Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies has approved $500,000 for the expansion of the Syracuse “Say Yes” to Education program in the FY11 Appropriations Bill. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand aggressively lobbied members of the Appropriations Committee to include funding for the project in this year’s spending bill.
“Say Yes Syracuse gives our children the resources they need to thrive at a critical point in their development and these funds will bolster that effort,” Senator Schumer said. “These federal funds will expand the Say Yes Program ensuring that more children get the tutoring they need and ensuring that more parents can rest easy at night knowing that their children have a safe place to go after school.”
“I have seen firsthand that the Syracuse “Say Yes” to Education program works,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Where you grow up and how much money you have should not define your potential or opportunity to thrive. In these trying economic times, our nation and our state cannot afford to lose tomorrow’s doctors and scientists and teachers. Investing in education is one of the most important investments we can make.”
“Say Yes” is a non-profit education foundation committed to drastically increasing high school and college graduation rates for inner city youth. In Syracuse, “Say Yes” brings together educators, elected officials, business leaders, and community activists to provide comprehensive support, including the promise of a full college or vocational education. “Say Yes” opened its doors in the Syracuse Corcoran quadrant, in the fall of 2008 and eventually expanded its programs throughout the entire city school district, making it the first, and the largest school improvement program of its kind in the nation, providing assistance to over 3,000 elementary students across the city of Syracuse.
Senators Schumer and Gillibrand worked to secure $500,000 in funding to support the expansion of the Say Yes after-school program to the elementary schools in the Henninger Quadrant, to K-4 in the Fowler Quadrand and to K-5 in the Corcoran Quadrant in the FY2011 Appropriations Bill. These funds would be used to hire the Site Directors and Program Coordinators who run the programs in each building and to provide support for after-school and summer programming.
The legislation will head to full committee, and then to the floor for a full vote before the Senate. The bill will then proceed to the House-Senate Conference Committee, before final passage in both chambers and then to the President to become law.