Young Leaders Elementary School - Bronx, NYYouth in the Mott Haven section in the South Bronx face difficult odds because of extreme poverty, crime, health concerns, and pervasive literacy deficits in their community. When we began our partnership with Young Leaders Elementary School (YLE) P.S. 369 in 2015, our students were no exception. At the beginning of our partnership, only 3% of YLE third graders were proficiently reading at a third grade level. According to the National Assessment of Educational Process, reading proficiently by the end of third grade can be a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s educational development. It is at this point when students begin to apply their reading skills to learn other subjects. A lack of reading proficiency can cause a child to feel frustrated in school which can lead to a downward spiral of learning and behavioral issues. Moreover, almost 1/5 of children who do not read by third grade will not graduate high school. Those incarcerated are about 80% non-graduates. Fulfilling a NeedIn response to this crisis, we made a promise to YLE's new Principal, Jaleelah Cooke, to facilitate high-quality programming designed to extend the school day beyond 3pm, creating a positive learning environment of belonging and perseverance to boost literacy levels in the school. Our approach included: (1) Literacy-infused arts education (2) Organized phonics and site word recognition activities (3) English language call-and-response cheers and songs (4) Facilitation of the iRead software program (5) Increasing enrollment in Saturday test prep by planning incentives such as field trips and fun events for students and families who attended By addressing the 3pm-6pm hours, parents were empowered to find or maintain employment by having their childcare needs satisfied. The Result of Hard WorkAfter 5 years, third graders at YLE exceeded the New York statewide English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency average of 45% with a rate approaching 60%. According to Principal Cooke, our program was "the consistent staple which contributed to the success of rising third graders" at YLE, despite inconsistent funding sources available from the government or other funders. What the progress of these resilient, young South Bronx residents demonstrated to us was that with access to the proper tools, resources and encouragement, our young people can succeed and reach their full potential, even surpassing the accomplishments or wealthier peers throughout the state. We do not doubt that our young people can succeed in their endeavors when given the proper access to resources, guidance and support. Unfortunately this is the obstacle that many of our youth face. That is why we have made it our mission to instill inspiration and empowerment in all of our programs - to close this gap and help young people take control of their future.
Contribute to our year-end campaign and help remove the obstacles our youth are facing by providing them with access to the resources and opportunities that match their current needs.
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PRESS RELEASE
The online virtual event welcomes Griffin Matthews, Writer, Director, Activist and Actor as the Keynote Speaker. Matthews is the founder of UgandaProject, a nonprofit organization that sponsors the education of orphans living in Uganda. Matthews is a television actor appearing in 'Dear White People' and 'The Flight Attendant' on HBO Max.
The event will feature:
Build Your Own Road will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2021 from 11a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom. The event is free and open to all teens, young adults, parents and educators. Please visit www.roadstosuccess.org/youth-leadership to register, or contact Kachina Respress-Pierce, Director of Education at kachina@roadstosuccess.org with any questions regarding the event including partnership and volunteer opportunities. About Roads to Success The mission of Roads to Success (RTS) is to inspire and empower all young people to take control of their future. RTS aims on improving the financial position of young people who have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Program offerings include after-school programs, summer camp, leadership conferences, youth employment opportunities, college access and career development. www.roadstosuccess.org ### Contact: Davis Connelly Director of Development davis@roadstosuccess.org On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Roads to Success welcomed over 150 youth to our virtual college and careers summit, Together We Rise. Volunteer panelists included current college students from institutions such as Hunter College, Pace University, SUNY New Paltz, as well as professionals from numerous industries including entertainment, business, healthcare, sports and more. Special guest speakers Alex Nieves, US Foreign Service Officer, and Latchmi Gopal, NY City Council candidate, introduced participants to their respective careers and their reasons for pursuing those pathways.
