Olympus Academy Provides an Alternative Path to a Diploma

Students who have experienced a range of challenges at their current or past high school -- truancy, academic disconnect, peer issues and other problems -- often thrive at Olympus Academy.

Olympus Academy specifically serves NY City students 16-21 who are over-age and under-credited.  It’s a transfer school run by a partnership between the NY Center and the NY City Department of Education.

Our students benefit from extensive academic support as well as strong social emotional skills training that will prepare them for post-secondary life.   

Olympus Academy provides students a small-personalized school setting where students can get individual learning opportunities.  Students learn to work through paid internships and small-individualized advisory groups.

 

The school provides an accelerated credit model that combines traditional education with on-line curricula.  This blended learning model allows students to earn up to 18 credits a year. 

Students are rewarded for successes like credit accumulation, attendance, and on- the-job good behavior.  Rewards and incentives include tutoring, movie tickets, luncheons, and celebrations.

Olympus Academy operates from 9:15-3:25 pm during the school year.  We provide after-school tutoring, open gym for youth time and computer lab.

Recruitment and enrollment process and schedule

Staff welcomes new students year round.  They assess goals of both students and parents to determine whether there’s a good fit. 

For additional information contact

Dina Molina, Program Director

(718) 272-1926 ext. 1158

Dmolina@nycid.org

755 East 100^th Street (entrance located on 101^st street)

Brooklyn, NY 111236

Phone (718) 272-1926

Fax (718) 257-1700

Preparing for High School Success (GPS)

[Getting a good start in high school]

Youngsters entering high school as freshmen with poor middle school attendance tend to continue their attendance problems – often the first step for dropping out. GPS (Graduate, Prepare, Succeed) can change that path.

At Port Richmond High School, NYCID provides those freshmen and continuing GPS sophomores, male and female, academic advisement and counseling on a daily basis. That support helps students overcome barriers to strong attendance, academic achievement, and healthy peer interactions. This provides extra credits for both freshman and sophomore students.

Their age ranges from 13 to 18 years old. 

The GPS program operates 7:00am to 2:45pm throughout the school year (0 period to 9^th period) and most attend the Advantage After-School program  as well.

Sophomore Student reflecting on GPS: “It is fun, you go on fun trips. It’s cool to do the marking period luncheon. The staff is nice, easy to talk to, and there when you need them. 0 period benefits me. I love the breakfast on Friday mornings. I really like coming down to the office. I feel comfortable and happy when I am in the office.”

GPS Incentives – Students are rewarded for their success in academics, behavior and attendance. Such rewards include trips, movie tickets, baseball tickets, breakfast once a week, semester luncheons, tutoring, credit recovery, and celebrations.

Enrollment – over the summer months staff reaches out to incoming freshman and family based on poor student middle school attendance. Parents, guardians, and students meet with staff to explore middle school academic history and conduct a bio/psycho/social assessment and establish student contact information. The program is free to all eligible.

For additional information: Graduate Prepare Succeed (GPS)

Michael Candella, Program Director
718-815-8124
Mikecnycid@aol.com
85 St. Joseph’s Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10302

NYCID After-School at the Staten Island School of Civic Leadership

Who can attend?

If your children, from 6-13 years old, attend the Staten Island School of Civic Leadership and attend kindergarten to eighth grade, they are welcome to enroll in the after-school program.

Our after school program operates Monday through Friday from 2:25 – 6 PM following the Dept. of Education calendar.

• Snack is provided by the Office of School Food every day
• Homework hour follows immediately. All staff members are available for homework assistance. This is not one-to-one tutoring. The children will complete as much as possible at the end of the hour. Any remaining homework should be completed at home.
• After homework students will participate in activities like sports/recreation, game room, and arts and crafts.
• On Fridays we provide the children a break from homework and allow them to watch a movie in the auditorium.

Benefits of program participation

·    You know that this program provides a safe, healthy, and stimulating place for your children and youth.

·    The after-school program promotes the social, emotional, and physical development of your children and youth through a variety of activities, usually of their choice.

·        Research shows that after-school programs can enhance academic achievement. Participants show increased interest and ability  in reading, develop new skills and interests, improve school attendance, increase engagement in school and turn in more and better quality homework and spend more time on task.

Information and Orientation

After-school staff is available at the school orientation that takes place at the end of August as well as at every scheduled PTA meeting throughout the school year. Open enrollment allows parents the ability to meet with staff for an overview and orientation as family circumstances change.

