It is not easy to get published, but several dozen New York City Public School students can now call themselves authors.  

They celebrated at a book signing at the Strand Bookstore on Saturday in Union Square. [read more]

Listen to the interview as New York Edge CEO, Rachael Gazdick, discusses how afterschool activities and summer camps play a crucial role in the lives of children in New York City. [listen here]

With more than 20 years of experience in education advocacy, New York Edge CEO Rachael Gazdick leads the organization’s mission to build equity in education and provide thousands of K-12 students with free, engaging programs that help them grow academically and personally. Previously, Gazdick served as president and CEO of Colorado’s “I Have A Dream” Foundation and as executive director of Say Yes to Education Syracuse. [read more]

Kevin, a sixth grader at P.S. 146 in Queens who hopes to one day work as a doctor, said he’s always tried to study nutrition.

But it wasn’t until he participated in the Hip Hop H.E.A.L.S., or Healthy Eating and Living in Schools, after-school program last year that he found an engaging way to learn about it at school.

The program, developed in partnership between Columbia University neurologist Olajide Williams and hip hop artist Doug E. Fresh, relies on music to help teach students about healthy eating. [read more]

Two Queens high school graduates detailed how New York Edge after-school programs helped them develop and improve upon their academic and leadership skills.

The first student, Sofia, is graduating from Veritas Academy in Flushing. She was the vice president of her Student Council and captain of the cheerleading team. She has also been nominated for the Meringoff Scholars Program. She also works to inspire youths by volunteering at the Annual Dream Out Loud Youth Leadership Conference at St. John’s University. Additionally, she was selected to be a student speaker at the Queens District Attorney’s Office’s legislative breakfast. [Read More]

Billie Wright talks with Rachael Gazdick, CEO of New York Edge. New York Edge provides afterschool programs to kids throughout New York City to support education and career readiness. Gazdick explains the importance of science, art, dance, and curriculum support they offer through their programs. She shares more about developing the skills for young writers through their student publishing initiative. Gazdick also talks about the importance of continuing education of the employees of New York Edge and how that impacts children in our city. [Read more]

“Volunteer engagement not only functions as a way for us to meet the different diverse needs of each school and community that we serve, but it helps to deepen the connections between community members, and, for us, public school students and to promote that civic engagement across generations and across life experiences,” Gabby Cadahia, the volunteer engagement manager at New York Edge, said. “We really have a chance to uplift our communities and repair some of the social fabric that was damaged during the pandemic.” [Read More]