The Rochester Urban Fellows Program at the University of Rochester has been selected as the beneficiary of the 2010 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Rochester; the program will receive a one-time sponsorship in the amount of $25,000 from the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation. The run begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 3, at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
This year's theme for Chase Corporate Challenge races in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse is summer employment for youth, reflecting the company's view that it is critically important for young people to have access to employment programs.
According to the Chase Foundation, gaining summer work experience is vital for young adults to learn valuable soft skills while being exposed to different career options. In addition to the early work experience young people receive through summer employment, the added income can help them learn how to save, create, and maintain a budget, and, in some instances, contribute to their household income during difficult economic times.
The Rochester Urban Fellows Program provides undergraduate students attending a Rochester-area college, and natives of the Rochester area who are attending college elsewhere, with the opportunity to work with community-based organizations and agencies for 10 weeks.
"The Urban Fellows Program has a transformative effect on the students who participate through the lasting connections they form in Rochester," said Glenn Cerosaletti, director of the Rochester Center for Community Leadership at the University, which houses the program. "At the same time, the Urban Fellows undertake seminal work that contributes measurably to the development of the community."
This unique program emphasizes civic engagement, promotes learning about urban issues, and encourages an appreciation for cross-cultural issues and urban life.
Students work four days at their host site in the city and attend weekly seminars about the history, politics, demographics, and sociology of urban neighborhoods in Rochester.
In addition to the Chase Foundation's support, the Rochester Urban Fellows Program is made possible through grants from the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community service.
For more than seven years, the University has had the largest participation at the Chase run, and usually has one or two winning teams each year. In 2009, a team from Rochester competed in the championship race in South Africa. This year, more than 270 University employees have signed up for the race.
For more information about the Rochester Urban Fellows Program, contact Melissa Greco Lopes at (585) 276-3693. For more information about the Chase Corporate Challenge, visit http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/.