Robert Busan
rbusan@nycid.org 
718-374-1658
Staten Island School of Civic Leadership
280 Regis Drive
Staten Island, NY 10314

ACE Program's Young Adult Internship Program Graduates Honored

NY1 VIDEO: Several young adults are ready to take on new careers after graduating from the Achievement in Career and Education Program.

This year's YABC students are 'Stoked to Serve' their community

Twenty-two students from New York Center for Interpersonal Development's Young Adult Borough Center (YABC) participated in Stoked to Serve: Summer 2011 this past September.  Stoked to Serve - coordinated by Stoked and sponsored by the Quiksilver Foundation - strives to connect youth to their communities through service projects that beautify the urban environment, such as cleaning parks and beaches or improving community gardens.  This summer, they mobilized youth from all five boroughs of New York City to engage in community service projects, helping to clean up and rehabilitate parks and waterfronts.

This past September, YABC students helped clean up
Wolfe's Pond Park after Hurricane Irene hit NYC.

Originally, our students were scheduled to perform some basic clean up and light painting in Wolfe's Pond Park.  However, because they participated in the venture just after Hurricane Irene hit Staten Island, the project became a rigorous, heavy-lifting cleanup effort on a hot summer day at the beach.

All of the students who volunteered for the event were brand new to our program, and it was the first time our staff had the opportunity to engage them. The resulting turnout and the desire to help was astounding. Further, it provided us with an advocacy opportunity that we have never had before. Being out in the open, with our blood flowing and brows damp, allowed everyone to lay down their guards and get to know one another.

Check out the slideshow below for some additional photos of the clean up:

 

New initiative at Port Richmond H.S. is keeping at-risk students on track

Student Jasmine Basabe, right, accepts
a perfect attendance award from Jen Quirk,
of NYCID's Graduate, Prepare, Succeed program.
(Photo courtesy of Port Richmond H.S.)

PORT RICHMOND - Keeping young people on track in school, focused on the goal of graduating with a high-school diploma, is the aim of a new program at Port Richmond High School.

Sponsored by New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) and United Way of New York City, the program has two components: Graduate, Prepare, Succeed (GPS) supports students during the school day, while Advantage offers after-school support.

"Both these programs are focused on giving the most at-risk students the resources and attention necessary to help them stay focused on their high school goals and ultimately their future path in life," said NYCID executive director Dominick Brancato.

The GPS average student attendance rate this year is about 90 percent; last year it was about 80 percent.

To read more, check out the article in today's Staten Island Advance: New initiative at Port Richmond High School is working and keeping at-risk students from slacking | SILive.com

GPS students at Port Richmond H.S. help deliver turkeys for Thanksgiving

Not every family can afford a Thanksgiving with all the fixings, but this year the 110 members of New York Center for Interpersonal Development's Graduate, Prepare, Succeed (GPS) program at Port Richmond H.S. made sure each student had a delicious meal to share with their family.

Students packaged turkeys and all the fixings (which were were generously donated by North Shore Rotary Club, ShopRite of Staten Island and UFCW Local 1500) and assisted NYCID staff in making deliveries to the homes of their fellow classmates.

This experience was most rewarding and surprising to both staff and students as we witnessed and experienced the compassion, cohesion and community among GPS members. In addition, this opportunity enlightened and educated students about the need within their community.

Service learning promotes pride, esteem and worth to all individuals involved.  There are three key benefits to service learning:

1. It builds positive school community
2. It teaches students to respect themselves and others more, and 
3. It changes the misperceptions students may have for their peers. 

Family involvement is essential for our program to thrive and to affect change in our students’ lives. Adolescence is a pivotal time when identity and individuality is molded by influence. We believe this process enriched and positively influenced both the families who were thankful in receiving, and the students who were more than willing to give of themselves.

(Read more about the GPS and Advantage After-School programs at Port Richmond H.S. here.)

The Bach Family: Raising Young Philanthropists:

Nine year-old Henry Bach (who participates in our After-School Enrichment Program at P.S. 30 along with his sister Madelyn) pledged $100 to NYCID at our Annual Benefit this past June.  We were so impressed with both Henry and his sister Madelyn's generosity that we asked them, and their father Ken, to share their stories with us.

Henry

How old are you & what grade are you in?  I'm nine and I'm in fourth grade.

What activities do you participate in through NYCID’s After-School Program?  I did fencing and Legos. Legos was kind of boring because it wasn't really Legos and fencing was awesome. I got to sword fight with some of my best friends and learned that fencing is a lot like light sabers. 

What are your favorite hobbies/subjects?  My favorite hobbies include basketball and baseball. My favorite subject is social studies because we get to learn about presidents and do interesting research on them. 

