New York City, New York
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Community name: New York City
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Community or city website
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Population: 8,175,133
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Graduation rate: 63.0%
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Youth poverty rate: 27.4%
Overview
New York City, a fourth-time 100 Best winner, has continued to show how America’s largest citiy can make its youngest residents a priority by dedicating resources to supporting youth and promoting education. New York is dedicated to making sure every student has a pathway to success and has implemented the Mayor’s Interagency Task Force on Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism as well as the Transition to High School Program, which assists middle school students who have done poorly on standardized tests. The New York Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering also implemented a Math After-School Mentoring Program that connects graduates and post-doctoral students with elementary school students. New York has also devoted resources to the LGBTQ community with the NYC Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Runaway and Homeless Youth, which provides homeless youth with shelter and support, and also helps them reunite with their families.
Community Programs
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Children First
, a comprehensive school reform effort launched in 2003, has contributed to cutting the dropout rate nearly in half.
- The NYC Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Runaway and Homeless Youth addresses the unique needs of LGBTQ youth, and provides homeless youth with shelter and support, or helps them reunite with their families.
- The New York Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math After School Mentoring Program connects NYAS graduate and post-doctoral students with youth in 4th through 8th grade.
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BronxWorks, founded in 1972, serves young people through after-school, summer camp, life skills management, academic enrichment, and job skills training.
- The Mayor’s Interagency Task Force on Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism has focused its efforts on responding to early warning signals in a child’s youth, before truancy becomes a habit.
- The Transition to High School program targets public school students entering high school who scored poorly on standardized ELA and Math tests; after the program’s first year, these students’ average attendance rate of 91 percent beat the City average.
Youth Voices
The Young Adult Internship Program gave me new eyes, a fresh perspective on life; the staff mustered a self confidence in me that I never thought I was capable of.
—Yadira, 24
The Children’s Village has given me something to do after school instead of sitting at home or roaming the streets.
—Aisatou, 16