Nine Cornell Students Spend Spring Break in Orlando for Positive Community Impact

ORLANDO (March 29, 2019) -Orlando plays host to droves of college students during the eagerly anticipated Spring Break hiatus from their studies that is replete with lively parties, fun and celebration. Rosen Hotels & Resorts, however, is ensuring the city – and students – benefit from more than just tourism dollars during this time of year. The Harris Rosen Foundation is sponsoring an alternative spring break for nine Cornell University students to engage in meaningful civic volunteerism and positively impact lives outside of their own communities.

“These young students are exceptional examples of leadership in both the college environment and the community,” said Harris Rosen, founder and president of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. “Their collective passion for benevolence will truly resonate with the youth of the Parramore and Tangelo Park areas. As these college students achieve their professional success, our hope is that this week-long immersion within these two communities will serve as the inspiration and springboard for them to develop their own charitable initiatives.”

Alternative Spring Breaks designed to provide college students with exciting opportunities to make a difference during the time off from their studies are becoming increasingly popular. These initiatives enable students to achieve a renewed cultural awareness and immerse themselves in diverse activities.The program set forth for the Cornell students by The Harris Rosen Foundation engages the students in community efforts benefiting elementary and high school aged children in the Parramore and Tangelo Park areas of Orlando. The itinerary also earmarks team building and leadership activities as well as mentoring and reflection time for the volunteers themselves.

The students will spend the bulk of their mornings encouraging and inspiring Orlando’s youth at the Tangelo Park Elementary School. In the afternoons, they will participate in the Tangelo Park Program Community Advisory Board Meeting, engage in mentoring sessions with Dr. Phillips Tangelo Park students and volunteer at the Science Through Literacy Fair. The students will also engage with the Rosen Preschool, which opened in August 2017, and was founded as a part of the Parramore area revitalization efforts. The Harris Rosen Foundation provides funding for all annual teachers’ salaries. It is estimated that The Harris Rosen Foundation will provide two to three million dollars per year to support the Rosen Preschool program.

The Harris Rosen Foundation is sponsoring nine female students, led by student trip leaders Makayla Durant and Sophie Dornevil, to travel to Orlando and stay at Rosen Shingle Creek for the duration of their April 1-5 spring break. All the students hail from Cornell University with a wide variety of majors, including Environmental Engineering, Sociology, Applied Economics and Computer Science.

About the Harris Rosen Foundation
The Harris Rosen Foundation is the charitable arm of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. The foundation focuses on educational initiatives, community programs and support for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. It supports early education and secondary scholarship programs in Orlando’s communities of Tangelo Park and Parramore. In 2015, The King Center recognized Harris Rosen for his Tangelo Park efforts by honoring him with the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. (Advancing Nonviolence through Generations of Exceptional Leadership) Award.

About Rosen Hotels & Resorts
Celebrating its 45th anniversary this June 24, Rosen Hotels & Resorts comprises close to 7,000 guest rooms and 700,000 square feet of meeting and event space at eight Orlando hotels: three convention properties – Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek, as well as five value-priced leisure properties – Rosen Inn International; Rosen Inn closest to Universal; Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando; Midpointe Hotel and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista. For more information, visit RosenHotels.com.