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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2002
PR-123-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND GEORGE SOROS ANNOUNCE PLAN TO FUND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

New Public-Private Partnership will Support 157 City Programs for Students

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, joined by George Soros at P.S. 130 in the Bronx, announced today that the City of New York and the Open Society Institute (OSI) will devote over $30 million to support after-school programs during the 2002-2003 school year. Mayor Bloomberg committed to allocating $10.5 million in the FY 2003 executive budget and OSI will contribute $20 million. The combined funds will benefit more than 40,000 City students. Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, Chairman of The After-School Corporation Herbert Sturz, President of The After-School Corporation Lucy Friedman, and Chancellor of the Board of Education Harold O. Levy also attended the announcement.

"Our goal is to provide first-rate after-school programs to produce high-quality students," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Given the City's fiscal crisis, we need partners like the Open Society Institute to sustain many of the programs our children and families rely on. Today is just the beginning of what I hope will be one of the banner public-private partnerships of my administration."

"Mayor Bloomberg's commitment of $10.5 million to support after-school programs is especially significant, given the City's fiscal situation," said George Soros. "The fact that he has pledged his support in such hard times affirms the importance of after-school education even more."

The funds will be awarded to The After-School Corporation (TASC), a non-profit group that distributes grants to community organizations to conduct after-school programs in public schools across New York City and state. Together, these funds will allow TASC to leverage millions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments, the Board of Education, and other private donors. The City's and OSI's contributions will raise $80 million to support after-school programs this coming school year.

The City's $10.5 million contribution will support 87 quality, free-of-charge after-school programs that were under threat of closing. These programs include 17 in Manhattan; 20 in the Bronx; 25 in Brooklyn; 22 in Queens; and 3 on Staten Island. When combined with the OSI's contribution and other leveraged funds, it also preserves another 70 after-school programs. In total, the funds ensure a safe, productive environment for more than 40,000 children at 157 schools. In addition, the programs preserved by today's announcement will provide 11 million hours of reading and math instruction, sports, arts, and community service programs this upcoming school year.

The After-School Corporation was established by the Open Society Institute in 1998 to enhance the quality of after-school programming, with the goal of making after-school education a public responsibility. TASC programs provide free, high-quality after school instruction in classes with a student-staff ratio of ten to one.

 

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Ed Skyler / Megan Sheekey
(212) 788-2958
J.D. LaRock (TASC)
(212) 547-6998