MAY 18, 2006:  Georgia Afterschool Investment Council (GAIC), in partnership with Communities in Schools of Georgia, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc., is pleased to announce that Georgia has been selected to lead one of five new state-level demonstration projects to showcase a variety of leadership models at work across the country for our nation's children and youth.  The project will be funded by a $20,000 grant from America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth and will leverage existing Alliance initiatives to drive pubic and private collaboration, raise visibility and increase the current capacity of Alliance state affiliates. 
 
The project will help Georgia Afterschool Investment Council develop and launch a Business Partnership Council to increase public/private collaboration supporting youth development and increased afterschool opportunities for young people and support an enhanced communication strategy using technology to help build new partnerships and the public will for our work.  The Business Partnership Council will be co-chaired by Communities in Schools of Georgia.
 
"This project will provide us with critical seed money to address the lack of systemic connections the afterschool and youth development field have to meet tomorrow's workforce needs", said Jill J. Riemer, Executive Director of the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council.  "Communities in Schools is eager to demonstrate how organizations across Georgia can collectively make a much larger impact for children and youth than any of us could do independently", said Albert Coleman of Communities in Schools of Georgia.
 
America's Promise is also funding demonstration projects in Iowa, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington State.  The projects and their state leaders were selected based on an assessment of affiliate capacity, geographic diversity and willingness to successfully coordinate and execute state-level collaborative projects.  A survey of America's Promise Alliance partners was also used to identify emerging state initiatives. 
 
"Smart leaders recognize that economic development, fiscal stability and a strong workforce all ultimately depend upon the investments and efforts to help young people succeed," said Richard Wells, vice president for State and Community Mobilization at America's Promise. "These demonstration projects, led by our Alliance partner's local affiliates and their track record of success, will help exhibit how national and state organizations can collectively make a much larger impact for children and youth than any of us could do alone."
 
For more information about the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council, please contact Jill J. Riemer at jriemer@afterschoolga.org.
 
For more information about all five America's Promise demonstration projects, please contact Mike McGill, Senior Director for Media Relations at America's Promise, at 703-535-3819 or mikem@americaspromise.org.