School Reform and Innovations for Out-of-School Youth in New York City
An American Youth Policy Forum Field Trip — October 23-24, 1997
The American Youth Policy Forum site visit to New York City enabled participants to examine the range of services available for both in-school and out-of-school youth across the city. The first day of the visit included initiatives recognized by the National Youth Employment Coalition's Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet) and on the second day participants joined one of four tours sponsored by the New York Networks for School Renewal. The visits emphasized the many approaches to youth development, workforce development and school reform that are equally effective in meeting the needs of young people, and that no one "model" is best suited to meet the many needs or measure the success of a diverse youth population.
PEPNet: Quality Youth Development and Workforce Development Programming
PEPNet, a project of the National Youth Employment Coalition and supported by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), was established in 1996 to recognize effective practice in the fields of youth development and workforce development and share these lessons with practitioners and policymakers working to expand and improve opportunities for young people. Programs apply for PEPNet recognition by completing an application that addresses their: 1) management practices: 2) youth development programming, 3) workforce development programming and 4) evidence of success in helping young people. The application is reviewed by teams of policymakers, practitioners and researchers, and initiatives are recognized PEPNet if they demonstrate effective practice across all four categories, not by how they compare to other applicants. In 1996, 18 initiatives were recognized by PEPNet and DOL, followed by 14 in 1997. Participants in the New York City visit had the chance to visit two 1996 initiatives, STRIVE and the Young Adult Learning Academy and one 1997 initiative, Federation Employment and Guidance Service, all of which demonstrate high quality across the four PEPNet categories.
STRIVE: East Harlem Employment Service
Located in the basement of a public housing project in East Harlem, STRIVE (Support Training Results in Valuable Employment) has gained national recognition for its ability to improve work opportunities for some of New York City's hardest to serve populations. It consists of an intense three-week "attitudinal" training program designed to prepare participants for the demands of the workplace and conducts a minimum of two years of follow-up activities to help ensure that its graduates are succeeding in their jobs and in building their careers. STRIVE is funded by private foundations and through other charitable contributions.
The majority of participants learn about STRIVE through word-of-mouth or come across program literature in their search for employment. Participants range in age from 18- to 40-years-old, with the majority under age 25. According to Lorenzo Harrison, Deputy Executive Director/Vice President, most participants enter STRIVE with a strong desire to obtain meaningful employment. While the jobs they acquire often involve low-wage entry-level work, for many this represents a necessary first-step in escaping the cycle of unemployment and at-risk behavior that plagues many of their friends and neighbors.
STRIVE classes and workshops are highly interactive--and highly demanding--and replicate the harsh realities of the workplace. According to Harrison, STRIVE operates under a strict "physical management structure" and demands that participants adhere to its strict rules and regulations, much like they will have to in work and society. The formal three week program begins with a Friday orientation session, attended by an average of 100 new recruits. At this session, staff (many of whom are STRIVE alumni) outline the goals and format of the program. After receiving this information, nearly 70 percent will return the following Monday to begin the STRIVE program.
The first week of the formal program focuses on attitudinal training such as learning how to act in the workplace and comparing their own situation to that of their peers (Forum participants visited during the end of this first week of training). One session, for example, required participants to stand up and share with the group what they had learned from their first few days in STRIVE. A common theme underlying many activities is that participants are not alone in the problems they face, and that many others have faced similar problems and overcome similar obstacles. As one participant notes, "We all have problems that we hold very deep, but as I see my peers I find that I see myself."
The attitudinal training aspect of STRIVE is more strict and demanding. Participants are required to dress in appropriate business attire and use proper workplace behavior. Those who do not are used as examples of "how not" to dress or act. One exercise calls for all participants to leave the room and re-enter only after shaking the hand of a staff member and introducing themselves as if they were on an interview. Those who do not make proper eye contact, speak loudly enough or shake hands firmly are again used as examples of "how not" to act and must replay their actions until properly done.
Following this first week of training, participants move into more concrete work and job search skills. STRIVE runs mock interview sessions for participants, observed by the larger STRIVE class, and staff are quick to single out any action or behavior that would be inappropriate on a real job interview. For many, this approach to workforce preparation is too much to handle, and only about one-half of all new participants finish the full three-week program.