Attendees and speakers were divided into smaller groups where they could interact more intimately with each other and speakers may easily answer any questions from youth. Although college and career was on the agenda, the bigger talking point was how the speakers persevered through challenges, disappointments, and ongoing self discovery before achieving their own successes. The afternoon ultimately lead to inspiring and uplifting conversations full of encouragement and first-hand experience advice, and invaluable connections with members of their own community eager to help. Events such as Together We Rise provide an important resource that young people in our communities lack access to - networking. For many, their networks can be limited for any number of reasons. By providing these opportunities to connect them to role models and mentors from the community, it opens up a platform where they can ask direct questions, learn from different backgrounds and perspectives, and build relationships with those who are of mind and heart to help and who can lead to new opportunities. Many thanks to all of the young people and volunteers who attended and contributed to such a positive and inspiring afternoon of community and leadership. Our next event will be held on June 3rd for our annual Youth Leadership Summit. If you are interested in volunteering as a speaker and connecting with youth, or sponsoring an upcoming event, please contact Kachina Respress-Pierce, Director of Education at kachina@roadstosuccess.org. PRESS RELEASE
Keynote speaker Alexis Nieves, US Foreign Service Officer and special guest speaker Latchmi Gopal, City Council candidate for The Bronx (CD 15) will deliver addresses and answer questions from youth. The event will also feature:
Together We Rise will be held on Monday, January 18, 2021 from noon to 3:30 p.m. via Zoom. The event is free and open to all teens, young adults, parents and educators. Sponsorship opportunities available and will support empowerment programming for youth in neighborhoods affected by poverty. Please visit www.roadstosuccess.org/youth-leadership to register, or contact Kachina Respress-Pierce, Director of Education at kachina@roadstosuccess.org with any questions regarding the event including partnership and volunteer opportunities. About Roads to Success The mission of Roads to Success (RTS) is to inspire and empower all young people to take control of their future. Due to current events, RTS aims on improving the financial position of young people who have been most affected this year. Program offerings include after-school programs, summer camp, leadership conferences, youth employment opportunities, college access and career development. www.roadstosuccess.org ### Contact: Davis Connelly Director of Development (646) 205-7719 davis@roadstosuccess.org Choosing a college is a very exciting rite of passage for many students at the end of their high school journeys. It is an important decision because it is where they will be starting their college career. The institution they choose will be where they develop a professional and personal network, begin their path to adulthood, and establish career and life goals. College tours are where many students experience a ‘wow’ factor during the application process. For many, the atmosphere on a college campus helps determine if they see a place for themselves in the community.
However, the option to tour college campuses (in-person) came to a screeching halt in March. Admission offices across the country scrambled to cancel tours and offer more information online to prospective students and their parents. As the fall semester begins for many college students online, admission counselors are also delivering an alternative to in-person campus tours. Virtual campus tours are becoming a part of the new standard for college admissions to produce. Some tours are even 360-degrees, to give students an expansive look at a college or university campus. Some institutions are going even further to demonstrate to potential students that their institution is the right fit by scheduling virtual meetings between high schoolers and current students, admission staff, and faculty. For instance, Yale has Zoom presentations; Vanderbilt University in Nashville is offering virtual coffee meetings, and University of Virginia has virtual dormitory tours. Furthermore, students can research student life at various campuses through YouTube videos or on independent sites like campusreel.org, which features short, vetted videos from students from 320 colleges and universities focusing on various aspects of student life.a Although face-to-face tours are more valuable to some students, there are perks to virtual tours which will keep the trend going after the pandemic. Virtual tours are convenient, time-saving, and cost-beneficial. You can visit different states and take multiple tours without leaving the comfort of your home. Roads to Success and Pathways will be holding a special virtual youth leadership event for teens on January 18, 2021 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Together We Rise will feature a college panel, career panel, and leadership challenge for participants. Learn more and/or register for this event. From now until December 8th, Roads to Success is kicking off the holiday season with Giving Week - a week dedicated to rallying our community to take action and close the equity gap for young people striving for success. Because our young people have been faced with so much uncertainty recently, they are in need of reliable access to resources that support their continued growth and education - but we need your help. As a non-profit, our funding is not guaranteed and depends on the generosity of our supporters who believe that young people deserve an equitable chance to succeed in education, career, and in reaching their full potential. There are a number of fun and easy ways that you can support our youth, even if you are unable to make a donation yourself. Read below for ways you can participate in Giving Week.
