Say Yes to Education

One person with great vision can change the lives of so many, and few people represent that better than George Weiss, the founder of Say Yes.

And last night, 600 people came together in New York City to celebrate Weiss and the work Say Yes to Education has done over the past quarter-century to transform the lives of young people and their communities.  

Thanks to the generosity of so many, $4.5 million was raised at the 25^th Anniversary Gala to support Say Yes’ commitment to dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for urban youth.

What started out as a University of Pennsylvania student befriending 12 inner-city Philadelphia children has blossomed into a national non-profit foundation that has worked to create a new future for 69,000 young people. Offering the promise of scholarships for all students, Say Yes provides financial assistance for college, as well as the academic, health, social, and legal supports students need to graduate from high school and succeed in further learning.

With former NFL star Michael Strahan at the helm, attendees at  last night’s gala reminisced on Say Yes’ past, heard testimonials from students touched along the way and made a strong commitment to bring change to the lives of thousands more students.

One of those students was Kimberly Carmichael from Philadelphia. A member of the first class of Say Yes students, Kimberly set aside her fear of public speaking to tell those assembled at Cipriani 42^nd Street how she went from an angry young girl to a woman who now works with troubled youngsters in her job as a youth counselor.

“The faith, love and support that I have received from all the Say Yes staff throughout the years have helped to fuel my determination to do better and live a better life for myself,” she told the crowd.

Kimberly’s story is one of many on the impact of Say Yes over the past 25 years. You can watch many more in this video, which takes you on a journey through Say Yes’ past, present and future.

Jacques Steinberg, former New York Times senior editor and best-selling author, will join Say Yes to Education, a national, non-profit education foundation committed to dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for our nation’s urban youth. Steinberg, who begins Feb. 4, will help grow the Say Yes Higher Education Compact, a program that partners higher education institutions with Say Yes to provide financial support in the form of college tuition for tens of thousands of Say Yes students. 

Steinberg, using his decades of expertise and experience navigating the college-admissions world, will also create credible content to guide students, families, and counselors through the process of applying to college, applying for financial aid, and graduating with a postsecondary degree.

Members of the Higher Education Compact include the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown, Syracuse, Drexel and Colgate universities, Vassar College, SUNY, CUNY, and more than 100 public and private colleges and universities. 

“After more than a decade writing, reporting and lecturing about college admissions, I have lately found myself wanting to put down my reporter’s notebook to work more directly with public-school students, families and their counselors, whose caseloads have often ballooned to 500 or more in the midst of budget cuts,” said Steinberg. “I am honored to be joining the team at Say Yes, which has earned high marks in education circles for its determination to raise high school and college graduation rates, especially in the inner city.”

“The addition of Jacques to the Say Yes family will provide a great service to each and every one of our Say Yes students as they select and apply to colleges and earn their postsecondary degrees,” said Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, president of Say Yes to Education. “His extraordinary work in the higher education sector will serve him well as he forges partnerships with postsecondary institutions interested in diversifying their pool of applicants and affording all students with the opportunity to go to college.”

Because students participating in Say Yes have received academic, social, emotional, health, and family supports that helped them graduate from high school ready for college and career, participating institutions admit students that are prepared and motivated to succeed.

Say Yes students, who meet the residency and college entry requirements apply to Compact member colleges, receive support throughout their undergraduate collegiate career, including job shadowing and internship opportunities.

Since its founding 25 years ago, Say Yes has raised or leveraged more than $11 million in Say Yes scholarships and sent nearly 2,000 students to college.

Steinberg is the author of The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, a New York Times-best seller and Times Notable Book that was first published by Viking-Penguin in September 2002.  The book was reissued by Penguin, with a new Afterword written in conjunction with its 10th anniversary, in September 2012. 

He was a journalist at The New York Times for more than two decades, most recently as its senior editor for education initiatives. At The Times, Steinberg edited The Choice, the Times’ college admissions and financial aid blog, which he created for the paper in spring 2009, as well as The New York Times Learning Network.  

To learn more about Say Yes to Education, go to www.sayyestoeducation.org or www.wedontsettle.org.

