We were all at different levels, but we had one thing in common – loads of questions about the use of computers and other digital devices. How do I turn on a computer? What is email? What is Facebook? Twitter? How do I use an iPad? Which computer should I buy? We...
JCCA’s Two Together Tutoring Program has been providing low-income youth with free, individualized tutoring and mentoring for 41 years. Ashley Petersen, an employee of Deutsche Bank and in her second year of tutoring with the program, has been working with her...
Moshe, 16, a first-generation American son of Israeli parents, has been going to JCCA’s Kew Gardens Hills Youth Center for two years. It is a safe gathering place for Orthodox young men, who feel marginalized by the community, to regain self-esteem and direction...
Today, Damitry Stallings is a poised teenager. However, he was not always that way. His JCCA social worker, Allison Bonesteel, says, “When Damitry first arrived in foster care, he was very quiet and had trouble communicating when he felt upset.” Now, after working...
In many ways, Preston is a typical young adult. He is pursuing his Masters of Science in Special Education while teaching, dancing, and singing on the side. He also finds time every day to see his friends and family. But his progress has come with challenges. Preston...
One young man wrote a poem about his father. When the group tried to encourage him to express his feelings about his father, he said, “I have taught myself to not to feel.” A few moments later, he burst into tears. Members of the group made insightful comments and he...
Surrounded by proud parents, smiling staff, and mentors, seven participants took part in the first graduating class of JCCA’s Arches program. There were nine people in the class. Arches, a collaboration with the NYC Department of Probation, is a transformative...
Kiera graduated at 16 from Brooklyn Democracy Academy, JCCA’s transfer school. Transfer schools represent a unique partnership between the NYC Department of Education and community-based organizations like JCCA, which reach out to young people who, for a variety of...