SoBRO: South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. MARCH 18, 2007, BRONX, NY: We are pleased to announce that SoBRO’s Youth Department came out on top for the first annual Opportunity Awards, organized by the New York City Employment & Training Coalition (NYCETC).

SoBRO received top marks for the Serving Youth category of this year’s Opportunity Awards. This award is given to an organization or program that has created a model that integrates continuous learning with employment opportunities that have career potential. The Opportunity Awards were started as a way to formally recognize programs, practices and individuals that demonstrate measurable creativity and exemplify best practices that can serve as models to others.

Kathy Schrier, director of the Actors Work Program of the Actors Fund and NYCETC Board secretary, chaired the panel of judges. She noted, “We were pleased to receive so many thorough, thoughtful submissions, especially for the first year of the awards program. It made our job as judges very difficult but it showed us once again that excellent work is being done by the workforce community.”

NYCETC is an association of workforce development practitioners — community based organizations, community colleges and union affiliated training programs — committed to providing high quality education, training and employment services to unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers. The Coalition envisions a city where every resident has opportunities and access to gain the skills they need to become employable, and every business can attract and retain highly skilled workers. SoBRO, along with all other award recipients, is a member of the Coalition.

Of the 7 annual awards, 6, including SoBRO’s, were announced in the March 14 issue of the NYC Workforce Weekly, NYCETC’s weekly publication. It can be viewed here.

The honorees, including SoBRO, will be recognized at the Opportunity Awards Gala which will take place on Thursday, May 1 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Broad Street Ballroom also in lower Manhattan. Visit www.nycetc.org for more information.

About SoBRO
SoBRO, a not-for-profit community development corporation, has been serving the South Bronx since 1972. SoBRO’s programs include adult education and workforce training, real estate and community development, technical and financial assistance for businesses, and an array of programs for youth. For additional information about SoBRO, call 718 292-3113 or visit www.sobro.org.
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