Overview

When it comes to community giving at John Hancock Financial, our promise is to provide the greatest level of support for youth and families in need. We make a distinct impact by partnering with non-profit institutions and leveraging our company resources to benefit community. Just as John F. Kennedy believed in the power of the next generation, we too understand the importance of the torch being passed to a new generation. As such, we choose to develop and support outreach programs for young people, for one simple reason: they are the future.

John Hancock Financial is proud to create the essay competition, Promise of America: Explore*Dream*Discover which was piloted in the Boston Public Schools in the spring of 2007. This educational endeavor continues the company's commitment of supporting our youth in the public schools. Education gives young people the tools to explore further. The competition requires students to research and examine the values on which this country was built while strengthening composition skills.

The project also leverages the corporation's affiliation with the Foundation for National Archives in Washington D.C. as well as National Archives and Records Administration Facilities Nationwide to reinforce the importance of American history. The competition will be rolled out in select cities throughout the country where National Archives facilities exist in order to utilize these historic exhibits to augment student learning. Our next tour will be in Detroit where Promise of America: Explore*Dream*Discover competition will be offered exclusively to Mentor Michigan, an organization John Hancock has partnered with for several years.


Why Detroit?

In 1903, Manulife Financial launched its U.S. Operations in Michigan and in 2004 Manulife acquired John Hancock Financial, forming one company. Michigan is often referred to as Manulife’s gateway to the United States, John Hancock continues its strong support for programs helping Michigan youth and families in need.

Contributions have been made to the Governor’s Great Lakes, Great Hopes Scholarship Fund for high school graduates aspiring to attend college. John Hancock also provided 4,000 tickets for Mentor Michigan youth to attend the John Hancock All Star FanFest when the All Star Game was in Detroit. We continue to contribute to Mentor Michigan, an initiative helping Michigan youth to have ongoing relationships with stable, caring individuals. John Hancock has chosen to partner exclusively with Mentor Michigan for The Promise of America essay competition.