CNR News & Events

VERIZON FOUNDATION AWARDS
$15,000 GRANT TO ACCESS CENTER GATEWAY PROGRAM
AT THE SCHOOL OF NEW RESOURCES

The College of New Rochelle received a $15,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to create the Access Center Gateway Program at the John Cardinal O’Connor Campus (JOC) of the College’s School of New Resources (SNR). The funds will be used for a technological literacy and ESL (English as a Second Language) program for Latino adults who reside near the JOC Campus at 332 East 149 Street. The grant was officially presented at the Campus on October 14, 2004. Pictured (left to right): Donna Tyler, Associate Dean, SNR; Monique Caubere, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, CNR; Hope Harley, Director, Community Affairs, Verizon; Elza Dinwiddie-Boyd, Dean, SNR; John F. Butler, Regional Manager, Community Affairs, Verizon; and Dr. Marguerite Coke-Maxwell, JOC Campus Director.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY, October 14, 2004 -- The College of New Rochelle (CNR) today announced a $15,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to create the Access Center Gateway Program at the John Cardinal O’Connor Campus for the College’s School of New Resources (SNR). The funds will be used for a technological literacy and ESL (English as a Second Language) program for Latino adults who reside near the College’s South Bronx campus at 332 East 149 Street. The grant was officially presented at JOC this afternoon.

“One of Verizon’s ongoing priorities is to look for ways to make a difference in the communities we serve,” said John F. Butler, Regional Manager, Community Affairs, Verizon. “The Verizon grant for the Access Center Gateway Program reflects our ongoing commitment to invest in the development of a skilled and technologically literate work force.”

The Access Center Gateway Program can serve up to 35 adults. The grant will be used to purchase ESL and computer-assisted instructional software, provide instructional assistance to adult participants, pay for tutoring hours, purchase standardized assessment tests, and for program evaluation services. Participants will attend instructional offerings, tutoring/mentoring sessions and career exploration workshops that are scheduled until the program ends in July 2005.

“This grant will give Latino adults in the South Bronx an opportunity to develop the technological literacy and English language skills they need to obtain better employment opportunities in the future,” noted Elza Dinwiddie-Boyd, Dean of SNR.

According to the latest U.S. Census data, the South Bronx is home to approximately 82,000 residents. More than 70% of the population is Latino, over 45% receive some form of government assistance, and less than half are high school graduates. The Verizon Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications. In 2003, the foundation awarded more than 21,000 grants totaling about $70 million to charitable and nonprofit agencies that focus on improving basic and computer literacy, enriching communities through technology, and creating a skilled work force. The foundation uses its resources in the United States and abroad to develop partnerships in technology and connect them with organizations serving the needs of diverse communities, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, and the economically and socially disadvantaged. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation.

The College of New Rochelle School of New Resources has graduated more than 13,000 adult learners with baccalaureate liberal arts degrees. More than 51 percent of SNR graduates have gone on to obtain advanced degrees at more than 34 colleges and universities nationwide and many hold senior management positions in the public and private sectors. SNR currently serves 4,500 adult students on seven campuses with an 86-member, full-time administrative and instructional staff as well as a 500-member, part-time staff. The School has been recognized as a model for adult education. Students at SNR benefit from relaxed, conversational classrooms and flexible class schedules, while earning a college degree in their own community.