Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd., (“Fortitude Re”) today reaffirmed its commitment to education and literacy by announcing a $250,000 donation to Bermuda Education Network (BEN). Founded in 2011, BEN leverages the power of community to enhance student literacy, while also creating opportunities for teachers to develop their leadership skills, expand their repertoire for curriculum enhancement and their confidence as problem solvers in their school.

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Amanda Stewart, Head of Employee Experience, Fortitude Re and BEN Board Member presents the $250,000 check to Becky Ausenda, Bermuda Education Network’s founder on the opening day of Fortitude Re's Summer Reading Program. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Fortitude Re is delighted to continue our partnership with Bermuda Education Network,” said Amanda Stewart, Head of Employee Experience, Fortitude Re and BEN Board Member. “Literacy is a fundamental skill that underpins educational success and investing in literacy programming is vital to bridging social and economic inequalities. Our partnership with BEN will help local students excel academically and cultivate a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation and economic growth in Bermuda.”

The $250,000 donation will be used to expand education and literacy programming including Fortitude Re’s Summer Reading Program, run by Bermuda Education Network in partnership with Somersfield Academy and Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation. The reading program provides accelerated learning for students who have finished P3 but have not yet achieved reading proficiency. Fortitude Re’s donation will enable students participating in the summer program to receive follow-up services in the subsequent school year.

Becky Ausenda, Bermuda Education Network’s founder said, “This donation from Fortitude Re is a game changer for BEN. It comes at exactly the right time, as we have identified several opportunities to collaborate with our partners to enhance our reading and experiential learning programs. Fortitude Re’s support will allow us to seize these opportunities and do more of what we are passionate about: building a community of teachers who are responsible for reading instruction and providing them with resources and opportunities to help their students. The donation will help every public primary school in Bermuda and will result in hundreds of students receiving the support and inspiration they need to become confident and enthusiastic learners.”

In addition to financial support, Fortitude Re employees volunteer as story readers at the BEN Book Club, a monthly event for young children and their families. The book club is designed to foster early phonic awareness, language development and a love of reading and learning.

About Fortitude Re The Fortitude Re Group manages approximately $101 billion in general and separate account insurance reserves and administers over 4 million insurance policies. The foundations of our business model are our exceptional insurance professionals and the support of the world’s most sophisticated insurance investors, including Carlyle and T&D Insurance Group. Our people, our capital strength and our capabilities drive strategic reinsurance solutions designed to meet our clients’ highest priority goals and to create sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders, our teammates, and the communities in which we operate. For more information visit, www.fortitude-re.com and follow Fortitude Re on LinkedIn.

About Bermuda Education Network (BEN) Bermuda Education Network was founded by Becky Ausenda in 2011 to use the power of community to address the achievement gap between the public and private school systems. She saw a need to create an organization focused on educators within the system. BEN creates opportunities for teachers to develop their leadership skills, expand their repertoire for curriculum enhancement and their confidence as problem solvers in their school. For more information visit, https://www.bermudaeducationnetwork.com/

Media Contact Mary Beth Conklin Marybeth.conklin@fortitude-re.com 423-596-1449