This High School Is Not for Me

[avoiding high school]

Dear Nancy and Sid,

I can’t stand this high school so I’m always skipping school or class, failing subjects, getting into trouble, or getting bullied by other kids.  Don’t tell anyone I asked, but what else can I do?  -- Anthony

Dear Nancy and Sid,

How can we get this kid to go to school? Nothing seems to work. – We Care

Dear Nancy and Sid,

I can’t get up to go to school in the morning. Maybe I should go to night school or just quit. -- Charlie

Dear Nancy and Sid,

Unless these freshmen can overcome their poor attendance in middle school they’re probably going to have a tough time in high school. The truancy road leads to academic failure and dropping out. What kind of help can you provide?  -- Worried Parents and Teachers

Dear Anthony, Charlie, “We Care,” and “Worried Parents and Teachers”

There are plenty of reasons kids don’t feel they want to go to school. You need to find the program that’s going to work for you or the kids you’re worried about. Some of the programs you can consider include:

  YABC: Staten Island Young Adult Borough Center
 Olympus Academy
 GPS at Port Richmond High School 
Truancy prevention planning at the CDRC: Community Dispute Resolution Center

Read about each of these programs, then give our staff a call at 718-815-4557.

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

Successful Internships #1: Game Stop

This is the first in a series of three posts exploring what makes an internship successful for both the intern and the employer.

Terrell Wyatt, Game Stop

    When I first met and interviewed with Ronald and Steven, as with all of the interns I’ve interviewed, both appeared to be students who realized the value of the internship program and held themselves accountable for the mistakes they have made which cause them both to be placed in Olympus Academy.

    While interviewing Ronald, I had asked him, “What happened in his previous school that caused him to be placed in Olympus, and what did you learn? Ronald replied, “I was cutting class and too busy worrying about hanging out with my friends and I didn’t care. I learned that friends aren’t really what I thought they were, and school is way more important. If I could do it again, I wouldn’t have cut class and hung out; I would’ve stayed in school and did my work…”

During the interview, Ronald seemed to be humbled by my questioning, because (as he would tell me in a future discussion) he didn’t expect me to ask him questions about his behavior nor his academics, he thought that I was merely going to ask him about video games. For a young man his age, Ronald showed a maturity that was quite “refreshing”. His poise led me to believe that he was heading in the direction of taking hold of his life and not becoming distracted or detoured from not only his academics but his long-term goals.

    Throughout his internship, Ronald has always displayed a drive and desire to learn, that was unprecedented. I’ve worked with other organizations, with previous companies, that had an internship program, yet Ronald was an intern that constantly motivated himself. What also makes Ronald stand out from my other interns, is his consistency to want to learn more and take on more responsibility. From the day I brought him aboard, Ronald has always expressed the desire to want more from me and my management team, way before he even thought he would be brought aboard as an actual team member. In addition, Ronald was never “shy”, his personality, in many ways, reminds me of my own. He’s smart, witty, knows how to convey himself without being disrespectful, knows how to humble himself when necessary (when dealing with a disgruntled customer), and he’s a quick learner. I even ask Ronald about the strengths and challenges of my other staff members, and he’s currently trained two other interns. He’s definitely, a very valuable member of my staff, and Ronald will be trained to possibly become one of my key holders.

    Steven was a little more challenging. While interviewing him [Steven], I had asked him why did he tattoo his name on his hand? He said, he didn’t really know, but he thought it was “cool” at the time. As with Ronald, I had asked him, what did he do to end up in Olympus Academy, and his reply was quite similar to Ronald’s. Unlike with Ronald, I asked him, why should I hire you? He said, “You should hire me because I’m gonna do my work to the best of my ability and I won’t mess up.” Steven and I continued to speak and he revealed that he wanted to go to medical school. We conversed about the academic requirements along with the amount of determination needed to achieve his goal, and he said he was ready. Although the content of Steven’s answers were somewhat “robotic”, Steven seemed like a young man who needed a shot at redemption from his previous antics.

