Salvadori Center gains support of YM/WREA

Real Estate Weekly, March 1, 2000

The Salvadori Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding students' vision of themselves and the world through hands-on study of the built environment, has recently gained the support of the Young Men's/Women's Real Estate Association of New York, Inc. (YM/WREA). The announcement was made by Lorraine Whitman, executive director of the Salvadori Center, and Mark F. Lauzon,. chairman of the YM/WREA.

"We are thrilled that the YM/WREA has chosen to extend its philanthropic arm to the Salvadori Center," said Whitman. "With this association, we can reach the number and caliber of professionals we have-been aiming to attract to our program for years."

"The Salvadori Center is a perfect fit for the YM/WREA, "said Lauzon. "Education being one of our civic duties, Salvadori provides us with the excellent opportunity to combine-this cause with real estate and provide our members with easy access to influence the lives of young individuals. We have always looked to align ourselves with such an organization and-foresee this relationship as a perfect marriage."

The Salvadori Center runs innovative programs in public middle schools around the City, bringing enriched educational opportunities to approximately 1,200 students each year. The program uses the City's real estate, and engineering and architecture principles, to inspire students studying math, physics and the humanities. For example, Salvadori kids are given a lesson on New York City bridges and then build their own weight-bearing bridges with paper. In addition, they learn to work well in groups, while discovering the importance of math, physics and communication in the professional world.

Most importantly, the Salvadori Center exposes disadvantaged children to careers in real estate and design that they might not otherwise have considered. The YM/WREA will provide opportunities for these kids to come into contact with professionals in the industry, individuals eager to reach out and assume responsibility for the growth of New York City students.

Support for the Salvadori Center by the YM/WREA will come in many different ways, through classroom instruction, mentoring, and field trips providing "insider" tours in many Manhattan famous landmark buildings, bridges, theaters and transportation facilities.

Established in 1948, YM/WREA is a professional association with a membership of nearly 400 prominent New York City real estate professionals. Past chairmen have included Lewis Rudin and Edward S. Gordon. YM/WREA's recent monthly luncheons have featured such prominent speakers as Mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Bernie Mendik, Richard Kalikow and Scott Rechler, among others.

The Salvadori Center was created by Mario Salvadori in 1987 to teach students abstract concepts of math and science by engaging them in "real world" design and construction activities, a method that works where others have failed. The Center has made tremendous progress since its inception and continues, with the help of organizations such as the YM/WREA, to reach more and more students each year.