The New York Times Company Foundation Convenes Immigrant Family Literacy Summit with New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development and the Literacy Assistance Center
Contacts:
Toby Usnik, The New York Times Company, 212-556-4425
Michael Ognibene, DYCD, 212-442-6009
Jan Gallagher, Literacy Assistance Center, 212-803-3332
NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2005 – The New York Times Company Foundation today announced that it will host an immigrant family literacy summit with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the Literacy Assistance Center on Tuesday, January 18. The Summit will include officials and authorities specializing in immigrant issues and family literacy. The Summit will be held at The Times building on 43rd Street from 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
“Immigrants and literacy are both causes close to all our hearts,” said Jack Rosenthal, president, The New York Times Company Foundation. “We are pleased to work with our partners to create an alliance that can help increase the opportunities for newcomers to learn English, parents and children together.”
“Each year, as New York City increasingly welcomes new immigrants, there is a growing need for services,” said DYCD commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav. “This immigrant family literacy collaboration will promote cultural development, assist new New Yorkers seeking permanent residency or citizenship, and strengthen their families and other support systems.”
“Family literacy programs allow newcomers to our city to join their children in learning to communicate and to navigate the systems of their new home,” said Elyse Barbell Rudolph, executive director, Literacy Assistance Center. “Immigrant family literacy programs in New York are as diverse as the families they serve. They need a single forum where they can discuss common issues.”
The Immigrant Family Literacy Summit aims to explore the creation of an alliance to further immigrant family literacy in New York City. The Summit will allow for the sharing of best practices and the creation of a body that can advocate for more resources – both public and private – to teach English to the record number of immigrants in New York’s population.
Approximately 65 participants are expected, including Guillermo Linares, New York City Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs; Joe Salvo, director, Population Division of the Department of City Planning; Richard Fish, special advisor to the commissioner, DYCD; Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, executive director, Safe Space; Carmen Rivera, principal, New Americans School; Karen Proctor, vice president of Community Affairs & Government Relations, Scholastic, Inc.; and officials from several foundations devoted to literacy and anti-poverty work, including the Altman Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation and the Verizon Foundation.
About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2003 revenues of $3.2 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 16 other newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. For the fourth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune’s 2004 list of America’s Most Admired Companies. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
About The Department of Youth and Community Development
The Department of Youth and Community Development facilitates youth development and community development by awarding contracts to a broad network of community-based organizations throughout New York City. These contracts support a variety of youth services, including afterschool programs, workforce development, runaway and homeless programs, cultural enrichment and delinquency prevention, that provide
positive reinforcement for young people and encourages them to stimulate their cognitive, creative, social and physical abilities. DYCD also administers contracts to support programs that address the unique needs and assessments of each community, including the conditions of poverty, helps to establish routes for youth, families and neighborhoods to become more self-sufficient and creates an opportunity to fully
participate in community and enjoy productive lives.
About The Literacy Assistance Center
The Literacy Assistance Center (LAC) is in its third decade of providing free professional development and other services to New York City programs offering adult literacy, family literacy, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and GED preparation. The LAC also operates New York State’s Literacy Referral Hotline, which assists learners and volunteers in identifying the most appropriate nearby free adult education program. More about the LAC’s family literacy initiatives