Preparing Young Teens to be Career-Ready.

The Y completed another successful year of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) supporting 771  teens and young adults by placing them in job sites where they were not only able to earn some extra money during the summer but develop skills that will prepare them for their future careers. This year the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), the City’s agency that funds SYEP, decided to take a new direction with Younger Youth in the program, where 14 and 15 year-old teens received a more hands-on, educational experience before they get placed at a job site. This fits well with the Y’s own philosophy of how we run our own SYEP, as we understand the unlimited potential a meaningful SYEP experience can provide for the youth we serve when they are given opportunities to learn and grow.

In Memory of Lou Yehuda Strauss (1921-2019)

Recently, the Y community was saddened to find out about the passing of long time Y member and Holocaust survivor, Lou Yehuda Strauss. Lou Strauss shared many wonderful memories here at the Y. His family members mentioned during his funeral how much he looked forward to having lunch with his friends every day at our senior center, Center for Adults Living Well (C.A.L.W), and participating in different activities at the C.A.L.W until his health no longer allowed him to.

Rocks, Water, Rainbows, Plants, and Insects

S.T.E.M Education at Footpaths Nursery Camp

(But Still Playing and Having Fun)

S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) or S.T.E.A.M (S.T.E.M plus Art) has become a “hot” topic in the world of education but its applicability and relevance to the early childhood world is less well known. With a better understanding of how the brain develops, we now know that three year-olds are quite capable of understanding complex concepts and possess the critical thinking skills that are at the heart of the scientific process. At Footpaths Nursery Camp, STEM is not only recognized and acknowledged but embraced! Over the course of this summer, our campers have been investigating an array of interesting topics including the water and rock cycles, seed and plant growth and the world of insects.

Growing Children's Hearts and Minds in Be Me

As a child of the 70’s and 80’s, I was blessed with Mister Rodgers as the key television personality in my formative years of television watching. I still do remember the opening and closing songs. “It’s such a good feeling to know you’re alive...” and while I can’t say that any one episode or sketch stood out for me, years later I can attest that the show laid out a blueprint for a healthy emotional intelligence that still might be unmatched in children’s television programming. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood probed the depth of children’s feelings and did not shy away from difficult topics such as love, divorce, and death. I sometimes wish Mister Rogers was required viewing for anyone audacious enough to raise children.

The Y Organizes Drive to Aid Homeless Mothers

The Y invited the community to help fellow New Yorkers by contributing to a collection benefitting Siena House. The week-long drive culminated at the Y’s Purim Carnival on Sunday, March 24 and today we delivered the boxes to the Bronx shelter.

With Rita Rosenthal's Passing, the Y Loses a Beloved Family Member

Yesterday we lost a dear and beloved member of the Y family, Rita Rosenthal. In her 108 years she held many titles: Holocaust survivor, German immigrant, Washington Heights resident, wife, jewelry businesswoman, mother, and grandmother. The Y was fortunate to also call her board member, bookkeeper, volunteer, and member. We will remember Rita for her devotion to others, her fight against adversity, and her strength, to name a few of her inspiring traits.

Precision Irish Dancers Step in Time for CALW Cultural Program

Hands were clapping when the New York School of Irish Step Dance performed for the Center for Adults Living Well (CALW) on Sunday, March 10. In Riverdance-style dresses, six of the troop's dancers explored both soft- and hard-shoe dances that had them leaping and balancing on their toes. Crowd favorites included toe-tapping reels and an acapella piece that sounded like a percussive conversation between the dancers.

A Community Coming Together for Thanksgiving

On Tuesday, November 20, the Center for Adults Living Well @ the Y staff were grateful to have had the opportunity to provide 150 seniors in our community with a Thanksgiving luncheon. The wonderfully festive day and the take-home meals were made possible through contributions from CALW members, volunteers, Fairway Market, and Temple Emanu-El.

Behind the NYT Neediest Cases Article: Overcoming Trauma Through a Supporting Community

Last week The New York Times published a moving article about Y member and Wien House resident Yana Gilchenok. The piece, part of the newspaper’s Neediest Fund series, manages to capture Yana’s unique Russian-Jewish experience and some of the deep losses she’s had to endure. I feel privileged to be able to further share how, for nearly three decades, the Y has been there beside her, helping to keep her going despite these challenges.

Bigs in Blue: The Y Partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the NYPD

Last week the Y was thrilled to launch Bigs in Blue -- a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City (BBBS of NYC) and the 33rd Precinct -- at our SONYC After School Program at Harbor Heights Middle School.