METLIFE FOUNDATION AND FAMILIES AND WORK INSTITUTE ANNOUNCE NATIONWIDE WINNERS OF METLIFE FOUNDATION TRI- CONNECTING AWARD FOR INITIATIVES THAT UNITE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS AROUND LEARNING

Programs Honored Represent Innovative Efforts to Involve Communities and
Include Youth Voices in Improving Education

Winners and Finalists to be Highlighted in "Tri-Connecting Action Kit" for Schools and Community Groups Across the Country

NEW YORK, May 8, 2002-From a student-run art gallery in Manhattan to a community-wide historical preservation project in rural Kansas to a theatrical troupe in Maine-parents, teachers and students have come together in unusual and exciting ways to promote students' learning. These and other projects are being recognized by a new nationwide award program sponsored by MetLife Foundation and administered by Families and Work Institute.

The MetLife Foundation Tri-Connecting Award is designed to address the troubling lack of connection among parents, teachers, and students by demonstrating what can be achieved when these constituencies join forces to promote learning. The eight Award winners and 16 finalists are being announced today at ceremonies and celebrations across the country.

At this time of increasing concern about student learning and in light of the most recent editions of the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, which reveal a disconnect among parents, teachers, and students, those honored today demonstrate that it is possible to bridge the divide among the groups that make student learning possible. Their commitment and capacity to use student voices to engage adults as allies in supporting student learning and success, and their innovative strategies, will be an inspiration to other communities. The award winners will each receive a grant of $2,500 to prompt further action in support of student learning.

Youth voices were an integral part of each of these initiatives, and of Families and Work Institute's selection process. Student letters, submitted in support of their communities' applications, gave a youth's-eye view of how these initiatives help build community. A student in Newark, New Jersey wrote, "This program means so much to my community…I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this program." A fifth-grader in Akron, Ohio wrote, "This project helps us and our families not only at school but beyond the school day. It is like the school door is never closed." "We want the kids in our community to get the education they need in order to succeed in life. So far we accomplished bringing parents and teachers together," wrote a ninth-grade girl from Kansas.

MetLife Foundation and FWI will produce a range of products to pass on the lessons learned from the Award, including an Action Kit to help other communities trying to connect for youth. It will include a "Community Discussion Starter" video and a "Parents, Teachers and Communities Working Together" booklet to help parents, teachers and communities support each other to enhance student learning. This booklet will be based on the successes and lessons learned from the MetLife Foundation Tri-Connecting Award finalists and winners. FWI also is working with a network of organizations across the country that are engaged in these issues.

For more information about the eight Award winners, please see the attached program descriptions. For a complete list of finalists, please consult FWI's Web site, www.familiesandwork.org.

Sibyl Jacobson, President and CEO, MetLife Foundation, explained the rationale behind the grant: "America's young people are an untapped resource for community improvement and change. We are delighted to recognize [name of project] for bringing young people from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of interests into [name of town's] civic, social and economic dialogue and decision-making. By giving youth a seat at the table, they become invested in positive social change and develop their skills as leaders and citizens."

Says Nina Sazer O'Donnell, Vice President and Director of Family and Community Programs at Families and Work Institute, "The eight winners and 16 finalists of the Tri-Connecting Award represent the best of America's efforts to unite parents, students and teachers around education. We offer our sincere congratulations to these outstanding organizations and encourage other schools and community groups to follow their example."

For more information about The MetLife Foundation Tri-Connecting Award and a complete list of Award winners and finalists, please refer to FWI's Web site, www.familiesandwork.org.

MetLife Foundation, established in 1976 by MetLife, supports health, education, civic and cultural programs throughout the United States. For more information about the Foundation, please visit the website at www.metlife.org.

Families and Work Institute is a non-profit center for research that provides data to inform decision-making on the changing workforce, changing family and changing community. Founded in 1989, FWI is known for ahead of the curve, non-partisan research into emerging work-life issues; for solutions-oriented studies addressing topics of vital importance to all sectors of society; and for fostering connections among workplaces, families, and communities. For more information, visit our Web site at www.familiesandwork.org.

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