Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers Support Harlem RBI’s Youth Mentorship Program

August 15, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers have partnered with CBS EcoMedia through its EducationAd program to support Harlem RBI’s Project Coach model, a mentorship program designed to help youth recognize their potential and realize their dreams through sports. The program engages local youth in age-appropriate coaching opportunities in order to build and develop the values and skills they need to achieve positive outcomes, including graduating from high school and college.

Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers’ support will enable Harlem RBI to enhance the quality of the program’s coaching and training and increase the number of participants served by the program. Specifically, funding will provide payment of stipends to 65 Harlem RBI coaches and create 15 new coaching positions. The partnership will ultimately create greater continuity and quality as Harlem RBI seeks to grow and develop leaders in East Harlem, the South Bronx and beyond.

“We are proud to enable this successful program to grow so that more children will receive the long-term benefits that Project Coach has already proven,” said Sammy Bical, Vice-President of the Tri-State Chevrolet dealers. “Chevrolet dealers know the importance of local community-based youth sports programs and what valuable skills and lessons are learned, and are involved with their local communities with similar programs. That is why this program was a great way for us to become involved in this community.”

The Project Coach model was initially funded by the American Friends of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Beginning at age 13, youth mentor their younger peers during various fitness activities, and as they grow in age and skill, they take on additional leadership roles, serving as assistant baseball coaches and working as full-time Coaching Fellows or part-time Learning Coaches in the classroom and on the field once they reach college. The goal of the program is to not only develop the coaches as baseball and softball players, but also as leaders on and off the field.

The project will impact more than 900 youth and coaches annually, contributing to 14,300 service hours for the community.

To celebrate the profound impact of this project on local youth in the community, representatives from Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers were recognized at Harlem RBI Championship Day at Harlem RBI’s Field of Dreams in East Harlem, New York. Notable guests included Rich Berlin, Executive Director/Chair, Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School; Sammy Bical, Vice President of the Tri-State Chevrolet Dealers and owner of Bical Chevrolet in Valley Stream and Kristal Auto Mall in Brooklyn; and Daniel Rodrigues, Senior Vice President, Sales and Business Development, EcoMedia.

A special street fair was held to celebrate the young ballplayers for their hard work throughout the season, which included carnival games, fun activities and a barbeque. Volunteers from Chevy interacted with the youth as they managed various stations at the fair throughout the day. Chevy volunteers made sure the players and fans kept hydrated by passing out water from a Chevy-branded truck. Youngsters also enjoyed a tour of the state-of-the-art Chevy Mobile Weather Lab parked at the fair.

“Chevy and EcoMedia brought a lot of great energy and entertainment to our street fair today, and we thank them for that—but most of all, we are grateful for the support they bring to Project Coach and what it will mean for our young people,” said Rich Berlin, Executive Director of Harlem RBI. “Our participants’ experience as coaches here at Harlem RBI will help them develop transferrable career skills like communication, problem-solving and leadership. This is an opportunity that will shape our young people’s lives for years to come.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers and Harlem RBI to support such an important program that’s developing and mentoring the next generation of leaders,” said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and President of CBS EcoMedia. “We thank Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers for providing critical funding that will enable Harlem RBI to serve more youth in its community.”

About Chevy New York Tri-State Dealers

The Tri-State Chevrolet Dealers have supported other Community based youth projects through their involvement with Harlem RBI. This project is just another example of the Tri-State Chevrolet Dealers’ commitment to youth sports and their communities. It encourages our youth to find their own roads in life and reinforces the ideals that hard work and education can take them anywhere they dream.

Chevrolet also sponsors the Chevrolet Youth Baseball and Youth Soccer programs, where each dealership is partnered with a youth sports team in their local community. The Tri-State Chevrolet dealers assist Youth Sports in the communities where their stores are located, New York, New Jersey and Fairfield County, Ct.

About Harlem RBI and DREAMCharter School

Harlem RBI, a 501(c)3 non profit organization, began in 1991 when a group of volunteers transformed an abandoned, garbage-strewn lot into two baseball diamonds for the youth of East Harlem. Since then, Harlem RBI has grown to serve more than 1,500 boys and girls, ages 5-22, with year-round academic, sports and enrichment programs in East Harlem and the South Bronx. Harlem RBI’s comprehensive approach to youth development replaces the barriers inner-city youth typically face with concrete opportunities to build the skills and confidence needed to graduate high school, matriculate to college and break the cycle of poverty. Since 2005, 97% of Harlem RBI seniors have graduated high school, 94% of seniors have been accepted into college and 99% of participants have avoided teen parenthood.

In 2008, after 17 years of working in East Harlem and producing exceptional results, Harlem RBI opened DREAM Charter School. DREAM’s mission is to prepare students for high-performing high schools, colleges and beyond through a rigorous academic program that develops critical thinkers who demonstrate a love of learning, strong character, and a commitment to wellness and active citizenship. DREAM inspires all students to recognize their potential and realize their dreams. Today the school serves 300 students and will grow one grade each year until it reaches capacity at 450 students, grades K-8.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.

At EcoMedia, we’re propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that’s been our mission since we founded the company in 2002. In 2010, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media. 

Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide. In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change. Please visit ecomediacbs.com, like us at facebook.com/EcoMediaCBS or follow us at Twitter.com/EcoMediaCBS.

By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.

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