BY JOHN ALEXANDER • OCTOBER 28, 2019 @ 11:30 AM

BAY RIDGE — A packed room of enthusiastic kindergarten through fifth grade students at P.S. 264, the Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts, gathered to greet Lt. Gov.Kathy Hochul and members of New York Edge, the largest provider of afterschool programs in the city.

Hochul was there to salute the 20^th annual Lights On Afterschool program, which allows schools to stay open after hours, and to celebrate the impact it’s had on children who’ve participated in the program. Hochul and District 20 schools Superintendent Karina Costantino were given a tour of the school by Principal Marisa Bolognino.

Following the tour, they were joined by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Rachael Gazdick, CEO of New York Edge. They all watched the students, who worked in groups of five or six on their afternoon project, building a free-standing lighthouse tower out of 30 straws and cellophane tape with a tiny light on top.

“At New York Edge, we support 40,000 students in all five boroughs of New York City and over 130 schools,” Gazdick told this paper.

“We just believe in the power of afterschool education and the opportunity to really tap into kids’ gifts and talents in sports, art, STEM and our college access program. We have the largest college access program in the city of New York. So, it’s just an honor to work with these young, bright minds and see them shine and ignite their potential,” she added.

She also explained that New York Edge has transitional centers, with some sites staying open as late as 9 or 10 p.m. so they can meet the needs of children all across the spectrum.

“Do you know what New York Edge means? Do you know what getting an edge means?” Hochul asked. “It means you’re getting ahead of everyone else with the edge you need to be successful in life. Forty thousand of you are being advantaged by New York Edge which is supported by the state of New York,” she explained.

Hochul called the Lights On Afterschool program “a way to keep the lights in your schools after hours, which is where you are now. It allows you to stay here and learn things and have fun with your friends,” she added. Hochul presented New York Edge with a proclamation front the state.

Kindergarten student Grace Lee said she loved the program and especially enjoyed art and coloring. Adrian Ciuzadio said he liked the afterschool sports program and Sophia said she liked both gym and art.

Gounardes walked around and visited with each group of kids. “After school programs are vital to a child’s growth and education,” he told this paper. “That’s why I was happy to go with Lt. Gov.Hochul to visit The New York Edge at P.S. 264 as part of Lights On Afterschool, the national celebration of the importance of afterschool programs in the lives of children and families!”

This article originally appeared in the Brooklyn Reporter

New York Edge education professionals were honored to present to The Association of New York State Youth Bureaus (ANYSYB) and the Coalition for Homeless Youth at their 49th Annual Youth Development Training in Albany, NY. Youth development experts from across the state and country convened to share ideas, learn best practices, and exchange knowledge on issues pertaining to positive youth development, prevention services, healthy living, and high-risk youth. 

Margie Baker, Director of Education and Carla Rosado, Program Manager presented a session called TOP QUALITY Targeting Optimal Program Quality Using Assessment Leadership Infusion, Teams, and Youth. The presentation highlighted the four-pronged approach used in the New York Edge Y-LEAD (youth leadership infusion) program that incorporates youth and staff development; tiered coaching; program assessment and evaluation; and data-driven program adjustment.

Rigaud Noel, Chief Partnership Officer New York Edge ran a very popular workshop Sustaining and Growing Your Agency through Grants Writing and Management. Participants learned the basics of grants writing as well as engaged in team activities that simulate an internal grants review process. They learned best practices in managing grant deadlines; quality control checks; identifying private funding, and developing sustainability plans.

Michelle Durante, Director of Arts and Ralph Labianca, Director of Sports & Wellness led a group to explore MINDfulness & Self-Care: Fostering Resilience with Your Youth. Teaching & learning = HARD WORK! Self-care is a simple (or not so simple) task of taking time and space to attend to your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The participates explored how sports and arts activity can aid in Physical and Emotional Health: Stress Management for Youth. 

All these sessions were approved as SACC Training Credit an essential professional development tool. 

New York Edge and the New York Mets Join Forces to Inspire Kids to Stay Active and Healthy

“Mets on the Move” will Give New York Edge Students a Fun Way to Learn About Fitness Through a Mets-Inspired Curriculum Provided by Mets Staff

New York, NY – October 21, 2019 –  New York Edge — the metropolitan region’s largest provider of afterschool programs — is joining forces with the New York Mets to inspire kids to lead active and healthy lives through the Mets on the Move program presented by Subway.

Through the “Mets on the Move” program—a larger effort by the Mets to foster exercise and wellness among youth—New York Edge students will participate in a series of afterschool fitness classes led by Mets staff. The curriculum includes a series of exercises and fun interactive workouts designed by Mets staff and trainers and visits from Mr. Met. Each child that completes the workout of the day will receive a fun Mets-themed prize!

In total, more than 900 New York Edge students from 18 middle schools across the five boroughs are participating in the program, which launched earlier this month. 

“There’s a certain excitement that comes with working with the New York Mets,” said Rachael Gazdick, CEO of New York Edge. “For our students, that excitement translates into a greater interest in fitness and motivation to lead healthier lives.”

For more than 25 years, New York Edge has addressed the needs and goals of under-resourced schools through customized, curriculum-based afterschool programming. Today, the Queens-based nonprofit provides more than 40,000 students in grades K-12 with rigorous, innovative programs designed to give them the edge needed to succeed.

Partner Spotlight

Jon Hyman, knows that success doesn’t come easily. As a kid, he suffered from debilitating migraines, while at the same time worrying about whether his family could pay the bills each month.

But he also had a passion for coding, which helped him earn a full scholarship to Harvard University and led to the co-founding of Braze, where he currently serves as Chief Technology Officer.

Braze is a customer engagement platform that facilitates real-time experiences between brands and customers in a more authentic and human way.

Nowhere is that humanity clearer than in the efforts Braze has made on behalf of New York Edge. Since 2016, they’ve been active partners first with SASF and now helping New York Edge students gain access to technology education and mentors who look like and come from the same communities as our students. Braze has exposed students to careers in tech they never knew existed and empowered them to aspire to a workplace where all are respected, treated fairly, and heard.

On Thursday, September 5th, the New York Edge Young Professional Council hosted a fundraiser that didn’t only offer spectacular views but also a crucial point of view. This year marked the 6th anniversary of the non-profit’s annual fundraiser which is, along with the Back to School Event on September 2nd, designed to provide means for a successful start of the new school year. Read more…

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.