NEW YORK LIFE FOUNDATION GRANTS $200,000 TO NETWORK FOR TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NYC AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY

The New York Life Foundation yesterday announced a $200,000 grant to Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) to support expanding entrepreneurship education programs to low-performing students in New York City and Westchester County, New York; and Chicago, Illinois. The support will enable NFTE to serve at least 1,800 new students during the 2011-2012 school year.

"The New York Life Foundation is pleased to support NFTE because their programs inspire young people from at-risk communities to stay in school, recognize business opportunities, and to plan for successful futures," said Chris Park, president of New York Life Foundation. "NFTE engages students in ways that helps them realize that core school subjects are relevant to the rest of their lives and can help them succeed in school and beyond."

"We are grateful for New York Life Foundation's support of entrepreneurship education and inspiring young people to pursue educational opportunities, start their own businesses, and succeed in life ," says NFTE's president and CEO Amy Rosen. "Through our experiential "business building," students' academic skills improve which positively impacts their math and language skills, builds critical thinking and problem solving skills, and raises students' expectations for themselves - the biggest indicator of future success."

In New York City, this grant will allow NFTE to work with two programs within the school system that target some of the hardest to reach young people:
- District 79 - which is comprised of schools serving students who need additional support or alternative pathways in order to succeed, including currently or formerly incarcerated youth; chronically failing students; and all GED seekers
- Transfer Schools - serving students who are behind or who have already dropped out of school
 
In Westchester County, New York Life Foundation support will specifically help NFTE reach more than 300 Westchester students from lower income households that attend Mount Vernon High School, Thornton High School, Lincoln High School, Gorton High School, and Roosevelt High School.

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