Community of Unity

Since 2001 COMMUNITY OF UNITY has been supporting schools, both new and old, to transform their existing culture. This deep, intimate work with school communities has provided us with a unique understanding of what makes schools succeed and what makes them fail. We are committed to using this knowledge as we develop new programs that increase our impact on youth by anticipating and meeting the needs of our current and future students in more direct and dynamic ways. New initiatives for the 2009-10 school year include:

• YELC New School Development: COMMUNITY OF UNITY is helping create a new middle school in partnership with the NYC Department of Education. This first COMMUNITY of UNITY school will incorporate our Advisory Program, professional development, and YELC School Culture Support school culture model, as well as our YELC in & after-school program to ensure that all students are supported and respected.  Anticipated opening: Fall 2010.

Mission

The Youth Empowerment Leadership Community (YELC) School Based Partnerships support the development of new schools with a school culture centered on empowering and developing the purpose and potential of all students.

Vision

A YELC partnership school has authentic culture when all of its systems, programs, and community expectations are aligned with its mission. As an integrated member of the school staff from the schools inceptions, COMMUNITY of UNITY works intimately with school communities to align and sustain an authentic culture that supports success inside the classroom and out.

Programming:

Helping to build new schools from the ground up, our work helps schools create a clear, consistent, and enthusiastically communicated school culture that impacts:

Advisory Programs: Legitimize the idea that advisory acts as a school’s core, where students build relationships, challenge themselves socially and emotionally, and explore the meaning and purpose behind academic achievement.

Leadership Development: Enable school leaders to develop and sustain programs and systems that drive the school towards the accomplishment of a learning driven environment.

Staff Training/Professional Development: Help staff to build real relationships of support and safety with students, their families, professional peers and administration.

Community/Family Involvement: Facilitate the co-creation of a community that supports and celebrates individual and group achievement and growth where families can become constructive collaborators in their children’s’ education.

• The YELC House: The  YELC House is a new, holistic model of urban public schooling, designed to anticipate and meet the real needs of the diversity of students in the New York City public school system. Partnering with a high school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, COMMUNITY OF UNITY plans to open the first Community House in the Fall of 2011.

Mission

The YELC House is an emotionally and academically supportive housing option for public high school students who are homeless, in foster care, or in inconsistent home environments due to family crisis.

Vision

The YELC House is a new, holistic model of urban public schooling, designed to anticipate and meet the real needs of the diversity of students in the New York City public school system. Our Youth Empowerment Leadership Community programs support the development of communities where individuals are empowered to make good choices. Our innovative approach to youth development is the foundation of a broad range of programming delivered in different environments and through different means to support youth in the way they need it; some students are supported by after-school programs, while others need part-time or full-time boarding, and others attend schools whose systems, structures, and staff are supported by our methodology. Partnering with a high school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, COMMUNITY OF UNITY plans to open the first YELC House in the Fall of 2011.

Programing:

The Community House programming will focus on four areas of personal and academic support:

• Boundaries and Structure will provide students with an environment conducive to   achieving their personal goals, including internships, employment, and college admissions.
• Health and Wellness Services will teach students to live healthy and productive lives, providing access to counseling, medical, dental, and psychological services.
• Empowerment and Leadership groups will help students experience personal growth and identity development through the power of sharing themselves with peers, building teams, and engaging in behaviors that empower them to make good choices.
• Academic Support to ensure that students can be college-bound by staying focused and prepared in their high school classes. The Community House will work with the partner high school to provide students with the structured space and tutoring services to support their academic success.