2009 EVENTS

CUNY Releases Report on CEO's ASAP Program November 2009 CUNY ASAP seeks to increase community college graduation rates by offering a range of academic, social, and financial supports to participating students. CUNY's Early Outcomes Report (November 2009) shows thatthe program had a 30% graduation rate in the first two years, compared to 11% for a group of similar students. Press Release (in PDF) Executive Summary (in PDF) Full Report (in PDF)

New Workforce1 Healthcare Career Center Opens at LaGuardia College October 26, 2009 CEO, the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and LaGuardia College have opened a new Workforce1 Healthcare Career Center in Long Island City, Queens to connect New Yorkers to advanced training and employment opportunities in the growing healthcare sector. This is the second sector-focused career center in New York. The first, the Workforce1 Transportation Career Center in Jamaica, Queens, opened in June 2008. Workforce1 Career Centers SBS Press Release

National League of Cities (NLC) Applauds CEO as a Leader in Innovation September 2009 A new report by NLC's Institute for Youth, Education, and Families identifies the nation's 32 most cutting-edge city innovations to help children and families. The report highlights the broad range of innovations and trends gaining traction at the local level, including work done by the City's Center for Economic Opportunity and Department of Education. Download the Report (in PDF) National League of Cities (NLC)

CEO Shares Preliminary Results from Opportunity NYC: Family Rewards Pilot June 2009 This research note, prepared by MDRC, provides an update to the funders of the Opportunity NYC demonstration of preliminary results from the evaluation of the Family Rewards program. Opportunity NYC Program MDRC Website Download the Report (in PDF)

Mayor Bloomberg Opens Three New Financial Empowerment Centers in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens May 11, 2009 The City's Financial Empowerment Centers offer free, one-on-one financial education and counseling in person or by phone in English and Spanish. An important tool in the City's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan, the new Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens centers follow the successful pilot center launched in 2008 in Bronx. Press Release Office of Financial Empowerment

Center for Economic Opportunity Announced as Finalist for Innovations in American Government Awards May 18, 2009 The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University today announced that the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity is a finalist for the 2009 Innovations in American Government Awards. Press Release (in PDF)

More than 4,000 New Yorkers from Low Income Neighborhoods Placed in Jobs Through Partnerships with Community-Based Organizations May 5, 2009 The Community-Based Outreach program works with more than 200 community-based organizations and supports Mayor Bloomberg's goal of helping New Yorkers find jobs during the economic downturn under the Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan. Press Release Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Major Progress for New York City's Anti-Poverty Strategy Under Center for Economic Opportunity April 27, 2009 At the Center for American Progress in Washington DC, Mayor Bloomberg discussed CEO's successful initiatives. Mayor Bloomberg also advocated for a Federal Urban Innovation Fund to fight poverty based on New York City's model. Press Release Innovation Fund Proposal (in PDF) Download the Report (in PDF) Watch the video in low or high bandwidth

Mayor Bloomberg and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announce $2 Million Federal Grant to Create Green Jobs April 8, 2009 Mayor Bloomberg and US Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced that the Department of Agriculture has awarded a $2 million grant to create green jobs and restore urban forests in New York City. Press Release

Statement by Mayor Bloomberg On New York City Receiving Eight Nominations for the Innovations in American Government Awards from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard April 1, 2009 Eight New York City programs, including three CEO initiatives, were nominated for this year's Innovations in American Government Awards. The three CEO initiatives include: CEO's Innovation Fund, the Office of Financial Empowerment, and the EITC mailing. Mayor's Statement Kennedy School Press Release CEO Programs

Mayor Bloomberg Outlines How City Is Helping Small Businesses Avoid Layoffs, Reposition Themselves for Growth and Increase Employee Wages March 19, 2009 Mayor Bloomberg recently outlined how the City is helping small businesses adapt to today's market conditions, avoid layoffs, and increase worker skills and wages through New York City's Business Solutions training funds program. The announcement took place during a visit to an on-site workforce retraining session in Port Richmond, Staten Island. Press Release NYC Business Solutions

Mayors Bloomberg and Newsom announce that Los Angeles and Providence Join the Cities for Financial Empowerment, a National Coalition to Expand Financial Literacy and Asset-Building Initiatives March 18, 2009 Cities for Financial Empowerment, a coalition of city governments seeking to address and expand the role of municipal government in improving the health and security of residents with low and moderate incomes, has grown to include nine cities in its first year. Co-chaired by the New York City and San Francisco, coalition members include Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Providence, San Antonio, Savannah, and Seattle. Press Release (in PDF) Office of Financial Empowerment CFE Website

Mayor Bloomberg Announces More Than 50,000 New Yorkers Claimed City Child Care Tax Credits March 9, 2009 Mayor Bloomberg announced that more than 50,000 New Yorkers claimed over $30 million under the City's Child Care Tax Credit (CCTC). Beginning in 2008, the CCTC is one of the first municipal child care credits in the nation and is designed to help more families afford child care. The CCTC is one of the Center for Economic Opportunity's many innovative programs. City residents can call 311 for more information about the CCTC and to locate free and low-cost tax preparation services. Press Release Office of Financial Empowerment NYC Tax Credit Campaign

Youth Financial Empowerment Participants Ring NASDAQ Closing Bell to Celebrate National Mentoring Month January 23, 2009 In celebration of National Mentoring Month, CEO's Youth Financial Empowerment (YFE) participants and mentors rang the NASDAQ closing bell on January 23 in Times Square. YFE participants were joined by Matilda Cuomo, Founder and Chairperson of Mentoring USA, and by officials from New Yorkers for Children, Citibank, United Way of New York City, and Wells Fargo. YFE Rewards Savings (ACS) CEO's YFE Program Profile

Mayor Bloomberg Outlines Proposal for a Federal Urban Innovation Fund to Fight Poverty January 19, 2009 Mayor Bloomberg outlined details for a Urban Innovation Fund to fight poverty in large metropolitan areas at the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting in Washington, D.C. The proposal builds on the success of New York City's Center for Economic Opportunity Press Release Download the Innovation Fund Proposal