By: Ilana Siyance
New York City’s Department of Education is investing in making schools safer, particular those in troublesome areas.
As reported by the NY Post, on Thursday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and School Chancellor David Banks announced that the DOE is focusing on safety and support at more than 100 schools, where students are most susceptible to troubling incidents, with more suspensions and skipped classes occurring. Named Project Pivot, the initiative is investing $9 million in youth nonprofits aimed at school safety, as well as after-school programming and mental health support. Officials expect the project to help up to 10,000 school kids. “This project will bring community-based organizations into our schools to connect with young people at a pivotal moment in their development through counseling, mentoring, violence intervention,” Adams told reporters outside of Tweed Courthouse, which is the DOE’s headquarters. “We’re thinking about our children, and the right they have to succeed,” he added. “And in the long run, we will keep them safe and keep their schools safe.”
The program will target schools mostly in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan, which were chosen based on safety and academic data which showed those students were disengaged in classes, or need more support. The deciding factors included discipline and suspensions, as well as attendance, in picking out chronically absent students. City data shows a troubling trend in these absences last year, with over 40 percent of students missing one out of every 10 school days. “We’ve identified 138 schools, some of the most challenged schools in the city, who are crying out for additional supports, additional resources,” said Banks. “They have children in their schools who are brilliant,” he added. “They are every bit as talented as everybody, as any other child — they just need the additional supports.”
“We talk often about safety, and many of these organizations are going to provide a deeper level of safety in our schools,” said Banks, who began his education career as a school safety agent. The nonprofits tapped will provide: safety and violence prevention services inside and outside of the schools; counselors and mentorship; enrichment programs including sports and the arts; and help with skills like financial literacy. The programs are backed by research for their effectiveness, DOE officials said. Project Pivot is being paid for by federal COVID funding, but this aid will expire in a few school years.
As per the Post, one of the organizations, Elite Learners Inc., has adult school safety staffers that are trained in anti-violence near the schools and at nearby parks. “So many young people were getting in altercations outside of the building that interfered with their learning in the building,” said Camara Jackson, founder of the Brooklyn-based nonprofit. “If you don’t feel safe coming to school, how can you sit throughout the day and be successful? So we want to address that,” Jackson said.
There is a broad range of other nonprofits also tapped for the program including: Save Our Streets, which strives to curb gun violence; and National Cares Mentoring, a black mentorship program. The DOE is also recommending groups including Youth Education Through Sports and the Canvas Institute arts and culture center on Staten Island, officials said. “These are all activities that can serve as a motivating factor for many disengaged students, and can be the proverbial carrot to increase student achievement,” said Aaron Barnette of the DOE’s Office of Safety and Prevention Partnerships.
