Chancellor Levy said: "I am delighted that the High School of Economics and Finance will benefit from this generous grant. By providing these additional resources to Economics and Finance at a time when students continue to deal with the events of September 11th, Moody's has proved that it is a model corporate citizen willing to invest in our children's future."
"We believe that education is the backbone of society," said Clifford Alexander, Jr., Chairman of the Moody's Corp. "The students at the High School of Economics and Finance are the future of the global marketplace, and Moody's is proud to have the opportunity to support this outstanding institution."
"Aside from our obvious bond with respect to subject matter, we also share a common geography," added Alexander. "We are neighbors and Moody's is committed to being a good neighbor. We view this donation as the beginning of a partnership that also includes our people and our expertise."
The Research Center will be incorporated into the school's renovated library and will provide enrichment activities in mathematics, science and technology. The Center will have several components with specific goals:
1. Improve student performance on State Regents Examinations in mathematics and science and increase technology literacy by creating a tutoring center with computer stations for Web-based research and software for academic enrichment.
2. Increase student interest in fields connected to the study of Mathematics, science and technology, and increase the number of students taking advanced mathematics and science courses by providing after-school and weekend seminars to encourage students to participate in competitions such as the Intel, Quality of Life and FIRST Robotics. Extracurricular clubs including a math team, chess club, science club and a technology squad will also be created.
3. Prepare incoming ninth grade students for the rigorous demands of high school mathematics and science courses and to ensure that all incoming students learn the necessary technological skills through the Moody's Bridge Program, a five-week summer program focused on mathematics, science and technology.
4. Increase student participation in their own career and college planning by establishing a College & Career Center where students will be assisted with college and career counseling and financial aid applications.
5. Help teachers prepare to teach advanced placement courses and increase their content knowledge in mathematics, science and technology by supporting professional development opportunities such as seminars and workshops related to advanced placement, mathematics, science and technology.
Six hundred thirty students currently attend the High School of Economics and Finance and the school regularly receives approximately 2000 applications for 200 available seats each year. Economics and Finance is a small school that is designed to offer a rigorous academic education focusing on careers in business and finance. For this reason, the school maintains close contacts within the financial industry.
Moody's recognizes the importance of education as critical to the success of the business and the public in general. The company is committed to supporting education, in particular the study of math, finance and technology.
Moody's Corporation is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, a leading provider of credit ratings, research and analysis covering debt instruments and securities in the global capital markets, and Moody's KMV, a credit risk management technology firm serving the world's financial institutions.
The corporation had reported revenue of $797 million in 2001. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.
