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MILWAUKEE, Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Access to a quality education lays the groundwork for a strong community. As part of its commitment to its hometown of Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, today is announcing $1.6 million in grants to educational programs across the city.

"The future of our city is dependent on the quality of education we provide our youth," said John Schlifske, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual. "A well-educated community builds the foundation for a skilled and responsible workforce."

These grants support programs that display measurable impact and create positive change within the community, with an emphasis on third-grade reading proficiency as well as college and career readiness. Additionally, Northwestern Mutual fosters the pursuit of higher education by supporting post-secondary education scholarships, specifically for students in the Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way neighborhoods, which the company supports.

"Quality education is one of the best tools we can provide our children to help prepare them for success," said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "We support a strategy that works alongside community members, educators and leaders to ensure this success transcends the classroom into our community."

SPOTLIGHT: SaintA's Teacher Capacity: Assessing the Impact Program
This year, one of the Foundation's new initiatives is SaintA's Teacher Capacity: Assessing the Impact program. Education leaders recognize that one significant barrier to providing optimal education is exposure to traumatic events that physically or emotionally cause harm and adversity, which can ultimately have a detrimental effect on students' developing brains. Students who struggle with these experiences require more time and attention from teachers. The Teacher Capacity: Assessing the Impact program, trains education staff on the core concepts of brain science, teacher capacity, secondary trauma and trauma sensitive education in order to not only better address the learning needs of children affected by trauma but also the needs of teachers and other school staff who work with these students. 

The Northwestern Mutual Foundation's education strategy is backed by national and local data that urges community collaboration in schools. Milwaukee consistently ranks as one of the lowest performing cities in third-grade literacy, with only 16 percent of third-graders reading at a proficient level*, a statistic that is driving the foundation's commitment to Milwaukee education.

2016 Education Grant Recipients

In addition to strengthening Milwaukee education, Northwestern Mutual is committed to improving the lives of local children and families in need through its neighborhoods portfolio, making Milwaukee a great place to live, work and play through its destinations portfolio and curing childhood cancer.

*Milwaukee Succeeds 2015 Annual Milestone Report

About Northwestern Mutual Foundation 
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $300 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination.

About Northwestern Mutual 
Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for nearly 160 years. Our financial representatives build relationships with clients through a distinctive planning approach that integrates risk management with wealth accumulation, preservation and distribution. With $238.5 billion in assets, $27.9 billion in revenues and more than $1.6 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.4 million people who rely on us for insurance and investment solutions, including life, disability income and long-term care insurance; annuities; trust services; mutual funds; and investment advisory products and services. Northwestern Mutual ranks 100 on the 2016 FORTUNE 500, and is recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2016.  

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a comprehensive approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, life insurance with long-term care benefits, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC). 

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual