The ACE Program: Achievement in Career and Education (ACE) Program

Tyrone Norfleet, a young man from our YAIP program, came in to share how grateful he is. He credited us with giving him his start. He said he uses the tools he learned during the interviewing and job readiness training process. He now works at the New York Times and understands how his behavior effects his promotions. He wants to come to the next graduation ceremony to speak to the new graduates.

If you are over 16, out of school, and without a job, you may want to explore ACE. The NYCID ACE program has three separate programs funded by NYC. Each one focuses on different goals and has slightly different requirements. All three include job readiness training.

As a participant you’ll learn the soft skills that businesses find current employees often don’t possess like work ethics, problem solving and other cognitive skills, oral communication skills, and Interpersonal and teamwork skills.

WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS AT ACE?

We are currently recruiting for all three programs. The literacy program is ongoing throughout the year. The OSY Program begins in early November 2012, and the YAIP Program Begins in late November 2012.

The best thing is to make an appointment to figure out what’s best for you. We can answer your questions and schedule an interview and TABE Testing for every potential participant, usually on Mondays and Tuesday mornings from 10:00 am -12:00pm. We will schedule TABE Testing upon request as well.

Here’s an overview that may help you understand the three programs, though.

WIA OSY: Is an out of school program for 17-21 year old youth from low income families interested in a training program that will provide work readiness training and skills, assistance in defining career options, and lead to job placement.

If you are prepared to make a commitment, you will receive that work readiness training followed by preparation to become certified nursing assistants.

The work readiness training will begin in early November 2012 at 26 Bay Street 3^rd floor. The CNA classes will begin in December, 2012 on the CSI Campus. We continue to work with you for 9 months following the completion of the program while we help you find and maintain employment, pursue additional education, or successfully enlist in the military.

YALP: Young Adult Literacy Program is for disconnected youth between the ages of 16-24 who are reading below the 9^th grade and want to attain your GED. You must read between a 4^th-8^thgrade reading levels. The literacy program will eventually make it possible for you to enter a GED program.

Once enrolled you must attend 80% or better of your classes and internship to be eligible for a $50.00 a week stipend. You will also receive vocational counseling and training to prepare for employment opportunities. To ensure continued success as you enter a GED program, staff expects you to stay in touch with you for at least nine months.  

YAIP: Young Adult Internship 16-24 year old disconnected youth who have not been in school for 3 or more months and who are not currently employed can apply to the Internship program.

If accepted, you will receive three weeks of work readiness training at 26 Bay Street and 11 weeks on the job training at an internship site that has agreed to help you learn an entry level job through a partnership with NYCID. At the close of the internship, and for the next nine months, our staff will help you find a job, pursue additional education, or enroll in the military.

For additional information contact:

Deborah Green ACE Program 26 Bay Street, 3rd Floor Staten Island, NY 10301 718-947-4051 dgreen@nycid.org or  Regina Shields 718-947-4063 rshields@nycid.org

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.

Need Help Getting a Diploma?

[earn a diploma and a job]

It's hard to got a diploma or a job when you have a checkered background. The NY Center offers some alternatives that may provide all of you some choices. Maybe one of them is just the program for you.

Dear Nancy and Sid,

No one wants to hire me without a high school diploma or GED and I haven’t got one. I’m almost 20 and can’t read. Well, I may be able to read some, but I haven’t got a diploma or a job. I don’t know what to do with my life. Help. – Joe

Dear Nancy and Sid,

I haven’t kept the job or two I was able to get. They were boring and paid nothing. Someday I’d like to go to college or join the military. -- Annie

Dear Nancy and Sid,

I’m still pretty young and no one wants to give me a chance at something. How can I try out a job, get a good recommendation and maybe even get paid while I do it? – Jamal

Dear Nancy and Sid,

I dropped out of school (am thinking about dropping out). It’s tough to finish when I’ve got a ton of problems­ -- Sometimes with my family, no place to live, no money, druggy friends, stuff like that.  Is there any place I can get some help? -- Mary

Dear Joe, Annie, Mary and Jamal,

You’ll feel much more confident and people will be more inclined to give you a chance if…

• ·         You learn to read and master the other things you need to get a diploma
• ·         Work with a case manager to handle the problems that are screwing you up
• ·         Learn about how to prepare for a job
• ·         Do an internship or two

Here are some places where NYCID can help: 

•  ACE in St. George has a variety of programs for young adults from 16-24 without a diploma or job. Learn more here.
• YABC in Tottenville can help students, 17 1/2 -2,1 who have at least 17 credits earn a diploma from their home school. It’s an evening program. Check it out and talk with us or your school guidance counselor.
•  Olympus Academy in Canarsie is a transfer school for 16-21 year old under-credited students who need a small, supportive environment. This school may be just what you need.

Your future is in your hands, but these NYCID programs are here to help.

Let us know how you make out,

Nancy and Sid 

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:

 

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 

Young Adult Borough Center (YABC) at Tottenville H.S.

It's Not Too Late To Graduate!

In partnership with the NYC Department of Education, the Young Adult Borough Center (YABC), located at Tottenville High School, offers students in danger of dropping out a chance to make up their credits and earn a traditional high school diploma by providing them with a rigorous academic program, tutoring, supportive counseling services and career preparation trainings.

Students must:

• Be 17 ½ - 21 years of age
• Have at least 17 credits

The YABC also offers students an opportunity to work in professional paid internships, which in some cases can result in elective credit.

YABC students attend class Monday through Thursday from 4 - 8:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Program Director Michael DeVito at (718) 947-4065.

Honoring NYCID's YABC Co-Director, Joann Calabro

Joann Calabro, Assistant Principal, Tottenville High School and Program Administrator of the Young Adult Borough Center works hand-in-hand with Michael DeVito, NYCID's YABC Director. Together they lead a team of educators and youth development staff who make it possible for young people to turn their lives around.

The NY Center took great pride in honoring Ms Calabro at our Celebrating Partnerships Fundraising Auction on June 9th.

She has been a Staten Island resident for 31 years.

Mrs. Calabro’s professional career began almost 19 years ago as a teacher of English Literature at Port Richmond High School.  During her nine years at Port Richmond, she wore many hats.  In addition to teaching English, Mrs. Calabro spent time as a grade advisor, the College Advisor and the Literary Magazine Advisor.

She spent one year at the Michael J. Petrides High School teaching English and helping to set up the fledgling high school.

In 2001 Mrs. Calabro became the Assistant Principal of Guidance at Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn.

She returned to her professional roots in 2005 when she took on the position of Assistant Principal, Program Administrator of the Staten Island Young Adult Borough Center.

Thanks to NYCID Partner Tottenville Principal, John P. Tuminaro

The NY Center honors John P. Tuminaro, Principal, Tottenville High School at our June 9th Celebrating Partnerships Fundraising Auction

John P. Tuminaro, who has served as principal of Tottenville High School for the past 11 years, traces his educational roots and his professional career for several decades to Staten Island.  After graduating from Wagner College, Mr. Tuminaro settled on Staten Island where he began his educational career as a teacher of Social Studies, first at Susan Wagner High School and then Tottenville High School.

Mr. Tuminaro’s three children all attended public school on Staten Island as Mr. Tuminaro’s career took him from Tottenville High School to James Madison High School in Brooklyn.  He then moved on to the High School for Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn, where he served for 12 years as an Assistant Principal.

Since 1999, he has served with pride as the Principal of Tottenville High School and since September 2007, he has had the pleasure of working alongside the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) as the host Principal for the Staten Island Young Adult Borough Center (YABC).



Thousands of Staten Island YABC students who have turned their lives around have benefited directly from the support Mr. Tuminaro provides the SI YABC.

Successful Internships #2: Allstate Insurance

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

Dierdre Catalano and Jordan Baskerville

From Dierdre Catalano at Allstate Insurance in Westerliegh.  

 I have worked with James Orlando and the YABC program for almost 5 years now.  I have employed numerous interns from various demographic and educational backgrounds.  I, along with my colleagues, believe in the mission of the Learning to Work program, and consider it a privilege to have participated for such a long time. 

Students perform various tasks such as customer service, filing, faxing, etc.  Some have come to us with little to no work experience and needed some guidance to be successful.  We have had students express serious interest in the insurance field, so I provide with them necessary steps to an insurance sales career.

I feel that our work environment has allowed for interns to achieve success as interns, but also in their academic careers.  We look forward to continuing a relationship with NYCID and the Learning to Work program.

From Jordan Baskerville, current student intern at Allstate

         I have been working at Allstate since September 2009, when I first came to the YABC.  I love working there.  Dierdre and everyone else who works there have been really nice and taught me a lot.  I have learned about insurance and clerical work.  I may want to go to insurance school, and this internship has given me incentive to graduate and go to college. 

Everyone at YABC has helped me more than I have ever experienced at school, and I appreciate all of their help.

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 Young Adult Borough Center at Tottenville High School

A partnership between the Department of Education and the New York Center for Interpersonal Development

• Earn your High School Diploma in a full -time evening setting
• Gain Valuable Work Experience
• Individual Counseling
• Academic Tutoring
• Group Workshop

What is the YABC?
The YABC is a full time high school program designed to serve students ages 17 ½ - 21 who have earned (17) credits. Students must be in their fifth year of High School to be considered. The center welcomes students who are not thriving in a traditional school setting, as well as young people who might have already "dropped out" of high school and have come to realized how important a High School Diploma is in today's world.


The Learning to Work Experience
"Learning to work" is an in-depth job readiness and career exploration component supported by the New York Center of Interpersonal Development. Our students are given the opportunity to explore potential careers by working in a paid internship. The YABC internship can also be used for elective credit. Our goal is to assist our students in zeroing in on the right career! The NYCID Job Developer and Career Counselor are on hand to offer Workshops such as "What do do on an Interview," "Resume Building," and "After You Have the Job Skills."


The Individual Counseling Element
With the help of the New York Center of Interpersonal Development, the YABC is able to provide personalized "one on one" counseling. NYCID counselors, spend time each week with students discussing "real life issues" and are on site to ensure that each student has all the tools he or she needs to succeed both personally and professionally.


The Academic Tutoring Element
The NYCID staffs a team of professional tutors who are on hand to offer FREE "one on one" tutoring for all YABC students. Additionally, SAT/ACT study periods are available.


Group Workshops
The NYCID staff conducts weekly "Real Life" workshops for the YABC students. Each workshop is geared toward ensuring that graduates of the program are aware of the important aspects of adult life. With workshops such as "Stress Management," Money Management," "Family Living," "Conflict Resolution" and many other topics, the NYCID staff is committed to educating and enhancing the perspectives of their students.


How to apply to the YABC

• You must be between the age of 17 ½ - 21
• You must be enrolled in a NYC High School
• You must have a minimum of 17 credits
• You must have completed four years of high school

Students who meet this criteria can contact their high school Guidance Counselor and request a referral to the YABC.


Young people who are currently not enrolled in high school must contact the school they were discharged from and re-register before requesting a YABC referral.


The New York Center for Interpersonal Development Staff can be reached at (718)947-4065 or (646) 678-1806.

Your Future Now

Hey, you there!

Yeah you, walking into school. You there, sitting at your desk. You—the student—trudging through classes: it’s time to think about what you’re going to do next. Soon you’ll be on to bigger and better things, right?

But how are you going to get there? Like, what’s your next step? Are you ready for what awaits you after that diploma is in hand? Do you know how much your future is going to cost?

Here are some fun facts:

• Do you know people your age will have 10 to 14 careers before they retire. Not jobs – I am talking careers!
• Do you know that the top ten jobs for 2014 do not exist yet?
• Do you know that you can make more money as a plumber than you can as a doctor these days?
• Do you know college is going to cost a small fortune?

Sound like a lot to process? You should be nodding yes right now.

And, you should also be asking yourself a question— “where do I start?”

This is the updated version of the age old question: “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

Well, before I offer answers, you should know that while you’re deciding whether you’ll take a year off before college, there’s a student in China working by candlelight just to get into the best international business school. And while you’re thinking– “I’m going to just take a few courses to see if I like college,” a student in India is working two jobs to become a computer technician.

The reality is that you are living in a country that is competing with an entire world. And it is all happening on the internet.

Right now while you read this letter, students in fifty countries are beating you out for top paying jobs in America. Tonight, as you sleep, Boeing 757’s will be built with parts from twenty different countries. Tomorrow, when your mother’s computer breaks, she’ll call a customer service representative who is actually a 20-year-old college student in Bangladesh. The computer tech will fix the problem remotely; her job is an internship for the profession she is pursuing (she is studying right at her desk at work).