To create a fundraiser on Facebook: 1. Click on 'Fundraisers' in the left menu of your News Feed. You may need to click 'See More.' 2. Click + Raise Money. 3. Select Nonprofit or Charity. 4. Select Roads to Success and fill in the fundraiser details and choose a cover photo. 5. Click Create.
For the past 4 years, Roads to Success has partnered with Youth Inc. to hold our annual benefit Fall Gala. This year would've been the first year that we held our own, independent gala, but unfortunately due to Covid, we had to postpone our inaugural event. More importantly, we were unable to raise funds on the same scale as a gala to support our program to its full capacity.
As a non-profit, our funding is not guaranteed and depends on the generosity of our supporters who believe that young people deserve an equitable chance to succeed in education, career, and in reaching their full potential. Our in-person and remote programs have kept young people engaged with their peers and mentors, provided access to social emotional support during this difficult time, and allowed parents to go back to work. However, there is still more that we can do. Although we can’t celebrate in person with you this year, we invite you to join us next week for Giving Week at Roads to Success. Starting on Monday, November 30th, we're taking our #BuildRoads campaign and Giving Tuesday a step further and rallying our community for one week to take action and close the equity gap for young people striving for success. There'll be numerous opportunities during the week to show your support including our #BuildRoads For Youth online auction that you can start bidding on right now! As we continue to adapt to this pandemic and try our best to keep our youth focused on their futures, your support is even more critical as we continue to provide the resources our young people need because they deserve an equal chance to get ahead, no matter their background. Thank you for stepping up on behalf of our youth.
Pathways is centered around Roads to Success’ pre-existing, guided curriculum. This successful, widely-used curriculum is downloaded and facilitated by hundreds of educators around the world every year for youth ages 12 and above. “This curriculum has been downloaded and used all over the world for years, but to offer it with a virtual learning service was a major priority, especially given the importance of remote learning now. There is so much debate and outrage in this country about equality, but this is how it gets done: empowering the young people to create their own future for themselves. We're excited to put this forward right now," says Bashan Fernandez, Chief Program Officer at Roads to Success. As the pandemic has shifted classroom learning entirely to the digital space or a blended model, Roads to Success has found new ways to help educators to implement this curriculum:
“Never in a million years did any educator believe when they left school in March that they would still be in an online learning scenario today,” says Melissa Silva, who teaches at Arts HighSchool in Newark, New Jersey. “We’ve had to learn new skills overnight, adjust to new procedures and adapt to our student needs. It hasn’t been easy but in true teacher style, we have pulled through and have come out stronger than ever. What we must now focus on is not merely just surviving this epidemic but thriving in it. To do this, we must as educators create quality educational opportunities and also perhaps more importantly, address the trauma our students have endured.” For more information on Pathways and to find out how you can sign up for a subscription, visit pathwaysbyroads.org. ### About Roads to SuccessRoads to Success empowers youth by providing them with mentors and resources that will support their own unique growth. We envision a future where youth from all backgrounds are given a fair and equitable chance to be inspired, connected, and to discover their own path to thrive. www.roadstosuccess.org For media inquiries, please contact:The SYEP Summer Bridge program was the City’s virtual solution to the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) which was canceled for the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19. The newly designed virtual program gave youth a unique opportunity to explore their interests and discover new ones through project-based learning and career exploration activities on relevant themes such as civic engagement, community service, public health, etc.
