DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Feb 16, 2016) - Noel Ginsburg's commitment to empowering Denver Metro youth by providing resources that go beyond the classroom began nearly three decades ago and his efforts to improve the future for hundreds of young people continue to expand. A founding member of the Colorado "I Have A Dream®" Foundation (CIHAD) (http://www.cihadf.org/) in 1988, Ginsburg was recently appointed co-chair of Governor Hickenlooper's newly-created Business Experiential-Learning (BEL) Commission (https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cwdc/bel-commission).
Ginsburg, founder and chairman/CEO of Intertech Plastics, will be the keynote speaker at CIHAD's 2nd Annual Work is Success Internship Program (WISIP) Corporate Sponsorship Breakfast Thursday, March 3, 2016, at the Mile High United Way. Now in its fifth year of preparing and placing high school students in 6-10 week summer internships, the goals of WISIP are to provide young people an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the workplace, create and expand social networks, and increase industry knowledge. Guests at the free event will have an opportunity to meet youth who previously participated in the program, hear from corporate partners, and learn about WISIP's talent development model, placement criteria, and corporate sponsorship model.
"My company signed on to be a partner with this program because we understand the critical role local business plays in workforce development," said Ginsburg, who will share his personal experiences from sponsoring interns at Intertech, a contract manufacturer of custom injection molded plastic products. "The success of our community helps determine the success of our company, so we are committed to working with area youth to ensure we have a steady stream of talent to progress our company."
Angel Rios, a 10th grader at STRIVE Prep Excel High School and a member of CIHAD's Records-Rainaldi Class of 2018, also will address the gathering. Rios, who interned at MidFirst Bank in Cherry Creek during the summer of 2015, said, "It was a very good experience to have an actual job and complete tasks," which included learning how to assist with customer transactions, counting money, and helping in the office. "I actually enjoyed waking up every morning and going to work -- and it was fun, too," he admitted, adding that he hopes to return to MidFirst again this year. As for his future, Rios would like to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder, perhaps pursuing a career in computer programming, statistics or architecture.
In 2016, CIHAD hopes to place 50 high school students in summer internships with some of Denver's top small businesses, corporations, law and medical offices, higher education institutions, and government agencies. To learn more about the Work is Success Internship Program (www.workissuccess.org), or to RSVP for the March 3 breakfast, contact Stephanie Costner at 303-861-5005 x103 / scostner@cihadf.org, or Marius Finch at mfinch@cihadf.org.
Since its founding, CIHAD has impacted the lives of more than 990 Colorado boys and girls who live in economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods and/or attend underperforming schools in Metro Denver. Over the last 28 years, CIHAD has developed and fine-tuned a comprehensive one-on-one support and advocacy model for participants, who are affectionately called Dreamers. The long-term academic and social mentorship program for youth includes academic enrichment services, social-emotional supports, global cultural exploration activities, experiential learning, community service projects, internship and corporate networking experiences, collegiate coaching and tuition assistance for higher education. One of the most critical and beneficial aspects of the program model is the fact that these services are in place for students from the time of their class/school selection in kindergarten up-and- through post-secondary pursuits. For more information about CIHAD, visit http://www.cihadf.org/.
Ginsburg, who previously served as chairman of CIHAD's board of directors, has been active in many community organizations throughout his career. He is the founding chairperson and a current member of the executive board of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, a board member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, chairperson of the Denver Public Schools' College and Career Pathways Council, member of the Colorado Workforce Development Council and a board member of the State Economic Development Commission. He is a former board chair and general campaign chair of the Mile High United Way and the Allied Jewish Federation. In 2014, Ginsburg and his wife, Leslie, who has been a member of the CIHAD board of directors since 2007 and currently serves as board chair, received CIHAD's McHugh Award for their exemplary efforts to level the playing field in education. In 1999, the Ginsburgs adopted a CIHAD class of 42 students, which came from a neighborhood with a 90% dropout rate; in 2004, 92% of the students in that class graduated from high school.