Those that do, however, generally find that STRIVE has prepared them for the rigors they will face at work. Since opening its doors in 1983, STRIVE has placed over 14,000 participants into jobs, and 80 percent of alumni are still working two years later. Many of these alumni are assisted by STRIVE's follow-up services, in which case managers and job developers meet with students and talk with their employers to address any problem or mediate any conflicts.
According to Dan Jusino, Manager for Job Development, this combination of intensive training and comprehensive follow-up has helped nearly 75 percent of the alumni who obtain jobs to thrive in their new work environment. Even most of those for whom the job placement does not work out still follow established procedures for leaving their job, such as giving two weeks notice. As a result, employers are willing to hire additional STRIVE graduates in the future. While some employers are skeptical when first approached to possibly hire an alumni, Jusino and other staff have succeeded in convincing them that participants are "highly motivated, soft skills developed persons" who "deserve a shot." While many participants have troubled backgrounds, those who finish the three-week program are committed to bettering themselves through employment. STRIVE's mission is to help them achieve this goal.
Young Adult Learning Academy
Housed in a school building in East Harlem a few blocks from STRIVE, the Young Adult Learning Academy (YALA) stands in stark contrast to STRIVE in its methods of assisting at-risk and out-of-school youth. YALA was founded in 1984 by a group of out-of-school youth who asked the city government to provide them with an "avenue of opportunity," explains Leslie Reid, Director of YALA. For 10 years, YALA, in collaboration with 11 community-based organizations, provided counseling and support services to out-of-school youth. Massive cutbacks in Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) funding in 1994-5 compelled YALA to implement its own comprehensive program, providing continued academic, vocational, counseling and support services to this population.
Left at a crossroads, YALA transformed itself in the 1995-6 academic year into a community-based organization (CBO) that provides educational, training and support services. Now, three years after the transformation, YALA has received PEPNet recognition (for its Youth Internship Program described below), the Secretary of Education's Award for adult education and literacy, and school-to-work funding through an arts-related industry partnership.
YALA works with students who are 16 to 24. It serves nearly 700 students per year during two program "cycles," with many participants returning to YALA for additional training after successful completion of a cycle. The staff consists of 24 teachers and 4 counselors, as well as a student/family support office, which Reid calls "the crux" of the organization since they are so helpful in supporting staff and students. Five of the full-time employees are themselves YALA graduates.
YALA has developed extensive collaborations with the New York City Department of Employment and Board of Education, Mayor's Office of Adult Literacy and City University of New York, all of whom provide partial funding. Through these and its community-based networks, YALA recruits students who are prepared and willing to undertake a combined education and job training program designed to assist them in obtaining a job while growing as an individual. While some participants are referrals from the school system, YALA considers 15- and 16-years-old to be "too young" for most of its services, and recruits more from churches, clinics, the juvenile justice system and other organizations and institutions serving out-of-school youth.
YALA provides a diverse program of opportunities for its students. Its STAGES (Striving to Achieve Greater Educational Success) program is the centerpiece program of YALA's school-to-work efforts, notes Program Director Elaine Knight. This class infuses SCANS skills into a traditional academic (math, English, science) curriculum, involves significant use of computers to promote learning and incorporates general job skills training, such as behavior and attitude. STAGES also utilizes project-based learning and off-site work experiences to help students understand the role and application of what they learn in the classroom. In its major initiative, students intern in various departments of Capital Cities/ABC, performing such work as maintaining and updating records and conducting basic marketing research. Interns also conduct periodic written analyses of their work and workplace and meet for a weekly seminar to share what they are learning at work.
STAGES also includes units on school-to-work and career awareness initiatives that parallel the goals of the Capital Cities/ABC internship project. Students in the school-to-work unit, for example, produced a local performance of "I, Too, Sing America," performed by Blackberry Productions, a professional company which tours locally. Students were assigned to various "crews," each responsible for a specific component of the production (set design, lighting, etc.). This project allowed students to examine career opportunities in arts-related fields while exposing them to the broader world of work. Similarly, career awareness classes allow students to think more broadly about work and careers without limiting themselves to a specific career or occupation. In one project, students interviewed YALA staff about their job and careers to demonstrate the importance of education and career pathways. Students prepared written essays based on their interviews for a larger publication entitled Career Roads: Who's Who at YALA.