Roads to Success enrolled 640 participants between the ages of 14-21 and partnered with worksites including The Metropolitan Equestrian Team, Join the Bloc, GrantAnswers and Student Dream. All participating youth used Hats & Ladders, a digital platform that facilitated a remote work-readiness experience, and engaged in digital self-guided as well as live instructor-led project based learning to complete a community action project. Participating youth ages 16 and over were also given a Workplace Challenge project where they were placed in small groups and given the task of coming up with solutions to a real-world problem or a challenge issued by a partner worksite. At the end of the 5 weeks, the groups presented their research findings and made recommendations to their respective worksite. Challenges addressed various issues including digital marketing, mental health in the workplace, product development, financial literacy and many others. “My participants have really grown into burgeoning young professionals. They’re examples of what real world professionals should be – they are collaborative, communicative and curious,” stated Patricia, one of the Success Coaches who worked directly with youth on their Workplace Challenge projects. Thank you to all of our worksites who gave our young people this great opportunity to learn within a real-world setting and congratulations to all of the participants who worked hard this summer and had amazing presentations. SYEP Summer Bridge took place from July 27 – August 28. Due to the downsized reach of the program, Summer Bridge prioritized low-income, justice-involved, foster care, runaway and homeless, NYCHA residents and young adults from high need neighborhoods, including those that have been most severely impacted by COVID-19. Protest all you want; the real change happens here.
1. Social emotional learning has economic benefits
Effective youth programs such as summer camps and after-school programs initiate significant gains in a child’s social emotional learning (SEL). Not only does SEL increase a child’s intangible skills such as self-confidence, self-management, and teamwork, but numerous institutions have pointed to studies suggesting that there are long-term economic benefits, with recipients staying out of trouble and earning higher wages in the long run. Studies conducted in connection with Columbia and Penn State Universities have estimated that for every $1 dedicated to effective SEL programs, the return on investment is between $11 - $21 in long-term benefits to students, schools, families, and communities. This is likely a result of reduced crime rates and public assistance service needs, combined with higher employment rates and tax revenue. 2. Youth employment programs are critical A known drain on America’s economy has been that millions are unemployed, yet we have a major gap in sectors like health care, education, and information technology, leading to many American companies struggling to compete globally. This is called the “middle skills” gap and it is remedied through training and opportunity after high school but before a bachelor's degree is earned. In addition, as recently noted by a New York Times article, participation in entry-level job programs such as NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program not only led to “better self-esteem and academic accomplishment,” but also that it “found that the young people who applied but did not get selected were at greater risk of incarceration or death." 3. Mentoring pays forward No effective youth program is complete without the great role models who mentor our young people. Children remember the names of their favorite counselors and teachers long after attending, and as MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership notes, “disadvantaged youth who have had a mentor are 130% as likely to hold leadership positions, 55% more likely to enroll in college, and 90% more likely to become a mentor.” What these programs represent is equity, an attempt to alleviate deficits in society’s fairness. That could mean helping little kids in the South Bronx learn how to read – literacy is power. Asking firefighters, union delegates, salon owners, podcasters, photographers to speak to kids in East Harlem – mentoring is contagious. Putting a kid from Brownsville in a life-altering internship that inspires them to choose a major and look for scholarships – fascination is a currency. “Policing” communities that are under-resourced, under-represented, and perpetually underestimated is tantamount to putting a band-aid on a broken leg. Although people want to protest, donate money to bail out other protesters, and support memorial funds, we simply cannot afford to raise the bare minimum on education, mentorship, job readiness, college access. If we do, we will be right back shouting in front of City Hall, heartbroken over more incidents that showcase glaring inequities for years to come. There are dedicated institutions whose mission and outcomes support the very building blocks to a prosperous trajectory for young people, particularly those in communities vulnerable to systemic cycles of poverty and racism. And despite any progress that may come out of current calls-to-action for institutional reform, no progress can truly be made without our entire communities donating anything they can, be it small contributions, large donations, or simply spreading the word. So go ahead and black out your profile picture for a few days for #BLM, repost articles, give money to someone running against your least favorite congressman if you care to. But now is the critical time to ask yourself… which youth charity will you support? |
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