On Friday, March 12, 2010, the See Forever Foundation held a fundraiser to support the Maya Angelou schools in Washington DC, during which WilmerHale was presented with the “Maya Way Award for Community Service,” and recognized as a social justice champion and community partner.
“For more than ten years, even before the formalization of our partnership, WilmerHale has been a social justice champion in the See Forever/Maya Angelou learning community,” said the Executive Director of the See Forever Foundation/Maya Angelou Public Charter School, Lucretia Murphy, JD, PhD From pivotal financial support, to tutoring and mentoring, to pro bono legal services and other in-kind services, the firm’s commitment to our students and organization is making a positive difference in the everyday lives of our students and staff. The time, energy, compassion and commitment the firm has made to our students has truly been a gift that will never be forgotten, particularly by the students with whom the firm’s volunteers work so closely.”
WilmerHale established a formal multi-year partnership with Maya Angelou Public Charter School (MAPCS) in 2008, which allows the firm to deepen its work with teachers, staff and the youth, collaborating on how the firm can be helpful in their mission. The firm supports MAPCS on many different levels to meet their needs, including annual unrestricted funding, pro bono work, in-kind donations and volunteer services.
“It is an honor to receive the Maya Way Award for Community Service,” said Carol Clayton, former assistant managing partner at WilmerHale. “We are dedicated to the success of the firm’s pro bono and community service program, and we’re excited to have such fantastic partners in organizations like the See Forever Foundation. We look forward to our continued work with See Forever to make sure all Maya Angelou school scholars have the skills they need to succeed.”
Founded in 1997 as a multi-faceted, comprehensive educational program for Washington DC-based, at-risk teens, the See Forever Foundation now supports hundreds of high school and middle school students as they pursue successful academic paths at the Maya Angelou Schools in the District of Columbia. The Maya Angelou Schools include: three successful charter school campuses, the school for adjudicated youth at New Beginnings Youth Development Center, and a Transition Center that provides academic and workforce development to youth and young adults under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. With a core goal of creating learning communities in lower income urban areas, students who have not succeeded in traditional schools can reach their potential at the Maya Angelou schools and develop the academic, social and employment skills needed to move on to college, careers and a lifetime of success.