NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Bank today announced that it has awarded 91 Reading is The way up® grants totaling more than $77,000 to support literacy-based projects at elementary, middle and high schools in New York, California and Nevada. New York educators received five grants totaling $5,500.
(See attached list of New York grant recipients or visit .)
Reading is The way up is the award-winning literacy initiative through which City National has donated more than 80,000 books to elementary school libraries in New York, California and Nevada, and awarded 541 teacher grants to enhance literacy totaling close to $500,000 since the program's inception in 2002.
The grants ranging from $500 to $1,500 will help augment or expand literacy projects that were judged to be creative and engaging, and that would have a tangible effect on student achievement. The winning programs are expected to directly improve the literacy of over 10,000 students in New York, California and Nevada.
The educators receiving literacy grants were selected from among the many full-time teachers, librarians, administrators and school media specialists who submitted an online application.
"We are excited to award much needed funds to a number of very deserving educators in the New York City area this year as part of our annual literacy grant program," said Carolyn Rodriguez, vice president and manager of Reading is The way up for City National. "These literacy grants are an investment in our future and part of our daily commitment to the communities we serve."
Projects funded included:
- A literacy project called . Through innovative and interest-driven literacy activities, students will emerge as stronger, more proficient and deeply engaged readers. As the focal point of instruction, learning centers designed across content areas will foster both social and academic growth.
- A literacy project that focuses on increasing . Working in small groups students will use flip cameras to record each other reading, retelling and summarizing various grade level literature pieces. The students will be able to view and hear themselves reading and providing immediate feedback.
- A literacy project that enhances by allowing students to experience technology as an ever-changing medium and its many resources to apply concepts in a cross-curricular manner. This project will also help students better engage in online programs that foster reading, science, math and writing skills.
About Reading is The way up®
Originally established to help improve the education of California's future leaders, City National in April 2002 launched the multi-faceted Reading is The way up initiative to restock the state's school library system.
To date, the bank has:
- Contributed over $2 million to support education, including an initial contribution of $100,000 to buy about 5,000 books for public school libraries through the California Governor's Book Fund and the California State Library Foundation.
- Donated more than 80,000 books to Nevada, California and New York school libraries.
- Established a library "reading corner" at the Jerome D. Mack Middle School in Las Vegas, and donated more than 500 brand new books, 300 comic books, furniture and $1,000 for additional educational supplies.
- Received the 2005 President's Volunteer Service Award, the 2005 Corporate Philanthropy Award from the Los Angeles Public Library, the 2006 Corporate Award from the Getty House Foundation, and honored as the 2007 Corporate Visionary Partner by The Wonder of Reading, and the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Corporate Citizen Award.
The bank also has created the Reading is The way up Fund, a 501(c)(3) administered by the California Community Foundation, as a funding resource to purchase books for school libraries in California, Nevada and New York. For more information, visit .
About City National
City National Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of City National Corporation (NYSE:CYN). It is backed by $21.4 billion in total assets, and provides banking, investment and trust services through 76 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada and New York City. The company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $58.5 billion in client investment assets, including nearly $37 billion under direct management.
For more information about City National, visit the company's Website at cnb.com.
The City National Bank logo is available at
City National Bank
Reading is The way up
2011 New York Literacy Grant Recipients
- Steven Evangelista, Harlem Link Charter School, "Building Multicultural Libraries"
- Helen Rogosin, PS 110 Florence Nightingale, "We Dig Reading About Dinosaurs"
- Jeffery Gross, PS 153 Adam Clayton Powell, "Centered and READy to Take Off"
- Nancy Arroyo, Park Early Childhood Center, "Book Grant"
- David Segrue, Stony Point Elementary School, "Increasing Fluency/Comprehension Through Tech"
CONTACT: Media Contact: Paul Stowell, City National Bank, 213.673.7602 paul.stowell@cnb.com