Schools today still operate as they did when our grandparents headed off to kindergarten. Most educate students for six-plus hours a day from September to June as if we still need our “children home to work the fields,” as New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently said. Reinventing schools for the 21st century requires re-thinking the school day and year and re-wiring how schools and communities work together to educate all children effectively. But taking this step will first require a fundamental change in how New Yorkers envision what learning looks like.

The Governor’s education reform plan would offer incentives for struggling schools to expand the day or year and bring community partners and services right into their buildings. The plan not only offers strategies to strengthen teaching and learning, but also says that we need to broaden responsibility for children’s success to entire communities, with a focus on addressing students’ social, health and financial barriers to post-secondary success.

The world has changed, and so have the demands our children face. We need to put old-school sentiment aside and embrace the governor’s vision for schools that make more time for subjects squeezed out of the curriculum, and that make room for talented community educators to work beside teachers, helping students overcome the challenges of poverty.

Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget would help us move forward by investing $20 million in funding for school districts to expand high quality learning time, and $15 million in support of community schools that become hubs of student and family services. This is our chance not just to re-arrange school schedules, but to get expanded learning right by combining elements of two of the governor’s proposals: giving youth the counseling and other help they need, and more ways to learn and thrive.

The governor is proposing we change how government works to make more effective use of communities’ collective efforts, for example by breaking down bureaucratic barriers to shared delivery of services like tutoring. This partnership approach is what’s been missing from many previous education efforts, and what will yield the greatest impact from the investments taxpayers already make in schools and families.

The governor’s plan builds off initiatives by the state and cities like New York, under Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council, to coordinate the efforts of schools, community organizations and government. It builds on the successful strategy of Say Yes to Education, which works across Syracuse and Buffalo to mobilize government, universities, businesses and foundations to collectively remove the barriers associated with the delivery of academic and social services to children and families. Over the last five years, the dynamic public-private partnership in Syracuse has boosted graduation rates, provided hundreds of college scholarships, placed mental health clinics in every Syracuse public school and extended the school day and year to provide more time for both academics and enrichment.

It builds on the model of TASC ExpandED Schools, elementary and middle schools that partner with strong youth-serving community organizations, such as settlement houses, to keep children safe and facilitate learning until 6 PM. These New York City public schools work collectively with parents and community partners to restore arts and athletics to the curriculum, engage young people with science and technology and customize interventions like intensive literacy support. They give students both more time and ways to achieve and more motivation to persist.

We know from experience that these are cost-effective ways to give all students opportunities, and to give communities more reason to believe in and support their local schools and teachers.

Dramatic changes in family schedules and needs, technology, and the workplace all point to the eventual extinction of our 19th century-style school. We need to stop treating schools as islands within their communities and start building stronger, cost-effective partnerships. The governor and members of the New New York Education Reform Commission have given us a roadmap. 

Bios: Lucy N. Friedman is the President of TASC. Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey is the President of Say Yes to Education and a member of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s New New York Education Reform Commission.

Check out the Full Op-Ed Here: http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Schools-are-trapped-in-the-past-4221901.php

Statement of Say Yes to Education President Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey on the release of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s budget proposal

I am pleased to see the Governor’s budget support a major step forward in building a new generation of New Yorkers who will be poised to strengthen our great state and compete globally. The priorities set forth in this budget represent a much-needed incentive to support what works and ensure great outcomes for New York’s children and families.

The governor’s budget places a priority on funding evidence-based solutions to help dramatically change educational outcomes. In an era where budgets remain tight, the investments in today’s budget focus on funding communities committed to building more effective, efficient and transparent ways of delivering education and other services to young people. The emphasis on competitive funding and targeting additional support to the highest-need school districts is the right approach and best use of our scarce resources. We will be able to learn from the successful work of these communities and share these practices across the state and nation.

Say Yes’ work over the past the 25 years has shown early interventions matter. Expanding quality pre-kindergarten education must be part of any state effort to strengthen student outcomes, and the budget really pushes the envelope to make these services available to more children in our neediest communities.

The budget’s investments in performance management and community schools will support a comprehensive strategy to strengthen our education system and to untangle and rewire the how government and communities work together to serve families and young people.

