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Shelley Solheim
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Katryna Carter
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2013
Hundreds of Students at Brooklyn Expeditionary Learning SchoolReceive NewCollege Access Centerfrom
The Heart of America Foundation and Capital One Bank
New center will help students – many of whom are first in their families to attend college – research careers and colleges, study for entrance exams, and complete college and financial aid applications
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (May 30, 2013) – Today, Capital One Bank and The Heart of America Foundation® announced thegrand opening of a newREADesign® Library and College AccessCenter at the Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders (Leaders)inBrooklyn, NY. Leaders is part of NYC Outward Bound Schools’ network of Expeditionary Learning schools. The new center will serve as a resource for students to research careers and colleges, study for standard entrance exams, and complete college and financial aid applications as they pursue higher education – which, for many, means being the first in their families to attend college.Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, is scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony to be held at 12:30pm today at Leaders, located at 2630 Benson Avenue.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with The Heart of America Foundation to provide students at Leaders with access to the tools and resources they need to pursue a higher education,” said Colleen Taylor, Brooklyn market president for Capital One Bank. “At Capital One Bank, we recognize that educationis a pathway out of poverty and a road to better jobs, higher earnings and better financial security.”
Over a two-day period, The Heart of America Foundation worked with staff membersat the Bensonhurst neighborhood high school in Brooklynandapproximately 50 Capital One Bank volunteers to transform an existing classroom and a small officeinto avibrant new library and college center as part of a national READesign® Library makeover initiative funded through a grant from Capital One Bank.Capital One Bank volunteers decoratedthe center, assembled furniture, and sorted and stocked books in preparation for the grand opening celebration. Volunteers also led financial literacy activities in their classrooms. The READesign® team also installed computers, printers and other technology in the rooms. Several local colleges and universities also donated admissions materials, banners and informational resources in support of the project.
“Providing students with the resources they need to succeed is critically important to Leaders,”said David O’Hara, principal of the Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders.“We are thrilled to have such a beautiful library and college access center here at our school and are grateful to The Heart of America Foundation® and Capital One Bank for their generous commitment to supporting the future success of our students.”
In addition to the more than 400 books provided for the library, including 75 financial literacy themed books, Capital One Bank donated four books to each of more than 250 students to take home to continue building their own home libraries. The makeover also featured environmentally friendly components, including low VOC paints, and the recycling of materials from the project renovation.
“We are grateful for Capital One Bank’s ongoing partnership as we strive to inspire a love of reading and to also provide access to the college readiness materials needed to give students a head start in the college preparation process,” said John Flynn, vice president of The Heart of America Foundation®. “With Capital One Bank’s support over the last decade, our reach has been broader, our community relationships deeper and our impact made significantly greater.”
The Heart of America Foundation®, in partnership with Capital One Bank, provides books to children in low-income communities and creates safe, inviting libraries in their schools. Since 2002, the organizations have donated more than 1,241,000 books valued at $10 million to 538,000 students. Capital One associate volunteers annually donate and distribute books, read to children and facilitate financial literacy lessons to further foster a love of reading in children that will last a lifetime. To date, the organizations have partnered to renovate more than 55libraries and college access rooms in cities nationwide through the READesign® Library Makeover initiative. The next READesign® library and college access room is scheduled to open on June 6th in Newark, N. J.
This partnership is part of Capital One Bank’sInvesting for Good community program, which focuses on four areas that are key building blocks of economic opportunity: affordable housing, small business and workforce development, financial literacy and education. To maximize the impact of Investing for Good, Capital One examines local market needs and uses data-driven insights to develop innovative programsand engage in meaningful partnerships with nonprofits to provide the wrap-around support needed toaddress the most pressing economic issues challenging the long-term economic prosperity and well-being ofindividuals, families and businesses.An important aspect of Investing for Good is sustaining strong relationships with nonprofit partners, andusing Capital One resources to help extend the capacity of nonprofit partners to deliver on their missions and serve their constituents.
About The Heart of America Foundation
The Heart of America Foundation®, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., uniquely promotes volunteer service and literacy. The organization inspires acts of service and a love of reading by building community and providing children in need with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference. Committed to education and volunteerism, The Heart of America Foundation® engages volunteers through putting books into the hands of children who need them the most. Through the Books From The Heart® and READesign® programs, The Heart of America Foundation® revitalizes school libraries and reading spaces in under-resourced communities into vital and vibrant centers of learning that become the heart of a school. Since 1997, The Heart of America Foundation® has provided children living in poverty with over two million library and take-home books. And, the organization has engaged volunteers in more than one million hours of service to communities nationwide. For more information, please visit
About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a Fortune 500 company with more than 900 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Its subsidiaries, Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A. offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. We apply the same principles of innovation, collaboration and empowerment in our commitment to our communities across the country that we do in our business. We recognize that helping to build strong and healthy communities - good places to work, good places to do business and good places to raise families - benefits us all and we are proud to support this and other community initiatives.
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