Are your eyes open, yet? Your world is not about just waiting for opportunity to knock- or taking some time to figure it out first. You’re gonna need mad skills, my brothers and sisters. And you’re going to need them fast.

So let’s get back to that question: “where do you start?”

You’d be awfully smart, if you are thinking college or a credible trade school. You’d get a golden-ticket, if you were thinking of an internship and a lot of hard work with little pay for a few years. You’d be some-kind-of-wonderful, if you are thinking “I am going do what ever needs to be done to get somewhere in this world.”

In order to make any of the above a reality, it means starting right now. As you read through this little exposé on your future, every wheel should be turning in the direction of forward motion. Of course, if you are moving forward you need remember everything you can to find success.

Successful people make a plan. Here’s a good plan:

First, the class you’re getting ready to walk into right now— pass it! Get it done and out of the way- along with the rest of those pesky classes as well.

Second, find out what kind of college money is out there for you. Believe me there isn’t much. Our government has not raised basic financial aid funding in almost twenty years. Yet, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to get some free money. You have to get your Financial Aid (FAFSA) papers in promptly, so that if you come up short you can tap into other resources. Grants. Scholarships. Controlled interest student loans. Jobs that help pay for college! This is all possible if you are planning in advance.

Next, pick the right program. (Side bar here: the ad on the internet that promises a “Bachelor’s Degree in 30 days” is not the way to get anywhere in our world.) After you have a program in mind, you need to find out what colleges or trade schools have the best success rates for the profession you want to pursue.

Do research on the schools. Make sure you can afford to attend. Do not under estimate a single dollar. Consider travel, entertainment, books, food, and health insurance (if you’re going away to school). Do not assume that Mom and Dad are going to foot the bill. This is your future we’re talking about not theirs. Dig down deep and earn your keep.

Finally, you need to put the plan in motion. Get your college applications in as soon as possible. Find out when the deadlines are for applications. Do not wait for the last minute to apply. Recognize that some programs only take freshmen in September. Other programs might require portfolios. Do you need to take an SAT? Do you have the grades to even get in to the school? Assume nothing. Ask questions. Have TWO back-up schools that you would happy to attend as additional possibilities. Listen to anyone and everyone talking about how to “get in.” Like this letter, for example. Like me, if you want that golden ticket.

The answers to your questions are closer than you may think. Just about every school has a college or career advisor. Find out what the local colleges are doing to present information. Go to an open house at a local school. Note that when they discuss financial aid they are passing on information that is valuable no matter what school you attend.

And in the end - if you still have questions- feel free to contact me.

Michael De Vito Jr.
Career and Education Advisor
Young Adult Borough Center

As the Weather Briefly Warmed in NYC – Our YABC Graduates Set Out With Feverish Ambitions

This past Thursday March 2^nd, 2007:

30 High School graduates were honored at the YABC Spring Graduation Ceremony.

Our NYCID-CBO staff was on hand to bask in the warmth of the large smiles and happy laughs from some 50 plus family members and friends.

It was hard not to be standing tall with a barreled chest full of pride as the first group of students to be nurtured by NYCID from the start of their experience at the YABC received their High School Completion Certificates.

This graduation also marks the largest number of students who will be entering college programs. More than 10 of our graduates have already registered for the Spring 2007 term, and another 15 are preparing to enter a CUNY school for the Fall semester 2007.

The YABC staff is now setting sites on its June group.

Currently, we are forming Regents and SAT preparation classes in order to ensure that we give every student the best chance at a photo finish!

Please join us in wishing these young people good luck and success in their future ventures.

Best Regards,

~Michael~

NY Center and YABC Offer a 'Last Chance'

Can you imagine being 18 and feeling this is your 'last chance?' This article in the SI Advance made me more aware of how discouraged and lost these young people feel when traditional high school doesn't work for them.

It's wonderful that the YABC alternative proves sucessful for so many of them. Thanks to Theresa Doyle and the other NY Center staff who do such great work mentoring these young people. And to the teachers who have chosen to work with these high-risk students.

If you click on the article you'll get a bigger image. I hope you can read it; it's a bit blurry.