How did you raise the money you donated?  I've made lemonade stands with my sister and I save my birthday money. If my dad offers me $5 to spend at the dollar store, I usually only spend one or two. 

Why did you want to donate? What inspired you to want to give to NYCID?  I wanted to donate because my dad works with people at NYCID and it helps my school. It helps me make friends in the programs.  I want to compliment Dominick and the man from Camelot on how nice they were. 

What do you hope the money you donated will accomplish?  I hope the money makes more programs to help more people and make them happy. I hope it keeps people out of hobo shelters. Giving the money makes me a better person. 

Madelyn made the winning bid on the silent auction item for a party at the Staten Island Zoo

How old are you & what grade are you in?  I am ten years old and I'm in fifth grade.

Madelyn Bach

What activities do you participate in through NYCID’s After-School Program?  When I was in fourth grade I participated in the drama program. It was fun because I made new friends. Also we did fun exercises. I learned “Bruno the Bear sits in the sun munching lots of honey buns.”  We had to say it in a funny voice to exercise our voices.

What are your favorite hobbies/subjects?  I like to sing and dance. My favorite subject is PE because you're sitting in a classroom all day and you get to exercise and hang out with your friends. I like art class because you learn about artists and you learn how to paint.

How did you raise the money you donated?  My friend and I sold lemonade from her front yard to the neighborhood and some really annoying and gross kids. But money is money! I also save my money from my birthday.

Why did you want to donate? What inspired you to want to give to NYCID?  I donated money because I wanted to help support the program and help families in trouble and because I really wanted a Zoo party.

What do you hope the money you donated will accomplish?  I hope the money I donated can help people.

Their Father, Ken Bach, Shares His Perspective

How did you teach your children about charitable giving? Leadership by example is more than a catchphrase on a motivational poster. Children are amazing.  They learn from every clue around them.  I haven’t taught them about charitable giving – they have learned by what we do.

Through Rotary, I have been giving back to the community for many years.  My children ask about Rotary and where I am going. I always tell them, “I am going out to change the world!”  Later, as we drive around the island, I show them where we’ve served holiday meals to the homeless, where we assembled turkey baskets and the neighborhoods we deliver to, and the parks that we help maintain.  This year, they are both eager to join me on these and other projects. 

Often we get, “Why do we need a babysitter again tonight?” Well, a frequent response begins with “Because Mommy and Daddy are going to a fundraiser.”  We let them know the goal might be to help raise scholarships for really smart students who can’t afford college or the local Boy Scout troop or children with autism.  When they heard we were attending the NYCID event, and that it was the organization that ran the after-school programs that touched their lives, there was no keeping them away.

Ken and Henry Bach

Were you surprised by Madelyn & Henry’s actions at our benefit? I was surprised at how comfortable they felt at the event, and that Henry actually chose to wear a button down shirt without being asked.  Madelyn was intrigued by the silent auction items, and I was proud that she came to us and informed us that she wrote her name on the item of her choice.  We approved her bid amount and she was amazed she won, especially since Mom and Dad won nothing.

And yes, I was shocked by Henry’s energetic and unanticipated hand raising at the $1,000 challenge request, amused at his persistence down the scale, and proud of his $100 contribution.  They still talk about the event, further spreading the culture of giving with their friends.   

Do you talk with them about people that need help? Given my job, family activities and our community, there are always conversations.  Part of parenting is helping the children to make sense of the millions of clues they need to assimilate.  It is important my children acknowledge they may not have as many material goods as some, but that they do have more than many.  They know when to accept help and when to provide help.  

Is this the first time they’ve made charitable contributions?  Henry and Madelyn have a long history of compassion and giving back, although this was the first time in such a sophisticated setting.  While attending elementary school in upstate NY, Madelyn hosted a web-based TV show where she interviewed the administration and staff.  She was honored by the City of Kingston for her artwork, which was later placed into a gallery that helped raise awareness of the dangers of swimming after the unfortunate drowning of an eight-year-old.  Madelyn and Henry also organized sledding parties where kids brought new, wrapped toys that we delivered to local children in need.   Recently, Madelyn hosted a lemonade stand to raise money for her CYO basketball team, and they both want to volunteer for the Parks Department.

Do you have any advice for others?  As you enjoy the company of friends, remember those who are lonely.  As you embrace your family, remember those who are in conflict.  As you sit down to dinner, remember those without a meal.  Donate and help make a difference.  Volunteer and change a life. You may be surprised that the life that most benefits from the change is your own.   

