Deutsche Bank today announced the five neighborhood networks selected by
the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation to receive $1.5 million in grants
over the next three years as part of the Anchoring Achievement in
Mexican Communities Initiative. The project was informed by a Community
Service Society report
commissioned by the Foundation that portrays a perfect storm of economic
stagnation for one of the city’s fastest growing populations.
According to the report, titled “Young
Mexican-Americans in New York City: Working More, Learning and Earning
Less,” Mexican and Mexican-Americans work at the highest rates of
all Latino and immigrant groups, but in the lowest paying service
fields. Median salary for full-time, year-round Mexican workers in New
York City is $20,800, compared with a citywide average of $42,000.
Related, the report shows that 70 percent of the City’s Mexicans qualify
as poor or near-poor. With rates of school engagement and degree
attainment among the lowest of all Latino groups – only 37 percent are
enrolled in high school, while nearly 50 percent lack a high school
diploma – many Mexican and Mexican-American students do not find
themselves on a strong and well-supported educational path that can lead
to higher earnings. The Initiative aims to help raise awareness of these
issues and to foster the long-term education and economic well-being of
the City’s Mexican immigrant community.
Chosen through a competitive application process, the five neighborhood
networks will bring together nonprofit organizations, schools, libraries
and other community institutions to form educational services hubs
designed to ensure greater student and parent engagement, and improve
academic performance and employment prospects.
The networks, which are expected to directly reach more than 3,500
children and youth over three years and offer extended support to their
families, will focus on:
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Creating a new high school to address academic needs and economic
demands in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, Queens
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Connecting families to strong early childhood programs and
comprehensive support services in East Harlem, Manhattan
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Bringing new literacy and expanded educational support to toddlers
through elementary-age children in Mott Haven in the Bronx
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Forming home school connections and parent leadership to boost
third-grade literacy in Port Richmond on Staten Island
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Reconnecting out-of-school youth and their families to educational
resources and employment in Bushwick, Brooklyn
“Over centuries, immigrants have made countless contributions to the
growth of the local and national economy. The Mexican immigrant
community in New York City is strong and vibrant, but also faces
incredible barriers,” said Gary Hattem, President, Deutsche Bank
Americas Foundation. “We are proud to invest in efforts that support
this group’s pathway to success, and of our long-term commitment to the
five neighborhood networks and the families they will serve.”
“I applaud Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation’s commitment to the
Mexican-American community. These kinds of partnerships between schools,
non-profits, and community-based groups are the best way to ensure our
families get the comprehensive support they need to succeed. As Chair of
the Immigration Committee, I will work to replicate and bring
locally-based initiatives like this to immigrant communities across the
City,” said NYC Council Member Carlos Menchaca.
As part of the Initiative, The Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation is
partnering with the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at New York
University, the Youth Development Institute, and Institute for Mexican
Studies at the City University of New York.
Copyright Business Wire 2014