![]() NYC, NY, February 28th, 2023 Roads To Success (RTS) has been named an Official Charity Partner for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, which takes place on Sunday, November 5. RTS will be among more than 550 official charity partners providing thousands of runners the opportunity to run in the world’s biggest and boldest marathon. The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the city’s most anticipated and iconic annual sporting events, attracting runners and spectators of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities from around the world. More than 50,000 runners are expected this year after the race returned to full capacity last year. "The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the most exciting days of the year and thanks to our incredible Charity Partners, it is also one of the most impactful and purposeful sporting events in the world'', said Christine Burke, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, NYRR. "New York Road Runners is proud to support the Roads To Success team and the incredible impact they have made to the communities as they raise important funds to benefit their mission of empowering youth and build future leaders." “We are excited and thrilled to be one of the amazing Charity Partners. TCS New York City Marathon allows organizations such as RTS to amplify our mission. We are grateful for the opportunity and excited to cheer for all the runners onboard!” said Sheila Duke, Chief Executive Officer, RTS. The NYRR Official Charity Partner Program offers an opportunity for nonprofit organizations to raise funds to support their missions and services. Participating charities can offer guaranteed entry to runners who fundraise on their behalf. About Roads to Success (RTS) The mission of Roads to Success is to inspire and empower all young people to take control of their future. 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. To learn more, visit www.roadstosuccess.org About New York Road Runners (NYRR) NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org. Contact: Roads To Success Vidhi Guleria Marketing & Communications Manager vidhi@roadstosuccess.org NYRR Media Relations Stuart Lieberman (c): 646-770-6987 (e): slieberman@nyrr.org
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Roads To Success names Sheila Duke as its new Chief Executive Officer ![]() New York City, NY, Feb 2nd, 2023 – Roads To Success (RTS) announces the appointment of Mrs. Sheila Duke (Wilson-Wells) as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mrs. Duke will succeed Ms. Lisa Recio, who has led RTS for the past ten years. During the past several months, the Board of Directors of RTS engaged in a comprehensive search for a new Chief Executive Officer to further the mission of creating a world where all young people have equal access to a successful future. The unanimous decision of the Board was followed by an extensive recruitment process. Prior to joining RTS, Sheila was the Chief Program Officer at the Fresh Air Fund. She has also held the title of Associate Executive Director of Early Childhood & Youth programs at Union Settlement Association and was responsible for overseeing a portfolio of over $10 million in public and private funding impacting several thousand children and families. She previously managed summer, elementary and college access for all programs at New York Edge. She is a native New Yorker, and a passionate advocate for equitable and inclusive socially just communities. Sheila is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and serves as the 1st Vice President of her local NAACP branch. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Old Westbury and a Master of Science in Non-Profit Leadership from Fordham University. “I am thrilled to announce that we have selected Sheila Duke to fill this critical role. Sheila is a seasoned veteran within the youth programs space, with a strong track record of managing teams and programs.” said Mr. Gregorio Concha-Toro, Chair, RTS Board of Directors. On behalf of the Board, he further said, “We are honored and privileged to have such a talented and inspiring leader joining our community and look forward to introducing Sheila to all of you in the near future. Throughout her career, Sheila has shaped and advocated on a diverse set of issues, including summer restoration campaigns, early childhood education, ethics, police accountability, and preventative services. We would like to thank everyone who was part of this journey in helping advance our mission, with particular recognition of Lisa Recio and her executive team for the impact they have made on countless youths' lives for many years.” Mrs. Sheila Duke said, “What an honor to serve as Roads to Success’s incoming CEO, I look forward to working alongside the Board of Directors and entire Team as we continue the mission to inspire and empower all young people to take control of their future. At RTS we believe every young person has a right to access an equitable pathway of success and every day I will strive to make that mission a reality in the lives of the youth, school’s families and communities we serve.” Mrs. Sheila Duke assumed the role of CEO of RTS in January 2023 and will be based in the organization’s headquarters in New York City. About Roads to Success – (www.roadstosuccess.org) The mission of Roads to Success is to inspire and empower all young people to take control of their future. 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. #### Contact: Vidhi Guleria Marketing & Communications Manager vidhi@roadstosuccess.org 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.
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: |
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