Efforts that focus on what it takes to motivate students to work harder and mobilize the community to provide needed health, counseling, and tutoring services young people need to succeed are essential to putting more communities in our state on the path to success.

I know the legislature will join me in supporting this ambitious effort to create the civic infrastructure and provide the educational opportunities New York’s students and families need.

Statement of Say Yes to Education President Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey on the release of the New NY Education Reform Commission preliminary recommendations.

As Say Yes has learned over 25 years of work, early interventions matter. Students who have extra supports starting in their youngest years are more successful than others who don’t receive that support. 

We also know that the promise of tuition scholarships can be a North Star to enable young people to see that college is possible. We were especially pleased that the report also recognizes the role that higher education can play in providing opportunity for all of our young people.

The plan also moves New York miles ahead of other states in ensuring fiscal transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the delivery of education and public services.  We can only make meaningful progress if we fundamentally change how government works to ensure students and their families receive the supports that help those young people become well-educated, productive citizens.

Penn alumni volunteer consultants prepare non-profit to celebrate its 25th Anniversary

Say Yes to Education (SYTE) has teamed up with alumni volunteers from the University of Pennsylvania Pro bono Alumni Consulting (PennPAC) to help SYTE prepare for its 25th  anniversary. Through the three-month engagement, the consulting team collected alumni stories from twenty-five alumni of the SYTE program from the Philadelphia, Cambridge, Hartford, and Syracuse chapters, to highlight the achievements of both the program and its graduates.

Results from the team’s alumni interviews have provided many inspiring stories with SYTE alums serving in public office, earning master’s degrees, establishing their own businesses and much more. These stories will be used at the SYTE Anniversary Gala event to be held March 5, 2013 at Cipriani in New York City. The PennPAC team is also providing SYTE with marketing assistance.

About PennPAC

Penn Pro bono Alumni Consulting (PennPAC) is a program that recruits and creates teams of University of Pennsylvania alumni-volunteers to provide pro-bono project-based consulting services to New York City and Philadelphia-based non-profits. In New York, PennPAC is a joint program of the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association of New York City (PennNYC) and the Wharton Club of New York (WCNY). In Philadelphia, PennPAC is a part of the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia. PennPAC’s mission is to harness the intellectual talents and professional skills of alumni of the University of Pennsylvania in a meaningful and socially beneficial way. PennPAC consultants are alumni at various stages of their careers and from many industries drawn from the over 40,000 Penn alumni in the New York City and Philadelphia area. Projects are conducted on a seasonal basis – in the fall and the spring. For more information visit www.pennpac.org.

The following comes from an announcement made by Say Yes Buffalo today.

One Year Later, Thank You for Saying Yes.

One year ago today, with your help, our community took a huge step forward toward creating a stronger and more equitable region for all. 

The launch of Say Yes Buffalo was a watershed moment; One that saw individuals and organizations put aside past differences and commit to working together in new ways to improve the City of Buffalo’s public schools thereby putting our children and our region on track for a more economically vibrant future. 

We could not be more grateful for the leadership, time and sweat equity that you, the partners in this effort, put forth to make this game changer a reality for Western New York. 

Thank you for Saying Yes. 

December 20, 2012 has been declared George Weiss day in Buffalo by Mayor Byron Brown II, which is a tremendous honor.

To watch a short recap of the December 20, 2011 event that announced Say Yes Buffalo, click here.

Say Yes’s Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey speaks out about the horrible events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut  on Friday.

“There really aren’t words to express adequately our sorrow about this tragic loss. As a mom, my heart breaks for each and every family touched by this senseless loss of so many precious lives. As an educator and public servant, I’m reminded how much work we have to do to find ways to identify and treat issues such as mental illness which must have contributed to this nightmare. As a citizen, I’m committed to do anything I can to help those in mourning and to support those (especially our little ones) who are  likely afraid and confused by Friday’s unexplainable events. “

“We should express our sadness, extend our hand to help, and keep all in our thoughts and prayers.”