Similar to the STAGES program, the Youth Internship Program (YIP) helps young people embark on careers in education and human services while continuing their own education. The program is open to 16- to 21-year-old students and combines academic instruction and a six-week internship with a focus on child care and early childhood development. This focus is present in all aspects of the curriculum. Science classes, for example, may focus on human development and childhood diseases, while English and social studies often emphasize subjects like children's literature. Workforce preparation activities also adopt a childhood development focus, with behavioral and attitudinal training touching on broader workplace demands and the difficulties in working with young children. Internships are completed at professional day care sites across the city. Students are also required to consider how the academic and vocational components of YIP intersect--in order to graduate, they must complete a comprehensive "Child Care Manual" to serve them in their child care careers.
The manual is indicative of YALA's commitment to utilizing many methods of assessment. While the primary goal of most students is GED attainment, all of YALA's programs use portfolios and other hands-on activities to gauge student performance. Using portfolios to reflect the content of their coursework and off-site experiences allows staff to measure the development of SCANS and other academic skills.
Though YALA has achieved much success with its at-risk population, it has many challenges to overcome. Its main obstacle is the lack of time it has to serve its students, some of which are many levels below average academically. Unlike students in the traditional school system, however, most YALA students desire to obtain their GED as quickly as possible, leaving YALA with the task of educating many students in a short period of time. YALA also contends with its inability to select and hire its own teachers. As it receives funding from the city Board of Education, it must hire from their pool of available teachers. Although most teachers do support YALA's efforts, it often takes time for new staff to adjust to working within YALA's mission and goals. The ability to select their own teachers, contends Reid, would help YALA recruit staff who already support its aims.
Obstacles aside, Reid maintains that YALA succeeds because its students have a voice in what they are learning and doing. While it truly serves as a "last option" for many of the hardest-to-serve young people, YALA has found ways to motivate them to turn their lives around. Employers, for example, readily agree to serve as mentors to students, often contending that they are overqualified and need assistance in obtaining jobs that will utilize all of their strengths. In addition, 90 percent of the students at some point return for additional formal education and/or job training, showing that YALA has instilled in them a desire to continue learning and growing.
Federation Employment and Guidance Service
Unlike STRIVE and YALA, Federation Employment and Guidance Service (F.E.G.S.) operates in-school, out-of-school, parental involvement and human service programs to serve over 10,000 individuals per year across New York City. Established in the early 1930s to help individuals find employment, F.E.G.S. has evolved into a large, non-profit human service agency for "helping people and their families" in every functional field possible, from education and job training to mental health, according to Gail Magaliff, Chief Operating Officer for Human Services. Since its inception, F.E.G.S. has remained committed to enhancing the employment outcomes of all those seeking work, from out-of-school youth to high-income executives.
To meet the needs of a diverse population, F.E.G.S. offers a diverse range of services, each of which specializes in a different area. F.E.G.S. runs a Youth Employment Unit in Brooklyn, a Youth Opportunity Center in the Bronx, parent centers and school-to-work initiatives in the Bronx and Queens, and numerous other programs city-wide. F.E.G.S. has 2,500 employees to implement all of its programs, and in 1996 placed over 9,000 individuals into jobs. In providing this array of services, F.E.G.S. seeks to impact the overall economic development of the city by not only providing opportunities for young people and adults but also by applying the lessons learned from its initiatives to one another. According to Virginia Cruikshank, Senior Vice President for Employment, Education, Youth Services and Training, this was a primary motivation for entering into youth programming--it was a way to bring F.E.G.S.' work and experience to the young people of the city.
The Youth Employment Unit (YEU) in Brooklyn is the initiative recognized by PEPNet, and provides 18- to 21-year-old out-of-school youth with skills training, internships and counseling over "an intense, nine-month period," explains Sundra Franklin, Director of Educational Services. The program maintains a 70 to 80 percent success rate, with 65 to 70 percent obtaining and keeping a job and 30 percent moving on to college. YEU participants who meet Board of Education requirements are even eligible to receive a high school diploma (in New York City, students can attend public high school up to age 21). F.E.G.S. also operates Parent Centers in conjunction with YEU as a resource for parents to find a way to "move forward and be productive." Parent Centers are located across the city, although YEU participants come to the Brooklyn site to receive training and other services. The new Youth Opportunity Center, opened in the South Bronx and funded by a U.S. Department of Labor Kulick grant, will provide similar services to out-of-school youth.
