Calvary Enters a New Era with a New Name:  CentroNía Washington, DC – After 18 years of educating children and serving families in the District of Columbia, Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning Center is adopting a new name:  “CentroNía.”  The unveiling of the new name, to be held on Wednesday, September 29th, 2004, at 1420 Columbia Road, NW, Washington, DC, will begin with a 2:00pm press conference and continue as a day-long celebration that affirms the organization’s growth and reconfirms the mission and values that have made it a leader in education. The new name which is blend of Spanish, Swahili and Esperanto, a universal language created in the late 19th century to help bridge cultures, reflects the multicultural community CentroNía serves and its commitment to success for all through education. Centro means “center” in Spanish.  Nía means “purpose” in Swahili and “our” in Esperanto. The organization’s bilingual tagline: “growing, learning, leading” “crecimiento, aprendizaje, liderazgo” highlights a continuum of education and support for the children and families it serves as well as its commitment to leadership in the field of bilingual, and multicultural education. As CentroNía Founder and Executive Director Beatriz “BB” Otero stated, “Our community has come very far together over the past 18 years.  We have overcome many obstacles, learned much, and grown stronger and more capable through the hard work and talents of many children, youth and adults.  Now, as we witness an entire generation grow to maturity and join us as responsible adults working to better the lives of others, we felt it was finally time to take on a new name, a new look, a new vitality that stands up and applauds this growth:  CentroNía.”   With the support of Venture Philanthropy Partners, in 2003 the organization initiated a comprehensive strategic planning process, which led to the reorganization of the institution and the realization that it needed to create a name that better represented who it is and where it is headed.  Through the planning process, the organization evaluated how to align its existing structure, name, and brand with its long-term goals. Mario Morino, Chairman and member of the executive committee of Venture Philanthropy Partners’ board of directors, comments "We applaud BB and her board for using the planning process as a springboard to create a new identity and brand that best reflects their aspirations." To learn more about CentroNía or its new name, visit the website at www.centronia.org.