The Travelers Cos. announced today it will focus its giving toward improving education in Hartford and St. Paul, Minn., two markets where the company has major operations.
St. Paul-based Travelers intends to target its future charitable giving in these cities to increase academic achievement among middle and high school students.
The move represents a shift in philanthropic priorities for Travelers and its private foundation, and will mean a substantive increase over time in Travelers’ commitment to both school systems.
Travelers said it expects to grant this year approximately $1 million to directly support the reform agenda of the Hartford Public Schools, plus another $500,000 to organizations and programs that serve Hartford students.
Hartford Schools Superintendent Steven J. Adamowski and Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, who also chairs the city’s board of education, joined Travelers Foundation President and CEO Marlene Ibsen during her announcement of the program today at Hartford Public High School.
“Hartford and St. Paul public schools have launched impressive reform agendas with clearly measureable goals designed to close their achievement gaps,” Ibsen said. “Narrowing our focus to collaborate with these efforts will increase our community impact and help develop models for success that can be replicated on a national scale.”
Hartford’s school system has already launched 11 new theme-based academies and learning centers in the first phase of an innovative plan to reinvent itself as an all-choice system of high-performing schools and be aligned with critical job skills needed in Connecticut.
Five more new schools are set to open in 2009-2010, including the insurance and financial services academy, High School Inc. Travelers has been deeply involved in developing High School Inc. and is the lead donor.
All of the new schools are models of teaching programs that have shown consistently that they can prepare the poorest, underperforming urban students for a college education and a successful career.
