Evans High School - A Community Partnership School Named National Award-Winning Program in Mutual of America's 2017 Community Partnership Award Competition

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual of America announced today that Evans High School - A Community Partnership School received this year's Governor Hugh L. Carey Award, presented annually to the national award-winning program in its 2017 Community Partnership Award competition.

In 2012, Children's Home Society of Florida (CHS) created, in partnership with Orange County Public Schools, the University of Central Florida and Orange Blossom Family Health, Evans High School - A Community Partnership School to build a bridge to success for students and residents of Pine Hills. Gripped by a vicious cycle of crime and violence, Pine Hills is an under-resourced neighborhood on the western side of Orlando.

The School uses a transformative "no-wrong-door" delivery model to provide a range of social services, including on-site medical and dental services, mental-health and counseling programs, after-school enrichment and mentoring, and transportation and meals, aimed at raising the academic ground floor and empowering students to succeed. Today, the School has 15 agencies working collaboratively to strengthen the community by creating opportunities for students and their families to reach their full potential.

"Often, the needs of students and community are greater than a school's capacity to meet those needs," said Michael Shaver, President and CEO of CHS. "Our community impact model enables us to collaborate with school staff to ensure the nearly 2,600 students at Evans High School are receiving the academic, social-emotional and developmental services they need to reach their fullest potential.

"Since 2012, graduation rates have increased from 64% to 80%, math and reading proficiency rates have risen, and disciplinary referrals have fallen by half. We've successfully replicated our model in five additional communities throughout Florida, and we hope our success will inspire other under-resourced neighborhoods to use our model to build stronger, more resilient communities across the country."

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 220 partnerships from cities and towns across America. To watch videos of all of the national award-winning programs, visit the Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award channel on YouTube.

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.

SOURCE Mutual of America Life Insurance Company

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