Press/Bios
New York Life Foundation awards $1.5 million in grants to out-of-school time programs to help middle school students transition to 9th grade.
Fifth year of grants brings awards total to $6.3 million
Grants sustain programs through funding challenges from COVID-19 pandemic and advance racial and social justice efforts
The New York Life Foundation in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance today announced $1.5 million in new grants to 36 youth development organizations to support disadvantaged middle school youth during the out-of-school time (OST) hours. Grants will go to programs in Arkansas, California (7), Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois (2), Iowa, Kentucky (2), Maryland (2), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (2), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (5), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas (2). The organizations were selected from a total of 589 applicants, a new high for the Foundation's Aim High education initiative, now in its fifth year.
In addition to new grants, 16 programs will continue to receive grants first announced in 2020. Together, these programs support underserved youth in 23 states and the District of Columbia. This year's grants bring the total awarded under the program to $6.3 million. Since 2013, the New York Life Foundation has invested more than $59 million in national middle school OST efforts.
Aim High is part of the New York Life Foundation's ongoing investment in OST programs to help underserved 8th graders reach the 9th grade on time and prepared for high school. Afterschool, summer and expanded learning programs nationwide are selected for grants through a review process run in collaboration with the Afterschool Alliance.
Winners were selected based on the strength of their support for youth in transition to ninth grade – specifically around such indicators of success as on-time promotion; school attendance rates; improved behavior, grades, and test scores; and/or the development of social and emotional skills – by a panel of youth development expert reviewers.
2021 One-Year Grants Focus on Racial and Social Justice
This year, 20 one-year grants focus on supporting OST programs' work to advance racial and social justice efforts. Further, in recognition of the unique burdens the COVID-19 crisis has created for OST programs, the Aim High program was expanded this year, so that twice as many one-year $15,000 grants were awarded as in past years.
"Ongoing incidents of racial injustice have highlighted persistent inequities in our society. In an effort to support young people and to build on the Foundation's history of supporting organizations that address racial injustice, this year's capacity building Aim High grant focuses on funding out-of-school time programs that are at the forefront of this work," said Marlyn Torres, senior program officer, New York Life Foundation.
Research shows that participation in high-quality afterschool, expanded day and summer learning programs leads to greater academic achievement, better school attendance and more engaged students. Further, a successful transition from 8th to 9th grade – middle school to high school in most cases – is particularly critical to student success.
"We're delighted to continue partnering with the New York Life Foundation in this important and most timely program," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "Afterschool and summer learning programs have met the challenge of the pandemic through hard work, compassion, and determination. They've supported students and families in countless ways – caring for children of essential employees during the height of the shutdowns, delivering meals to families that would otherwise be hungry, operating in-person, all-day sites for children attending classes virtually, and helping meet the social and emotional needs of children experiencing extraordinary stress and trauma. Because of the New York Life Foundation's generosity, many programs will be able to continue that vital work this year and into the future."
The 2021 Grant Winners
Twenty organizations will receive one-year awards of $15,000:
Access Art, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland
Americana Community Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Boston Debate League, Boston, Massachusetts
Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, Garden Grove, California
ConnectiKids, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut
Connecting for Children and Families, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
DIVAS for Social Justice, Laurelton, New York
East Cleveland Neighborhood Center, East Cleveland, Ohio
Girls Empowerment Network, Austin, Texas
Girls Inc. of Long Island, Deer Park, New York
Goddard Riverside Community Center, New York, New York
Greenmount West Community Center Foundation Inc., Baltimore, Maryland
Harmony Project Productions, Inc., Columbus, Ohio
Institute of Music for Children, Elizabeth, New Jersey
LEAP for Education, Salem, Massachusetts
·Los Angeles Music and Art School, Los Angeles, California
·Morry's Camp, Inc. (Project Morry), Port Chester, New York
Young Actors Guild, Memphis, Tennessee
Young Adult Development in Action, Inc. (YouthBuild Louisville), Louisville, Kentucky
Youth Code Jam, San Antonio, Texas
Eight organizations will receive grants of $50,000 payable over two years:
After-School All-Stars Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida
Boys & Girls Club of McGehee, McGehee, Arkansas
Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Developing Kingdoms in Different Stages, Detroit, Michigan
Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Entrusted Legacy, Bakersfield, California
Epic Theatre Center, Inc., Astoria, New York
Project: VISION, Inc., Chicago, Illinois
Eight organizations will receive grants of $100,000 payable over two years:
Chicago Youth Programs, Chicago, Illinois
Children's Defense Fund, Marlboro County, South Carolina
Granite United Way, Manchester, New Hampshire
Heart of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Oakridge Neighborhood, Des Moines, Iowa
Ocean Discovery Institute, San Diego, California
The Dance Institute of Washington, Inc., Washington, DC
The Wooden Floor for Youth Movement, Santa Ana, California
Sixteen organizations will receive the second year of their two-year grants, announced in 2020, this year:
After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Aim High for High School, San Francisco, California
Beam Center, Inc., Brooklyn, New York
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County, Jersey City, New Jersey
Breakthrough Miami, Miami, Florida
Clarkston Community Center Foundation, Inc., Clarkston, Georgia
Community Youth Advance, Hyattsville, Maryland
Dream Center of Gaston County Academy, Gastonia, North Carolina
Florida Leadership Venture, Inc. DBA Elevate Orlando, Maitland, Florida
Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Community Center, Madison, Wisconsin
Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Los Angeles, California
Pathways to Leadership, New York, New York
Proyecto Pastoral, Los Angeles, California
The Cambodian Family, Santa Ana, California
The Immokalee Foundation, Naples, Florida
The Opportunity Project, Tulsa, Oklahoma
About the New York Life Foundation
Inspired by New York Life's tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided nearly $370 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation supports programs that benefit young people, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and childhood bereavement. The Foundation also encourages and facilitates the community involvement of employees and agents of New York Life through its Volunteers for Good program and Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative. To learn more, please visit www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
About the Afterschool Alliance
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. More information is available at www.AfterschoolAlliance.org.
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Lacey Siegel
New York Life Insurance Company
Lacey_S_Siegel@newyorklife.com
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