Burger King Corp. Partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami

By: Burger King | 2 Shares 125 Reads

Event Kicks Off New School-to-Work Program That Pairs Students with Burger King Corp. Employees

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Burger King Corp. (NYSE:BKC) announced today a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami (BBBS) on a school-to-work program, pledging to provide career planning mentors to the students of Miami-Dade County. High school sophomores were matched with their mentors, Burger King Corp. employees, at a kick-off event held today at Burger King Corp. headquarters in Miami. The partnership joins more than 60 employees with student mentees, making Burger King Corp. the largest mentor provider of any organization to BBBS of Greater Miami.

"Miami-Dade County schools have a graduation rate of 49 percent and Miami has the lowest rate of volunteerism among major U.S. cities," said Laurie Gunn, vice president of marketing, BBBS of Greater Miami. "We have so much opportunity for improvement and Burger King Corp.'s unprecedented commitment to this program will benefit the community and the lives of these students for years to come."

Older, at-risk high school students have been historically more difficult to match. These students are paired one-on-one with Burger King Corp. employees to gain valuable skills, job training, and exposure to BURGER KING(R) career opportunities. During the three-year school-to-work program, students will work with employee mentors at Burger King Corp. headquarters twice a month during the school year. In addition to career planning and restaurant-based work experience, students will also have the opportunity to participate in team-building events and workshops. Upon completion of the program, graduating seniors will be prepared for jobs at any of the 7,200 BURGER KING(R) restaurants in the U.S.

The partnership with BBBS of Greater Miami further supports Burger King Corp.'s HAVE IT YOUR WAY(R) Foundation's commitment to create a positive impact in the communities where BURGER KING(R) operates.

"Burger King Corp. has called Miami home since its inception in 1954, and we have a responsibility to give back to the community that has embraced us," said Pete Smith, chief human resources officer, Burger King Corp. "The school-to-work program is about inspiring participants, reinforcing the importance of education and youth programs, and preparing the students to enter the workforce with Burger King Corp. or another company."

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami serves more than 7,000 children and families through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with caring adult volunteers. The Miami agency, founded in 1958, is one of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's largest affiliate agencies. For more information, visit wementor.org or call (305) 644-0066.

About Burger King Corporation

The BURGER KING(R) system operates more than 11,500 restaurants in all 50 states and in 71 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING(R) restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. In 2008, Fortune magazine ranked Burger King Corp. among America's 1,000 largest corporations. To learn more about Burger King Corp. please visit the company's Web site at www.bk.com.

Source: Burger King Corp.

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