F.E.G.S. services for in-school youth center around its school-to-work efforts. According to Steven Feldman, Director of School-to-Work for the New York City Board of Education, school-to-work is a major initiative of the New York City public schools and the city is committed to showing that the term "‘occupational education' is a redundancy--you can't have one without the other." F.E.G.S.' success in serving out-of-school youth and the applicability of their efforts to school-to-work made them a natural selection for developing a school-to-work system. F.E.G.S. also serves as the school-to-work hub for all of the Bronx, applying its lessons learned from working with adults and out-of-school youth to its in-school programs while taking new lessons to its older initiatives. This sharing of best practices based around school-to-work is critical, argues Franklin, since "all youngsters ultimately want to go from school to a career." The integration of academic and vocational training, she further notes, applies to both in-school and out-of-school youth.
F.E.G.S. also runs a variety of smaller initiatives. Operation Success is a dropout prevention program in 32 schools across all city boroughs. Students receive educational, vocational and counseling services that are connected to work-based learning experiences through F.E.G.S.' school-to-work efforts. The Beacon project provides space in public schools for services for the entire community--not just students. Girls-in-Action provides sports programming for young women, ages 8 to 18, as a way of reducing at-risk behaviors. Finally, the Youthworks program allows young people from across the city to spend 10 weeks during the summer on a kibbutz in Israel, living with local families and working as day laborers to contribute to their temporary communities. Youthworks participants claim that the opportunity to leave the city and work in a small community is a powerful way to learn that they can be active and positive contributors to their own community when they return home.
For all of its success, F.E.G.S. is most proud of the support its participants show for the services they receive. They come to F.E.G.S. for varied reasons--some to obtain a GED, others because they want to work--and the benefits they find are varied as well. One YEU student said she joined simply to find a job and perhaps earn a GED, but her teachers--her "family away from home"--convinced her she could do much more, and she now wants to go to college. Others claim that F.E.G.S. has taught them how to look at life in steps, with each experience another step on the way to success. Such diverse benefits are one of F.E.G.S. major goals in providing a wide range of education and training services.
New York Networks for School Renewal [1]
In addition to the wide range of programs serving out-of-school youth represented by the sites described above, New York City is also home to many public schools at the cutting edge of school reform. The New York Networks for School Renewal (NYNSR) has received a five-year Urban Challenge Grant from the Annenberg Foundation to establish a network of small public schools designed to improve school performance and efficiency while helping practitioners and administrators learn from the experiences of their colleagues across the city. The work of NYNSR builds on the previous work of its collaborative sponsors, including ACORN (New York Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), Center for Collaborative Education, Center for Educational Innovation and New Visions for Public Schools. Additional project partners include the Offices of the Mayor and Schools Chancellor, New York Board of Education and United Federation of Teachers (the local teachers union).
NYNSR schools are found mainly in low-income neighborhoods and are designed to expand the educational options of its residents. NYNSR seeks to improve academic achievement, provide teachers with the tools they need to succeed and determine what comprises a "good" public school. Further, enrollment at these schools is kept low to create a sense of community. While this does not necessarily mean that students are in small classes, NYNSR believes that smaller schools allow for more intimate relationships between students and staff, which in turn enhances accountability and achievement. Individual schools also have tremendous autonomy over personnel, budget and classroom curriculum and content to help about the bureaucratic problems of larger schools.
First started during the 1995-6 school year with 80 schools, NYNSR now includes 140 schools and 50,000 students, and it is still growing. These schools are placed into one of 26 smaller networks of three to eight schools (some larger schools with a commitment to reform within the goals of the Annenberg grant are included in these smaller networks). Together, these small networks of small schools examine issues in three priority areas: professional development, technology and network self review/assessment. NYNSR hopes that these networks demonstrate that small, high-quality schools with control over the decision-making process are a necessary option — a choice — for students and their parents in the public school system.
ACORN Community High School
Opened in 1996, ACORN Community High School, located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, is a member of the national ACORN organization, whose member CBO's operate in 30 states. One of NYNSR's sponsors, ACORN educates low- and middle-income families about their rights concerning equality and social justice primarily in the areas of banking, housing and education.