    In the beginning, Steven didn’t appear to be as focused. He seemed as if he was just there to make a few extra dollars and didn’t really care about the internship. He never did anything wrong per say, he did  whatever was asked of him, but because he is a more reserved individual, I wasn’t too sure if Steven was going to make it to the end of the program. In fact, he was almost terminated from the internship because of his tardiness. After I spoke with him, he quickly began to change. He started coming in on time, and being more engaging in discussions about product and what it is that I expected from my interns and the rest of my staff. It wasn’t before long, that I offered him a more stable position, with GameStop.

    Since he’s been aboard as an active team member, and not just an intern, Steven has become a very good and reliable employee. He’s become self-motivated and now he’s helping train an intern as well. Now that Steven has, “come out of his shell”, he’s proven to be a young man who wants to be a part of GameStop and possibly take his position to the next level. He’s has remained consistent with his performance and his eagerness to learn new aspects of the business.

    I initially didn’t know what to expect going into this internship program with Olympus Academy. I’ve worked with interns before but I never worked with interns so young. Partnering with this program allowed me the opportunity to lend a “brotherly” helping hand to students who may not have been able to get employment with GameStop, any other way due to the common stigmas attached to teenagers who are, or were, heading down the “wrong path” and retail (the possible lack of maturity, and the challenges of balancing school work with employment).  Several of my peers were initially apprehensive about bringing interns into their stores due to the previously stated factors, coupled with possible theft issues. I immediately accepted this challenge because I always welcome new challenges, especially ones that help our young man, seems there aren’t enough programs tailored males who are seeking a change but aren’t sure of the right approach or what direction to take.

    I certainly am appreciative that Ms. Green asked for my services. I’m enjoying the program so much, that I’ve personally partnered with one of my good friends, and together we are developing our own program that will “coach” our young men who may have made a mistake in their short lives, or who are headed in that direction.... I am currently developing the job development portion of the program, which will offer resume writing, and helping students convey themselves articulately on paper and during interviews.



From: Ronald Phillip

What I like about my internship?

1.     The things I’ve liked about my internship was that they taught me things I’ve never learned before.  Also, they treat me like a real worker which I am now.  The other thing is that working helped me out by being more relaxed with customers.  Without the internship I wouldn’t have a job as of right now.  So I am glad there is a program in our school for us that we could better ourselves.

2.    What did I learn from my internship?

 I learned how to have better conversations with people and how to deal with people with attitude.  Also, I learned that you have to dress presentable so you can make your job a success.  Last is when you’re working in retail you gotta know how to talk.

How will my internship help me in the future?

3.    I think the internship helped me in the future because it got me a job, made me learn new things about working experience.  Without this internship I wouldn’t know what to do.

 But I do want to thank Ms. Cynthia Green for providing this well thought out program to me because this program is a success.  I never wanted to work or go to school until I heard of Olympus Academy and the internship program.  So I, Ronald Phillip, just wanted to say thank you to Ms. Green and the program for helping me be someone in life.

From: Steven Pierre

What I like about my internship?

1.     What I like about the internship is that the people make me feel comfortable and make me learn what hard work is that what I liked about the internship.

What did I learn from my internship?

2.    I learned the meaning of dedication and hard work and how to present myself at work.  I learned how to keep my personal life from my work like.
How will my internship help me in the future?

3.    It helps me in the future by teaching me how to keep my job and shows me how to present myself at work.

Learning to Work Schools Offer Alternative Routes to Graduation

CHANCELLOR KLEIN ANNOUNCES MORE THAN 10,000 STUDENTS HAVE GRADUATED FROM “LEARNING TO WORK” SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS SINCE 2005

Program Allows Students Who Have Dropped Out or Fallen Behind to Earn High School Diplomas While Participating in Paid Work Internships

Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein announced in September that 10,629 students have graduated from schools and programs where students participated in Learning to Work, the City’s innovative career development initiative. Learning to Work was launched in September 2005 to help students who are academically behind by at least two years graduate from high school while receiving in-depth job-readiness training, including paid internships. Today, Learning to Work is offered at 25 transfer high schools, 21 Young Adult Borough Centers where evening classes are offered for students who cannot attend school during the day, and 10 GED programs. Of the 10,629 students who have graduated from a Learning to Work school or program, 9,484 received a high school diploma and 1,145 earned a GED. The success of Learning to Work will be discussed in Washington, D.C., at the America’s Promise Alliance national Grad Nation Action Forum on drop-out prevention beginning tomorrow.