Is there anything else you would like to share?  NYCID’s outreach programs provide a rich after-school curriculum to help expand a child’s horizons for working and stay-at-home parents, and their conflict management programs help people learn how to emerge victorious from a seemingly hopeless situation.

Also, walk the Greenbelt. Look at the nighttime sky. Relearning our place in the universe is a great way to put our existence into context.

Do you have some suggestions about how to grow young philanthropists? Please share them in the comments below.

Moving on...

In May of 2011 we said farewell to one of the Young Adult Borough Center (YABC)'s most dedicated advocates.

Joseph Skinner was a personal advocate on the YABC team since the inception of the Learning to Work Program in 2005.

Each day, Joseph brought to the table a myriad of skills and tools which helped him not just connect with students but to create long-lasting relationships.

When asked why he relentlessly made calls and home visits or climbed stairs night after night to counsel students, Joe would always say, "Someone reached out to me once and now I am giving back."

A normal occurrence at the YABC is to have young graduates returning to visit Joe to thank him for encouraging them to think about their choices enough to make the right decisions.

He is most definitely a mold that has been broken.

Joseph leaves us as he retires to enjoy his golden years.  He has begun volunteering as a counselor for young men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. 

--Michael DeVito, YABC Program Director 

Achievement in Career & Education (ACE) Program

Out of School?  Out of Work?  Out of Options?  NYCID Can Help!

NYCID's ACE Program, an out-of-school and disconnected youth program focused on vocational training and education, serves young people aged 16 - 24.  Eligible youth are those who:

• Dropped out of high school and are discharged OR graduated high school
• Are not working AND not in school
• Are motivated and ready to work!

Enrolled students are well trained and prepared for their future.  Higher education and full-time employment are goals highly sought after and reached by program graduates!  Eligible youth receive:

• Enrollment in GED Program (if necessary)
• Career Development Training
• Job Placement Assistance
• Opportunity to attain a Paid Internship
• Guidance Counseling and a Personal Advocate

ALL SERVICES AND TRAININGS ARE FREE!

Interested?  Contact Program Manager Deborah Green at (718) 947-4051 or Personal Advocate Prince Cobbina at (718) 947-4063.

Olympus Academy (located in Canarsie, Brooklyn)

A New Approach: A School Dedicated to Student Success

Olympus Academy currently has spaces available for Brooklyn students that are 16 - 21 years old and have fallen behind in credits.  We offer an accelerated credit program designed to help students earn credits at their own pace and paid internships to prepare them for life after high school.

If you know someone that's interested, please tell them to visit www.olympusacademy.org or call (718) 272-1926, ext. 1153 or 1158.

Congratulations to Dina Molina, Olympus Academy's new Program Director

Hi All:

I am very pleased to announce the promotion of Dina Molina to Program Director and Co-Leader of Olympus Academy. Dina has been with New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) since 2009 as an Advocate Counselor and most recently as Interim Program Director. She did this while working towards her Masters in Social Work, which she will receive this August from CUNY Hunter College.

Dina’s performance at Olympus Academy has been influential for NYCID’s excellent record of collaboration, problem solving and conflict resolution, and leadership. Dina is known for her ability to be a team player, overcome problems during challenging times and her engagement skills with students, parents and DOE administration and teachers.

The quality of dedication is very important for NYCID’s long term success. We look forward to Dina’s ability to achieve the highest standards at Olympus Academy in her new role as Director.

Congratulations, Dina!
Dominick


Dominick J. Brancato
Executive Director
New York Center for Interpersonal Development

(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding

The recent tragedy in Tucson, AZ, has brought to the surface some important questions about how we, as a society, communicate with people who have different viewpoints from our own. I know it's made me think about how I communicate with friends and associates that have different beliefs than I do.

We all have been guilty of it in one form or another – name calling; believing we are right and anyone who disagrees with us is wrong; using violent language or imagery, etc. Our intent may be harmless but the impact is anything but. It doesn’t take long to think of a few recent examples, whether it was an elected official responding in a hostile way to a constituent they didn’t agree with, the person who was upset by the bipartisan seating at the State of the Union address or one of the usual suspects that comment negatively on any given story posted on SILive.com.

How did we get to this point? While thinking about it, the following lyrics came to mind:

“As I walk through this wicked world searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity. I ask myself, ‘Is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?’” – Elvis Costello

I admit to being too cynical at times, and often find myself questioning whether things will really get better, and if people can behave more compassionately toward one another.

I think it is possible, if we make a conscious effort to think before we speak, pause before we act and try to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes.

