Futures for Kids 2013 Community Partner Award Winners

RALEIGH, N.C., May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Futures for Kids honored the 2013 Community Partner Award recipients at its Anniversary Celebration, May 15^th at the North Carolina Executive Mansion. A proclamation by Governor Pat McCrory making it "Futures for Kids Day" was read by Lt. Governor Dan Forest, who also presented the recipients with their awards. 

The reception was an opportunity to celebrate a shared understanding of the value of our youth in developing tomorrow's workforce and the power held in the hands of those who volunteer to educate our students through mentoring. The recipients were nominated and selected for their commitment to improving futures through community engagement, mentorship and hands-on exploration.

Career Coach Volunteer Award:
Jerry Diehl, EMC / Citizen Schools
Christina O'Neill, Cisco

Business Partner Award:
AT&T, represented by NC President Venessa Harrison
Goldsboro Fire Department, represented by Asst. Fire Chief Lisa Johnson

Educator Partner Award:
Christy Cheek, Buncombe County Schools
Marchelle Horner, Department of Public Instruction

School Partner Award:
NCCU School of Law, represented by Pro Bono Program Director Page Potter
Wake County Public School System, represented by CTE Director David Wehbie

Student Partner Award:
Christina Smith, Rocky River High School (Charlotte) / God's Production Ministries
Alex Werden, Chapel Hill High School

Also recognized was Lew Ebert for the North Carolina Chamber and Jill Leandro for SAS for their outstanding support of Futures for Kids throughout the past year.

F4K Executive Director Craig Lloyd stated, "The tireless efforts in education and workforce development by individuals and partners like those awarded tonight has strengthened the success of Futures for Kids across North Carolina." Additionally, a recent study undertaken by SAS® EVAAS® for K-12 demonstrated students using the Futures for Kids program perform better on their End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests than their peers.

For more information and to see photos of the event, please go to www.f4k.org/awards.

About Futures for Kids (F4K)

Futures for Kids is a North-Carolina based non-profit that delivers comprehensive career planning to middle and high school students across the state. Our mission is to help students determine what they want to be, inspire them to what they can be, and work with them to achieve it. Currently F4K reaches over 500,000 students in 75 school districts across North Carolina, bringing the education and business communities together to level the playing field and develop our future workforce. For more information, visit www.f4k.org.

SOURCE Futures for Kids