City officials said they remain committed to expanding the education program.
View full sizeTeacher aid DaShawn Keith (in hat) works with students Mike Raymie Wentling (left), Jatiana Polite Garrett (center) and Quran Walker (right) as they fill out a 'Getting To Know You' questionaire at Say Yes Summer Camp at Dr. King Elementary School in this photo from July 6. The kids asked each other questions to complete the form. Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse’s Say Yes to Education program was denied its request Friday for a $30 million federal education grant, striking a blow to plans for a large expansion of the innovative program.
Central New York’s congressional delegation and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner had lobbied White House officials on behalf of Say Yes. The initiative provides support to students in Syracuse schools and offers free college tuition to its graduates.
But the Say Yes application was not among the 49 selected by the U.S. Department of Education to share about $650 million in grants through the federal Investing in Innovation program.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the winners were selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants. The winning applicants must secure a commitment for a 20 percent private sector match by Sept. 8.
Miner said Friday the loss in the federal funding competition won’t stop the Say Yes program from moving forward. “Say Yes is an innovative program and I have no doubt that it will continue to get support from a variety of sources,” Miner said. “This was just one opportunity of many.”
Likewise, Say Yes officials said they remain committed to expanding the program. “While it would have been great to be one of the 49 applications selected out of more than 1,600 applications, Say Yes is still well-positioned and committed to full implementation in Syracuse,” said Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, the program’s president.
“We are confident that the results we have achieved here will continue to capture the attention of foundations and other funders in the education and community revitalization arenas,” she said. “We’re confident that with a bit more time we will have the research base to win a competition like this.”
Say Yes is still on track to receive at least $500,000 in federal aid secured last week by New York’s two U.S. senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer. The senators said the money will be used to help expand the Say Yes after-school program to the elementary schools in the Henninger quadrant, to K-4 in the Fowler quadrant and to K-5 in the Corcoran quadrant.
The federal money will be used to hire site directors and program coordinators who run the programs in each building, and to support after-school and summer programming. The full Senate must still approve the spending.
Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.