One of our board members recently told me about the following clip, and I encourage all of you to watch it. In this video, Elizabeth Lesser, co-founder of Omega Institute (the largest lifelong learning center focusing on health, wellness, spirituality, creativity and social change in the U.S.) suggests an interesting concept: taking “the other” to lunch. She offers some guidelines, and talks about her own experience going to lunch with someone whose viewpoints are radically different than her own.

I plan on trying it – will you?

-- Amy Lavelle, Development Associate

Giving the GED a good name

The Advance featured our ACE program in it's article on GED's today. Jennifer and her staff have lots of success stories so the good press is well deserved.

Giving the GED a good name - Page 2 - SILive.com: "Ms. Saladis said a successful GED program is one that not only teaches the material necessary for the test but encourages students to know they're capable of reaching their goals. The typical student attends the ACE program for three to four months and receives counseling and personalized attention from the professor. ACE also offers counseling for those who are struggling in their personal lives so that they can focus on their coursework.

The staff has accompanied students to pregnancy clinics, offered support to victims of abuse and helped one homeless student find housing.

Ms. Salatis said 78 percent of the students who go through the program either wind up in college or enter the workforce.

'Everyone has a million different reasons for coming here,' she said. 'They're not because they gave up.'"

We agree with Councilwoman Debi Rose, too, when she points out the City's need to invest in keeping kids engaged in school so that they don't drop out. We know she'll work hard to replace the drop-out prevention funding that's been cut.

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• Grant deals an ACE to CSI-allied program - SILive.com (nycid.blogspot.com)

How to talk with teens about current events

Image by Slaff via Flickr

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, or employer, we encourage you to talk with the teens you know about current events.

· BUILD IN TIME TO TALK together about world events frequently. News about war, terrorism, the economy, politics and natural disasters is everywhere. They need a chance to make sense of what they hear. President Kennedy’s father held a daily discussion of current events at the dinner table.

· ASK WHAT THEY’RE HEARING FROM OTHERS – sometimes that’s an easier place to start. Correct inaccurate information, or research issues together on the internet.

· CONNECT THE ISSUES TO PEOPLE THEY KNOW -- Who has lost their job? Who is serving in Iraq? Or, how could this effect people we know? Teens master abstract issues by connecting them to their own lives.

· SHARE YOUR PLAN FOR COPING, if the impact is on you and your family. Have a plan teens can participate in. Whether it’s a plan for how to connect with family in a catastrophe or how the family will cut expenses to deal with the economic changes, teens need a role.

· BE AWARE OF THE IMPACT ADULTS CONVERSATIONS MAY HAVE on teens and children who overhear them. Give them a chance to participate in the discussion then, or in a follow up conversation later.

· EXPLORE THE PROS AND CONS OF MANY POINTS OF VIEW. Learning to think for yourself requires trying ideas on for size and accepting or rejecting them in whole or in part.

· ACT AS A MODEL FOR YOUR CHILDREN. Always show respect for differing views, including theirs. You know you’re being respectful if your teen can have a different point of view without you trying to “win” the conversation as though it were a debate. Acknowledge that in a democracy like the US people can have strong and differing opinions about momentous events.

For more information about how to talk with teens about difficult topics, check out these sites:

Kiplinger.com Talking to Teens About the Financial Crisis

Tips for Parents/Teachers/Emergency Response workers for talking about Traumatic Events – links to a number of articles



Coping with Traumatic Events: Parent Guidelines for Talking with Teenagers about War and Terrorism from SAMHSA’s National Mental Health Information Center

Adult Education Computer Courses Free at McKee

Free Adult Education

Do you want to learn computers for FREE?

We are offering FREE technology classes in Staten Island

The New York City Department of Education, Office of Adult and Continuing Education offers technology evening courses for adults twenty-one and older at McKee High School

Learn computers in one of four different computer classes:

• Computer Literacy
• Word Processing/ Keyboarding
• IC3
• Internet/ Desktop Publishing

OR

• Basic Automotive Service

When: Classes meet TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Where: Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical High School

290 St. Marks Place, Staten Island, New York 10301

CALL TO REGISTER: 718-420-2697

Make Educational Use of Social Networking?

Do you have ideas about how social networking sites can be used for educational purposes? I read about a teacher that's using social networking to increase literacy.

Ninety-six percent of U.S. students ages 9 to 17 who have internet access use social-networking technology to connect with their peers, and one of their most common topics of discussion is education, according to a new survey. Yet most schools have stringent rules against nearly all forms of online social networking during the school day. In light of the survey's findings, school leaders should consider reexamining their policies and explore ways they could use social networking for educational purposes, its authors say.

To read the whole article