In the late-1980s and early-1990s, Crown Heights community members realized that their children were receiving a below-standard education in the local public schools, explains Nyra Edwards, P.T.A. President and ACORN Member. A desire to correct this problem led them to ACORN, which trained them in their rights and responsibilities and taught them how to obtain important information on issues such as school curriculum and budget. Over time, this new knowledge developed into an interest in the parents to open their own school. After years of battling with three schools chancellors and the Board of Education, the parents acquired an old factory building and received approval to open it as ACORN Community High School. In 1996, the first freshman class entered, and as a new class enters each year, ACORN will be a fully-functioning, 650 student high school by the 1999-2000 school year. Limited Annenberg funds are combined with Board of Education and federal Title I funds to support ACORN as a public school.
According to Edwards, the school's vision is that all children can learn while gaining a love for themselves, their community and their environment. ACORN also encourages parents to have an active role and voice in the development of the school. A recent PTA meeting emphasizes ACORN's commitment to this goal, as 150 parents, in a school of only 270 students, were in attendance.
The six-story factory building has been remodeled to meet the demands of the school. Classrooms are placed on the outside of the building, while faculty offices are enclosed on the inside. Each floor has its own "theme" to create a school-like atmosphere: first floor is the cafeteria and central administrative offices, second floor is for "multipurpose activities" such as gym and dance, floors three and five are for academic classrooms (which will eventually be separated by grades), the fourth floor houses the science labs and the top floor is for the library and computer labs. While some classes have as few as 15 students, the average class size is 34.
Computers have a large presence at ACORN, which reflects the school's practices as well as Annenberg's commitment to technology. The computer lab is equipped to assist in math, science, English and computer literacy courses, with software programmed in each subject for a pre-test, ten lessons and a post-test. A central computer allows the classroom teacher to monitor the work and progress of all students in the class and even send messages to students who may be struggling with a particular concept.
Principal Eleanor Leonard notes that ACORN is also exploring ways of engaging students in their school and community outside of the school day. Students participate in regular community service activities, such as food drives and peer counseling, and internship opportunities will be established once the school expands to the junior and senior classes. ACORN also offers a wide range of after-school activities, including student council, dance, drama, school newspaper, computers and chess. In addition, teachers often volunteer to stay after school to tutor students in math, allowing students to work with a math teacher other than their own to offer a different perspective on the subject.
Although a new school still in need of much work, Leonard maintains that ACORN is succeeding in creating a sense of community in and around the school. Its small size allows her to interact regularly with staff and students and allows them to interact with each other. Its roots as a community-founded school have ensured that parents and other community members are supportive of ACORN and its goals.
Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School
Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School, in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, is a large middle school with a small school feeling. Principal John Adams explains that McAuliffe was opened as a small school in 1994, serving 250 sixth grade students in a "small nurturing, warm and caring" community. In 1995, 400 new sixth graders increased enrollment to 650, and McAuliffe was "no longer a small school." As a zoned intermediate, neighborhood school required to accept local residents, Adams was unable to reduce overall enrollment.
Sensing McAuliffe's desire to recapture the small school approach with a large student body, the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) approached Adams to examine ways to utilize the Annenberg grant. With CEI's assistance, McAuliffe was redesigned into three smaller, theme-based academies for the 1996-7 school year to serve its 1,150 students: The Academy for Scientific Research, The Academy for Global Communication and The Academy for the Arts and Humanities. Students enter an Academy in sixth grade and work with the same teachers and students for their three years at McAuliffe. Each Academy is directed by a "teacher facilitator" who not only runs the Academy but also teaches courses.
While each Academy centers on a specific theme, Adams realizes that middle school students are too young to be placed into a specific career track. As a result, each Academy concentrates on basic academic skills, using its theme to reinforce learning and place it in a broader, real-world setting. For example, The Academy for Global Communication, according to Frank Sollazzo, Teacher Facilitator, tries to place academic work in a global perspective to help students learn about the world around them. Sixth graders may learn about different ethnicities and cultures to learn that "we're not really different" while seventh grade history classes may examine the law through the lens of how it affects citizenship. To help further broaden this perspective, the Academy has even begun a limited exchange program, sending 11 students to Italy and enrolling 15 Italian students at McAuliffe in Spring 1997.
Similarly, The Academy for Scientific Research encourages students to look at themselves as a "whole person," according to Rose McGarr, Teacher Facilitator. Using science projects as a base, the Academy tries "just about anything and everything within reason" to help students learn, including mixing classes with students from different grades and organizing service projects. Teacher Jack Quinn notes that the same is true in The Academy for Arts and Humanities, where teachers use cross curricular techniques whenever possible. English classes, for example, might read Tom Sawyer at the same time they are studying the 1880s in history.
