For Immediate Release
Monday, January 24, 2011
America’s Promise Alliance President and CEO Marguerite Kondracke to be Awarded Honorary Degree from the University of the South
Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone to also receive degree. Both recognized for their work on behalf of children and youth
(WASHINGTON, DC)—America’s Promise Alliance (the Alliance) today announced that its President and CEO Marguerite Kondracke will be awarded with an honorary degree from the University of the South (Sewanee) in Tennessee for her work on behalf of children and youth, especially those in urban areas. The degree will be bestowed during the Opening Convocation ceremony for the school’s Easter Semester on January 25, 2011. She will be joined by Harlem Children Zone’s President and CEO Geoffrey Canada who will also receive an honorary degree.
In addition to recognizing both for their accomplishments, the University will use the occasion to host a series of events titled “From urban models to rural solutions: a series of conversations.” The series will seek to engage students and area residents along with university and other thought leaders in education, healthcare and social services in discussions about how successful programming and strategies in urban areas can also be used to support at-risk and impoverished young people in rural Middle Tennessee. This series included an opportunity for 300 residents from the three rural counties surrounding Sewanee to join with business, civic and faith leaders, educators, parents, and students to view the critically acclaimed documentary about America’s education system “Waiting for Superman” and participate in a follow-up discussion about it with Marguerite Kondracke on January 20.
“This is a tremendous honor and I thank the Sewanee community for it and for all the work they do to support children and families in Tennessee,” said Marguerite W. Kondracke, president and CEO of America’s Promise Alliance. “Sewanee is providing a great example of how a community anchor like a university can play a pivotal role in helping it thrive. Simply put, the connection between the quality of life and success of those most struggling directly impacts the long-term health and success of a community and our entire nation. This is the message the Alliance has sought to carry with our dropout prevention efforts and is at the centerpiece of our Grad Nation campaign.”
The University of the South has a long history of helping support and improve education, health and life opportunities for children, youth and families in Middle Tennessee. In addition to service learning activities, students in the education program there serve as many as 5,000 area school students per semester as teaching assistants, tutors, mentors, and in afterschool programs.
Marguerite Kondracke has spent the last four decades working on behalf of the nation’s children, youth and families. She has been president and CEO of the Alliance since 2004 and has been named by The NonProfit Times as one of the “Top 50 People of Power and Influence” for the past three years. Prior to joining the Alliance she served as special assistant to U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander as well as staff director for the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families. She is also the co-founder and former CEO of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the nation’s largest provider of employer-sponsored childcare. A native of Tennessee, she also served as the state’s Commissioner of Human Services in the 1980’s where led a campaign to make sure that every child had a medical home and to improve the availability of prenatal care. Under her leadership, Tennessee achieved the lowest infant mortality rate in its history. An alumna and trustee of Duke University, she co-chairs DukeEngage, a program which infuses civic engagement as part of the undergraduate experience.
In an effort to raise awareness of America’s high school dropout crisis, the Alliance introduced the Dropout Prevention Campaign in April 2008. As part of this work, 105 high-level Dropout Prevention summits were held nationwide – bringing together more than 40,000 mayors and governors, business and civic leaders, child advocates, school administrators, students, and parents to develop workable solutions and action plans around the dropout crisis. This past March, with the support of President Obama and US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the Alliance launched the second phase of this work called the Grad Nation campaign, a 10-year initiative to mobilize all Americans to action, with a goal of ending the dropout crisis within the decade.
To learn more about the Alliance’s Grad Nation Initiative visit: http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation.aspx
To learn more about the University of the South visit: http://www.sewanee.edu/.
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The America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth by raising awareness, supporting communities, and engaging in nonpartisan advocacy. Through our Grad Nation campaign, we harness the collective power of our partner network to mobilize Americans to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. Building on the legacy of our Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success of our young people is grounded in the Five Promises—caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others. For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.