teens from Children’s Aid Society community centers and schools in Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights and the Bronx will discuss the NYC school environment and academic success with special guests Dennis Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development, and Robert Jackson, Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Lewis Fidler, John Liu and Albert Vann, all members of the City Council’s Education Committee.

Patrick Alvarez, Travis Bristol and Jacqueline Murekatete will all be honored with Amazing Young People awards for their efforts to serve the community. Alvarez founded Project Feed Me, a nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding the hungry. Bristol’s Young Men’s Initiative works to improve academic performance among African American and Latino males. Murekatete, a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, created Jacqueline’s Human Rights Corner to help genocide survivors rebuild their lives.

Project Runway Season 5 finalist Korto Momolu will speak about her inspirations and the hard work necessary to achieve one’s goals. Three outstanding high school seniors will be awarded Audrey Miller Poritzky Memorial Scholarships to help defray the rapidly rising cost of college.

The 5th annual Youth Speak Out on Education is presented by the Audrey Miller Poritzky Education Fund for Children and The Children's Aid Society.

9:30 a.m.
Welcome and Remarks – C. Warren Moses, CEO, The Children's Aid Society
Amazing Young Person: Patrick Alvarez

10:00 a.m.
Youth Presentations, followed by Panel Discussion with members of the NYC Council Education Committee

11:00 a.m.
Youth Presentations and Amazing Young Person: Travis Bristol

11:30 a.m.
Youth Discussion with Deputy Mayor Walcott

12:00 noon
Amazing Young Person: Jacqueline Murekatete and Korto Momolu, Project Runway

12:30 p.m.
Audrey Miller Poritzky Memorial Scholarship Awards

The Audrey Miller Poritzky Education Fund for Children’s mission is to help children realize their academic potential and pursue their educational dreams.

The Children’s Aid Society (www.childrensaidsociety.org) was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving 150,000 of New York’s neediest children and their families with a network of services that includes community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, arts programming, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation. The Children's Aid Society is a founding member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the vast majority of Children’s Aid sites are Boys & Girls Clubs. For more information, please call 212-949-4938 or email ellenl@childrensaidsociety.org.

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