FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2006
www.nyc.gov/women

NYC GirlsREACH CELEBRATES INAUGURAL GRADUATION

Oxygen Media hosts Graduation Ceremony for Participating High School Juniors and Seniors

The New York City Commission on Women's Issues (CWI) and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) today held the first graduation ceremony for 49 high school girls from the NYC GirlsREACH program. The ceremony - held at Oxygen Media headquarters in Manhattan - celebrated the achievements of these junior and senior high school students and marked the end of the successful first year of the program. NYC GirlsREACH is an innovative youth development initiative of CWI and DYCD first announced by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in March 2006. The program was created to foster greater awareness of career opportunities by pairing New York City high school students with professional women through summer internships in the public and private sectors. The graduates completed six-week summer internships; weekly work readiness, leadership development, financial literacy, and women's issues workshops; and an eight-week college preparatory course by Kaplan, Inc. DYCD Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav, CWI Chair Anne Sutherland Fuchs, CWI Executive Director Elizabeth LoNigro, and Oxygen's Senior Vice President of External Affairs Andrea Bernstein joined the students and their parents for the graduation today.

"NYC GirlsREACH connects a new generation of young women with inspiring mentors who help them explore our City's unparalleled opportunities," said DYCD Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav. "This program dramatically impacts young women, their families, and their communities. NYC GirlsREACH alumni return to school more confident, and armed with a clear roadmap for success. They know now, more than ever, that there is no limit on what they can achieve."

"This innovative partnership emphasizes the importance of education and mentorship in the lives of young high schools students," said Commission Chair Anne Sutherland Fuchs. "Mayor Bloomberg has set a high standard for the future of this City by making youth education a priority. His support for public-private partnerships and programs like NYC GirlsREACH will make a real difference for kids -- creating opportunities today to inspire the leaders of tomorrow."

NYC GirlsREACH graduates who proceed to enroll in a four-year college or university will receive scholarships, donated by program partners. Also present at the graduation were managers and partners from sponsoring corporations Ernst and Young LLP, JPMorganChase, Macy's, The Moody's Foundation, Lehman Brothers, The Bank of New York, HarperCollins Publishers, and Bloomberg LP. In addition, Rosie's for All Kids Foundation; Kaplan Inc., and the City University of New York contributed to this initiative.

NYC GirlsREACH 2006 participants were nominated by their In-School Youth (ISY) program providers. ISY is a DYCD program that provides education and employment-related services to students between the ages of 14 through 18 to prepare them for higher education and the workforce. NYC GirlsREACH is reliant on private support, administered by the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. To learn more about NYC GirlsREACH visit www.nyc.gov or call 311.

CONTACT:
Evelyn Erskine (212) 788-2958
Ryan Dodge (DYCD) (212) 442-5979 or (917) 553-1082