East Harlem Center for Living and Learning Named National Award-Winning Program in Mutual of America's 2016 Community Partnership Award Competition

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual of America announced today that East Harlem Center for Living and Learning received this year's Governor Hugh L. Carey Award, presented annually to the national award-winning program in its 2016 Community Partnership Award competition.

In 1991, Harlem RBI was founded to provide inner-city children with opportunities to play, learn and grow through after-school and summer enrichment programs. Twenty years later, it forged a unique partnership with Jonathan Rose Companies, a New York-based real estate company dedicated to revitalizing city neighborhoods, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), along with Civic Builders and the New York City Department of Education, to create this innovative community initiative.

East Harlem Center for Living and Learning opened in 2015 and includes the following: a 450-seat public charter school, with 50% of kindergarten seats reserved for students living in NYCHA residences; after-school and summer program space serving more than 1,800 kids each year; 89 units of affordable housing; a revitalized public park and community space; and ongoing job opportunities for local residents and youth.

"Since 2005, 97% of Harlem RBI seniors have graduated high school, 99% have avoided teen pregnancy and 94% have been accepted to college," said Richard Berlin, Executive Director. "By linking baseball, education and social services, the East Harlem Center for Living and Learning is building a community invested in its own future. It's a model that we hope will inspire other under-resourced neighborhoods do the same."

About the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Community Partnership Award annually honors the outstanding contributions that nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private and other social sector organizations, make to society. Since 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 210 partnerships from cities and towns across America. To watch videos of all of the national award-winning programs, visit the official YouTube channel for the Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award.

About Mutual of America

Mutual of America specializes in providing retirement products and services to organizations and their employees, as well as to individuals. Since 1945, Mutual of America has remained committed to offering plan sponsors, plan participants and individuals carefully selected, quality products and services at a competitive price and the personal attention they need to help build and preserve assets for a financially secure future. For more information, visit mutualofamerica.com.

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SOURCE Mutual of America

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