NEW YORK, NY – August 3, 2006 – Millennium Hotels and Resorts is pleased to announce a new scholarship program, Art Connects, created for New York City public school students with assistance from China Institute and the New York City Department of Education.  Art Connects provides opportunities to talented students through a program designed to enhance creativity, stimulate artistic development and promote cultural enrichment. Millennium designed the program to include a long-term commitment to supporting the education and advancement of participating children, through future access to internships, scholarships and other cultural opportunities. 

The program will kick-off in August 2006 with a two-week tour through China for 14 competitively selected New York City public high school students.  The trip is designed to encourage the students’ artistic development as they experience first-hand the history and cultural traditions of China. Each student will be given a sketchbook at the beginning of the trip and asked to create original artwork, which will be later displayed in an exhibition to be held at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York.

“Children are the leaders of tomorrow, and we are committed to supporting the education and advancement of the next generation to ensure that our future leaders are fully equipped with the skills they need to succeed,” said Sudheer Raghavan, President of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, North America. “Art Connects provides opportunity for young leaders and builds a bridge of cultural ambassadors that encircles the globe.  It’s a logical fit with our Millennium on View program, which caters to cultural travelers.  Here we can leverage our close relationships with cultural partners and provide a wonderful opportunity for these students.”

Art Connects was created with assistance from the Fund for Public Schools and the New York City Department of Education, which invited all New York City public high schools that administer the Arts Regents exams to nominate ninth and tenth graders who demonstrated artistic talent, a passionate commitment to succeed, as well as financial need. “Partnerships such as this are essential to bringing the best that New York and the world has to offer to our public school students,” said New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein. “Like many New York businesses and organizations, Millennium Hotels and Resorts and China Institute recognize the importance of investing in our public schools.”

The program was also created with assistance from China Institute in America, a nonprofit educational and cultural institution that promotes the understanding and appreciation of Chinese civilization and provides the historical context for understanding contemporary China.  Participating students were selected by representatives from Millennium and China Institute based on academic transcripts, recommendations, an essay, art submission, and interview session with students and parent or legal guardian.  China Institute carefully designed and tailored the 2-week trip to promote an understanding and appreciation of Chinese history and culture through an exploration of Chinese art and interaction with Chinese students and artisans.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Millennium Hotels and Resorts on this outstanding program. Art Connects fits with China Institute’s eighty-year mission of educating Americans about China – a mission that is growing in relevance, particularly for the next generation of young leaders in the United States,” said Sara Judge McCalpin, President of China Institute in America. 

As the fourth-largest country in the world with the second-largest economy, China is one of the most dynamic and important global powers today.  With its rich cultural heritage and traditions and rapidly changing economic landscape, China will provide students with an unforgettable glimpse of a fascinating culture. Studies have shown that intercultural experience has proved to be an invaluable component in developing successful leadership skills.

Working with cultural partners in New York City, such as China Institute and the Museum of Modern Art, Millennium will design an ongoing program to facilitate access for participating students to cultural programs in their own city. Guided tours of exhibitions and free workshops exploring painting, sculpting, video, photography and other media will be available. Paid internship opportunities will also be offered, and scholarship opportunities are being explored.

In future years, Millennium plans to expand Art Connects by bringing qualifying Chinese students to New York to further promote cultural exchange and understanding.

About Millennium Hotels and Resorts

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR), established in the United States in 2000, is the North American arm of London-based Millennium and Copthorne Hotels plc (MLC). The MHR portfolio includes 20 holdings in The Americas, and the company operates properties including: Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York City; Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, New York City; Millennium Airport Hotel, Buffalo; Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles; Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Chicago; Millennium Bostonian Hotel, Boston; Millennium Hotel, Minneapolis; Millennium Hotel, St. Louis; Millennium Hotel, Cincinnati; Millennium Harvest House, Boulder; Millennium Hotel, Durham; Millennium Alaskan Hotel, Anchorage; Millennium Resort Scottsdale, McCormick Ranch; the Millennium Maxwell House, Nashville; and the Royal Palm Resort, Galapagos Islands. MLC holdings outside of the Millennium brand include the Millenium Hilton (New York). For further information on Millennium Hotels and Resorts, call 866-866-8086 or visit www.millenniumhotels.com.

Millennium and Copthorne Hotels comprises 100 four and five star hotels with 24,681 rooms worldwide in 16 countries. Our World of Hospitality marketing alliance partner Maritim Hotels has 45 hotels with 13,069 rooms in 9 countries. For more information please visit www.millenniumhotels.com or www.maritim.com.

About the Fund for Public Schools

The Fund for Public Schools is the nonprofit organization affiliated with the New York City Department of Education (DOE). The Fund plays a pivotal role in improving public education in New York City by strengthening the DOE’s relationship with the private sector and supporting system-wide reforms.  Working with the DOE’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, the Fund secures critical funding for education reform initiatives; helps businesses create partnerships and programs to support city schools; and reaches out to the entire city to create awareness about the needs of the public schools.  For more information about the Fund for Public Schools, visit www.fundforpublicschools.org

About China Institute