By Francis Greenburger, Time Equities, Inc.

Real estate executives often leave behind impressive legacies in the form of grand structures that give shape to a city’s skyline and stand for decades on end.

And we ourselves are fortunate – because as we build these structures, and as we set about populating them with residents, workers and shoppers – we are also building our own careers, and enjoying the material benefits deriving from our success in business.

That’s why it is comforting to realize that virtually every C-level real estate executive you know, and every one you read about in these pages, looks beyond his or her narrow self-interest — and devotes a portion of their time and energy to community building and charitable causes.

While there’s no shortage of worthy causes, I find efforts to support our youth especially aligned with the ethos of the real estate industry. Building the city of tomorrow and creating stronger communities is as much about investing in people as it is about constructing buildings. And investing in young people is the best way to invest in the future of our city.

For the last XX years, I have had the privilege of working with an organization called New York Edge, which is one of the largest providers of afterschool programs in the metropolitan region.

Working in cooperation with the New York City Department of Education, the organization partners with under-resourced public schools across the region, serving more than 36,000 students in grades K-12. New York Edge provides afterschool programming that combine sports, the arts, and academic enrichment and mentoring. We also help upper-grade students position themselves for future success in both conventional and technical colleges.

And while my real estate company develops properties across all key asset classes, one can readily see how our multi-family portfolio can resonate with our work with New York Edge.

That’s because we often find ourselves delivering enrichment services to young people residing in our own company’s apartment buildings. It’s a source of gratification for our development and property management teams when New York Edge helps these youthful residents enter college and expand their life horizons. The students’ families appreciate it. They make the connection.

The organization itself is structured in a way that directly promotes leadership skills. While New York Edge is overseen by a typical board of directors, there is also a “junior board” that brings young people themselves into the organization in a serious and active way.

Best of all, New York Edge succeeds. Participants in our “High School Today, College Tomorrow” initiative have attained a 98-percent, four-year completion rate — compared with the 61-percent citywide rate. Ninety percent of them earn college admission.

At the middle school level, students in the “Middle School Today, High School Tomorrow” program are 33 percent more likely to gain entry to a specialized high school than those not benefiting from our help.

And 86 percent of parents we surveyed report that New York Edge has helped their children learn things that have contributed to their academic success.

Many of the youth served by New York Edge live in poverty, which exposes them to various forms of trauma, and plants any number of obstacles along their path to achievement. Organizations like New York Edge help prepare students to overcome these hurdles and to advance toward a happy and fulfilling adulthood.

I think it reflects well on the real estate community to be supporting such programs – and to be building a spirit of hope and confidence among our city’s young people.

In fact, though less visible, I’d say it’s a legacy greater in value than shaping the city’s skyline.

Rashid Silvera and Tom Cornish honored for their contributions to the organization’s success

NEW YORK, NY – May 6, 2019 – New York Edge – one of the largest providers of afterschool programs in the metropolitan region –held its annual benefit Wednesday to honor outstanding individuals, board members, and program alumni who have driven the organization forward and to raise funds for the organization’s growing roster of afterschool programs.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised at the luncheon, which was emceed by WABC reporter Bill Ritter and held at The Union League.

“For more than a quarter of a century, New York Edge has been addressing the needs of underserved students by giving them the tools they need to succeed,” said Maureen Fonseca, CEO of New York Edge. “As we continue growing, we will build upon our innovative programs and bridge the opportunity gap for even more young children across New York.”

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See the Full Gallery of Luncheon Photos Here

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Tom Cornish, COO of BankUnited was presented with The Gold Star Award for his support of access to education in underserved communities.

“Every day this organization gives kids from disadvantaged backgrounds the hope, focus and opportunity they need to succeed,” said Tom Cornish. “If you can positively impact 36,000 kids, and each one of these kids positively impacts another 10 people, the chain will continue and you can change the world. That’s what New York Edge is doing.”

Rashid Silvera, a member of New York Edge’s Board of Directors, was presented with the Excellence in Education Award. Mr. Silvera was a former history teacher and has an Ed.M from The Harvard Graduate School of Education as well as a M.T.S. degree from The Harvard Divinity School. He was a member of the Scarsdale High School History Department for 36 years and has worked as a fashion model for over three decades and has appeared on the cover of GQ, Essence and Code magazines.

“I joined New York Edge earlier this year and have witnessed just how much everyone at this organization cares about improving educational outcomes for under-resourced youth in New York,” said Rashid Silvera. “I look forward to keeping up the good fight to tackle educational inequality and bring fairness to even more students.”

Since 1992, New York Edge has worked to bridge the opportunity gap among underserved students by providing programs designed to improve academic performance, health and wellness, self-confidence, character, and attitudes for success in life to young people who attend New York City public schools. The organization offers afterschool, weekend, and summer programs in many underserved communities throughout the metropolitan area and currently serves more than 36,000 K-12 youth at hundreds of sites each year. Over the lifetime of the organization, New York Edge has served hundreds of thousands of youth.