Press Advisory 

The Urban Youth Collaborative: 

DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving,

Future of Tomorrow,

Make the Road NY, 

Sistas and Brothas United, and

Youth on the Move

proudly announces......

Youth Win the Save Students

Metrocards Campaign!

Press Conference:

When:   Sunday, June 20th, 2010

              at 11 am 

Where:  Tweed Building

              (Dept. of Education) 

What:    Students, parents, elected

              officials, union allies,

              and others 

              celebrate the victory

Months of thousands of our youth meeting with legislators, mobilizing trips to Albany, rallies, organizing press conferences, organizing within their schools, and successfully organizing our historic student walk out last week appear to have paid off.  

"We are encouraged that our push to save student MetroCards has brought our state officials together to make a deal to keep the program--and we commend lawmakers on their attention to this issue," said Valerie Bynaar, 14.  

"It is unthinkable that public school students would have to pay to travel to school, and we hope that this fix for the next year is included in the final budget.  We look forward to the City, State, and MTA developing a long-term solution to guarantee free transportation for NYC students."  

UYC is especially proud that this work was led by those most directly affected by the cuts-low-income students from communities of color.

 

 

MEDIA COVERAGE OF VICTORY:

NYC Students Will Get to Keep Free Metrocards, Daily News

Deal to Save Student Transit Discounts is Near, NY Times

Sources: State Lawmakers Near Deal On Student MetroCards, NY 1

MTA Saves Free Student Metrocards, WNYC Radio

MTA Holds onto Student Metrocards, Queens Chronicle

Ticket to Ride: Students Win MetroCard Fight, The Indypendant

Students Protest Loss of Metrocards, Queens Chronicle

Queens Students Slam Free Metrocard Cuts, YourNabe.com

Ride On! Deal to Save Kids Free Metrocards, NY Post

Students Stage Walkout over Metrocards, WPIX News