SCO Receives Grants Supporting Programs for Children and Youth

SCO recently received funding from Robin Hood, Tiger Foundation and PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. in support of a variety of services for children and youth.

Robin Hood awarded SCO Family of Services an $875,000 renewal grant that provides support for our three Transfer Schools:

• Bronx Arena High School
• East Brooklyn Community High School
• North Queens Community High School

Working in partnership with the NYC Department of Education (DOE), SCO’s Transfer Schools provide overage and under-credited youth with a second chance to complete their education and create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. The Robin Hood grant will help provide 600 at-risk students with a quality academic experience, individualized attention, and the intensive support services they need to earn a diploma.

Tiger Foundation awarded SCO Family of Services a $250,000 renewal grant that provides support for our Early Childhood continuum of services. This continuum begins prenatally and continues up to age 5, and includes:

• Nurse-Family Partnership
• Early Head Start
• EarlyLearn
• Pre-K for All
• 3-K for All
• FirstStepNYC

Families gain access to these services through one of our three Early Childhood centers in Brownsville, Brooklyn: Shirley Chisholm Early Childhood Center, Morris Koppelman Early Childhood Center and FirstStepNYC, and two in Corona, Queens: Jerome Hardeman Early Childhood Center and Corona UPK Center, as well as our Family Child Care networks and home visiting programs.

PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. awarded a $25,000 grant to SCO to fund the expansion and deepening of our Mentored Internship Program for youth in foster care.

The program matches youth with mentors/internship supervisors at a one-to-one ratio, focusing on 13-21 year olds, a critical age span where vulnerable youth and young adults begin the process of career exploration, while at the same time face challenges securing the formative work experiences they need to begin building a long-term career path.

Leveraging the supports provided by our mentors, participants benefit from a three-tiered approach focused on:

• Building self-awareness, self-care skills, and positive relationships
• Developing career readiness through training
• Offering internship placements in a variety of high-potential, high-growth occupational areas within SCO.

In conjunction with this grant, PwC is committed to providing 300 volunteer hours in support of the Mentored Internship Program.