New Visions for Public Schools Honors Business Leaders with Visionary Award at Benefit Celebration

Emmy Award- winning correspondent for CBS’ 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl, served as master of ceremonies at “Share in Our Vision” event

New Visions for Public Schools last night awarded Visionary Awards to Jay S. Fishman, Chairman & CEO, The Travelers Companies, Inc., and Ralph L. Schlosstein, President & CEO, Evercore Partners, Inc., in honor of their significant and longstanding contributions to public education. Fishman and Schlosstein were honored as part of New Visions’ benefit celebration at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.

“We are proud to honor Jay Fishman and Ralph Schlosstein for their continued support to ensure all students have access to a quality education,” said Robert Hughes, New Visions’ president. “The success of our work driving student achievement in New York City’s public schools is due in large part to the great support we have received from our partners in the business community, including Travelers and Evercore Partners.”

Fishman was honored for his commitment to public education and his visionary leadership of The Travelers Companies, Inc., which has made profound investments in improving education for underrepresented students. Schlosstein was presented the award in recognition of his longstanding efforts to increase opportunities for all public school students.

“New Visions is performing extraordinary work to ensure that today’s students have sufficient access to a quality education that creates a foundation for success,” said Fishman. “We are so fortunate to be able to play even a small part in helping New Visions do what they do best – ensuring brighter futures for our kids, while preparing them to be tomorrow’s workforce.”

During the event, Fishman announced a new commitment by Travelers to set up a matching fund of up to $100,000 over the next three years to enable the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics—a New Visions school—to provide an SAT preparation course for more students. Currently, the school has been able to provide the course to only about half the eligible students and Fishman hopes this new matching fund will serve as a catalyst to enable all eligible students to have access to the course.

In 2010, Travelers contributed more than 50 percent of its annual giving to education. Through its signature education program, Travelers EDGE: Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment, the company partners with colleges, universities and complementary nonprofit organizations to develop a pipeline to success for underrepresented students. Through Travelers EDGE, students gain hands-on experience in real-world settings, receive financial assistance, mentorships, and professional development training. In addition, Travelers employees consistently engage in public schools as tutors and mentors

Schlosstein was honored for his stewardship of a New Visions college scholarship program for high-performing, high-need students that he runs with his wife, Jane Hartley. The program has awarded scholarships to 17 New York City public high school graduates in the past 3 years. The scholarships are $20,000 over four years and are meant to cover gap costs—such as books and other expenses—that remain a difficult barrier for high-need students to overcome.

“I believe passionately that public education is the single most important vehicle for upward mobility in our society. It is the primary, if not the only, means by which those born to the circumstances that Jay and I were born can move up,” Schlosstein said in his remarks. “We simply cannot afford to have a public school system that does not succeed."

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About New Visions for Public Schools

New Visions for Public Schools has been a leader in fostering innovation and reform to improve the quality of education children receive in New York City’s public schools since 1989. New Visions’ work has reached tens of thousands of students, parents, educator, and community members throughout the City. Working with the public and private sectors, New Visions develops programs, solutions, and strategies to transform teaching and learning and to raise the level of student achievement. Working in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, New Visions is accountable for improving student achievement in 76 New York City public schools, serving more than 40,000 students. As a charter management organization, New Visions opened two new charter high schools in September 2011, with plans for a network of 18 charter high schools within five years. As a laboratory, New Visions researches and develops novel solutions for the needs of schools, teachers, and students.

About Travelers

The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $25 billion in 2010. The company provides support for charitable organizations in the community through the Travelers Foundation and with corporate funding. The company’s community giving is focused on education, community development and the arts. Travelers employees are consistently active in community initiatives and perform thousands of hours in volunteer time each year. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.