Every November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an Internet-based creative writing project which challenges participants to write a novel consisting of 50,000 words between November 1^st and November 30^th. In past years, people from all walks of life and from across the globe have accepted this monumental challenge. Without a doubt, NaNoWriMo is difficult to complete—in 2011 there were more than 250,000 participants, but fewer than 37,000 reached the 50,000 goal.   

In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, the Young Authors Series in Syracuse, N.Y. encourages students to write their own stories. The young authors are not restricted to the NaNoWriMo requirements, but they endure many of the same joys that novelists experience during the creative writing process.   

As part of Say Yes Syracuse’s extended day and year programming, the Young Authors Series is an exciting collaboration between students in the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) and college students at Syracuse University (SU). Elementary and middle school students write stories about a wide range of topics, and the college students provide illustrations. With the help of a generous grant from the National Grid Foundation, the finished products are then produced and published as professional books. Approximately 85 SCSD students will release five new books as part of the program during the 2012-13 school year.   

This program helps develop the writing and reading skills of the children, while also teaching them about the book publishing process. The young authors are encouraged to use their imaginations to create stories about issues that interest them and are relevant to their communities. 

For example, a previous book investigated where fresh fruits and vegetables come from. Say Yes and SCSD sponsored a field trip to a local organic farm where students learned about sustainable agriculture and organic food production.  The findings were then published in the book, “After-School Adventures.”

 For SU’s illustration students, having their work in a professionally produced book offers significant exposure in local schools, bookshops, coffee houses, libraries, fairs and public events. 

The program is a true collaboration that brings together community, scholarship and creativity. It is also a testament to the positive impact that Say Yes has on local communities.

Say Yes to Education yesterday hosted a luncheon at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center that provided education experts, policymakers and Congressional staffers with an opportunity to learn the story of Say Yes’ growth from a program working with small groups of students to a catalyst for city-wide educational and economic change. Over the course of the event, speakers shared how Say Yes impacts urban school and economic improvement. Through every presentation, there was a common theme of substantive collaboration—we must work together to fully realize the potential of economically disadvantaged youth and their families.

We believe this collaboration must occur at all levels of government, community, and school. Say Yes President Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey said cooperation and focus on a common set of goals among all these different entities is essential to sustaining reform in Syracuse, where there have been two mayors, two superintendents, three governors, and multiple changes on the city council and county all within the past few years.

Say Yes’ nonacademic services were also highlighted during the event. Ann Rooney, deputy county executive for human resources in Onondaga County, NY, believes the expansive support services offered by Say Yes and its partners give folks a reason to stay in the city and for others to move there. As part of the effort, the county is working to provide a mental health clinic at every school in the Syracuse City School District by 2013. A holistic approach to collaborative governance ensures that all needs—academic, health, financial, or social/emotional—of every student are addressed.

Our keynote speaker, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY,) reflected on her experiences meeting with members of the Say Yes Syracuse partnership. Her time on the ground led her to believe that the “Say Yes model works” and that working together is vital in achieving sustainable reform.

“I can tell you there wasn’t one part of that community that isn’t 100 percent invested,” she said. Sen. Gillibrand also said she believes programs like Say Yes will help the United States outcompete other countries, and become more competitive in a global economy.

The success of Say Yes is dependent on community engagement, and this engagement should allow all stakeholders a place at the table, said Barbara Nevergold, a member at large of the Buffalo Public Schools Board of Education. In Buffalo, “Letters to the Superintendent” a community book published by Say Yes that allowed citizens to write about their hopes and dreams for the city’s schools new superintendent Pam Brown, gave people a voice who normally haven’t had one in the city’s education reform.

The participation of all stakeholders in the community leads to increased transparency, and “the fact that Say Yes has been implementing programs and services in the school that people can see has developed a level of trust in the city,” Nevergold shared.

Without a doubt, collaboration has the potential to change the attitudes and aspirations of an entire community. It will require patience to realize lasting change in these communities, but we know something good is already happening.

As Brian Nolan, Syracuse City School District’s executive director of high schools and career and technical education shared:

“[Say Yes] is changing the conversation from ‘I’m not sure I am going to college.’ to ‘Which college am I going to?’”