“Today we mark a real milestone in celebrating more than ten thousand students who have turned their lives around with the help of Learning to Work schools and programs,” Chancellor Klein said. “When we launched Learning to Work in 2005, traditional forms of outreach and intervention were failing to bring back the many students—predominantly poor and black and Hispanic—who dropped out of City schools every year. Learning to Work makes school more relevant for students who have difficulty in traditional high schools by enhancing academics with paid internships and career counseling. I am thrilled that Learning to Work is recognized today as a national model for helping at-risk students get back on track.”

ACE, Olympus Academy, and Staten Island Young Adult Borough Center

The NY Center operates two Learning to Work programs with the NYC Department of Education. Olympus Academy in Carnarsie and SI YABC in Tottenville currently provide seats for over 200 students. In addition, the Center operate the ACE program which provides job readiness training and GED preparation for out-of-school and out-of-work young people.

Outcomes for over-age and under-credited students—those who are more than two years behind academically—are much more positive for students who participate in Learning to Work programs than for similar students who remain in traditional high schools. Historically, only 19 percent of over-age, under-credited students earned diplomas in traditional high schools. According to the 2007-08 progress reports, the vast majority of transfer schools have more than doubled this rate for over-age, under-credited students, and the highest performing transfer school with Learning to Work achieved a six-year graduation rate of 72 percent. The graduation rate for Young Adult Borough Centers with Learning to Work is 44 percent, which is also an improvement over graduation rates at Young Adult Borough Centers prior to the launch of Learning to Work.

The program is more successful than the system as a whole at re-engaging and graduating poor students, African American and Hispanic students, and male students. In 2008, 45 percent of graduates system-wide were male, compared to 51 percent of graduates from Learning to Work schools and programs. That same year, 87 percent of Learning to Work students were African-American or Hispanic, compared to 71 percent citywide, and 80 percent of students enrolled in Learning to Work schools and programs were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 72 percent citywide.

Participants in Learning to Work have access to a broad range of paid internships in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, with placements tailored to match their interests and career goals. Students express high levels of satisfaction with the program, with more than 90 percent of students reporting that their internships would help them obtain jobs after graduation. Additionally, many students reported that the overall Learning to Work program supported key career development skills—such as identifying career goals, constructing résumés, and applying for jobs—compared with programs they previously attended.

Expansion of Learning to Work programs has been a priority of this Administration. This year, there are 11,530 seats in Learning to Work transfer schools, Young Adult Borough Centers, and GED programs, up from 4,560 seats in the 2005-06 school year, the first year of the initiative.

The News From Olympus

Image via Wikipedia

Olympus Academy is off to a great start to our second year.

We’re nearly at our enrollment goal of 200 students and will have a full roster of Advocate Counselors by the end of the month.

There is a palpable change in the school culture. Advisory classes have been phenomenal, with record attendance and tremendous excitement about the curriculum.

The Learning to Work program received rave reviews from the businesses we worked with this summer and all of them are signed on for this year. In addition the Brooklyn Public Library has given us access to new job opportunities ranging from tech support to helping younger children with homework.

The NY Center and the NYC Department of Education operate Olympus Academy, a transfer school in Carnarsie, as partners, each bringing their expertise to support young people who can benefit from an alternative to the traditional school structure.

Our "official" school website is still pretty bare, but you can find it here.

The students and staff are enthusiastic about the new year and all the possibilities it holds.