Each Academy has its own faculty and is free to adapt and refine their curriculum and programs as they see fit. As a result, McAuliffe operates chiefly as a parent organization for the three smaller schools, yet all are able to share resources, strategies and lessons with one another. While the administration and faculty reap the benefits of the larger school environment, students gain from their small communities. Each has a closer personal relationship with his or her teachers and classmates and are learning about core academic subjects as well as the world around them. The Academy structure seems to work for them as well, as most students express a stronger loyalty to their Academy than McAuliffe itself. This small school design has helped McAuliffe, like many other NYNSR schools, meet the needs of its student body.
Conclusions
The primary lesson of the two-day site visit was that no one model is best suited to serve young people. Communities and individuals across the country are too diverse to expect one type of program or one style of reform to make a difference for everyone. A closer examination of the sites visited, however, does highlight key principles present in all programs and schools, regardless of their emphasis on in-school or out-of-school youth, education or vocational training.
- Connection to community. All of the out-of-school programs and schools visited centered on helping young people recognize that they are part of a broader community which relies on their participation and contribution. Programs like YALA achieve this goal by placing students in internships and work-based learning experiences in which they closely interact with adults and professionals, while schools like ACORN ensure that parents and community members are fully involved in the operations of the school.
- Personal and continuous interaction. Participants at these schools and programs often refer to a teacher, student or fellow participant who helped them see their potential or their relationship to others and the community. NYNSR promotes this by establishing small schools that allow individuals to interact more regularly while initiatives like STRIVE help at-risk youth realize that they are not alone in the challenges they face.
- Dual emphasis on youth and workforce development. Programs like STRIVE show that if a young person is not prepared to take control of his or her life or does not know how to act in the workplace, their vocational and academic skills are irrelevant. Their "attitudinal training" program has been hailed by many alumni as the turning point in their lives. On the flip side, the most engaging of motivated young people must be equipped with the "hard skills" required by all employers. Programs like F.E.G.S. recognize this dual challenge, and work with young people from a range of backgrounds to ensure that they possess these competencies in basic areas like math, English and computers.
- Commitment of leadership. All of the sites demonstrate the importance of leading with a vision and a commitment to carrying out that vision. Some, like YALA, further emphasize that strong and committed leaders need to be willing to adapt to changing environments and circumstances, as they did when hit with a funding crisis in 1994-5.
- Networking/sharing of lessons learned. None of the schools and programs found success alone. Schools like ACORN were created through the efforts of committed parents and a national organization. Programs like YALA and F.E.G.S. have grown and improved from their multiple collaborations and partnerships established across the city. The students in these programs and schools and communities in which they reside have also benefitted from these external collaborations, as they gain a broader understanding of the world around them and learn from the mistakes and positive lessons of others.
- Out-of-school and in-school youth benefit from the same types of services. While the students often come from different backgrounds and have different motives for seeking education and/or training, the basic structure of what is happening at out-of-school programs and public schools is not very different. At all, academic instruction is augmented by real-world application, the importance of work and service are emphasized, and youth respond to having a say in their program and their future.
Contact Information
John Q. Adams
Principal
Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School
1171 65th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Phone: 718-236-3394
inachil87@pppmail.nyser.net
Edward DeJesus
PEPNet Director
National Youth Employment Coalition
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 728
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-659-1064
Fax: (202) 775-9733
nyeced@aol.com
Sundra Franklin
Director, Educational Services
Federation Employment and Guidance Service
Alfred E. Smith High School
333 East 151 Street
Bronx, NY 10451
Phone: 718-401-3430
Fax: 718-402-4517
Lorenzo D. Harrison
Deputy Executive Director/Vice President
STRIVE/East Harlem Employment Service
Basement Offices
1820 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212-360-1100
Fax: 212-360-5634
Eleanor Leanord
Principal
ACORN Community High School
561 Grand Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Phone: 718-789-2258
Fax: 718-789-2260
New York Networks for School Renewal
1583 Madison Avenue, Room 318
New York, NY 10029-3899
Phone: 212-369-1288
Fax: 212-369-0765
Leslie Reid
Director
Young Adult Learning Academy
320 E. 96th Street
New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212-348-7007
Fax: 212-348-2848
[1] Field trip participants were given the option to visit two schools in one of four boroughs--Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. This report includes descriptions of the two schools visited in Brooklyn.