New York Needs You

Our 2012 Fellowship Application is now open!

2012-01-26T19:56:03Z

NYNY is now accepting Fellowship Applications.

Apply for the 2012 NYNY Fellowship where you will:

Earn a $2,500 professional development grant
Access 2 summer internships at prestigious companies & organizations
Work one on one with a mentor for a total of 800 hours over 2 years
Receive in-kind services & products such as business attire, free writing and ESL support, subsidized test prep, discounted laptops and tablet computers
Network with leading industry professionals

To Apply: http://www.newyorkneedsyou.org/apply/fellow-application

Our application deadline is March 15, 2012.

Join the Network That Has Become a Movement!

2012-01-20T19:11:04Z

NYNY is now accepting Mentor Coach applications!

Join our network of highly accomplished Mentor Coaches whose success is not merely defined by their professional achievements, but also by their dedication to give back to their communities. NYNY pairs outstanding first-generation college students with young professionals from a variety of industries who serve as their Mentor Coaches throughout the duration of the 2-year Fellowship program.

NYNY offers Mentor Coaches exclusive access to social and professional development events, including invitations to cocktail parties, prestigious speaker series, and entree to top cultural and academic institutions.

Our application deadline is March 31st. The new class of Mentor Coaches and Fellows kicks off in May.

To Apply: http://www.newyorkneedsyou.org/apply/mentor-coach-application

To view a slideshow in which Fellows and Mentor Coaches share what mentoring means to them, click here.

For more information please contact: volunteers@newyorkneedsyou.org

NYNY is hiring!

2011-12-19T17:02:21Z

We are currently recruiting for the following positions:

Vice President of Programs

Community College Initiative Coordinator

Internship and Volunteer Coordinator

NYNY Announces Discounts for Mentor Coaches and Fellows!

2011-12-14T23:05:30Z

Here are some graduate school preparation discounts from our generous partners:

Art of Applying (GMAT/GRE): $100 off “Story over Numbers” coaching for Mentor Coaches (registration closes 12/16 at 5 PM)
Bell Curves (GMAT): 10% discount off any course or tutoring package for Mentor Coaches and Fellows; free Express or Classic course enrollments for 5 Fellows
Manhattan GMAT (GMAT): 10% discount off any 9-session course or private tutoring for Mentor Coaches; $100 discount off any 9-session course or private tutoring package for Fellows, plus free course for 1 Fellow
Stratus Prep (LSAT/GMAT/GRE): 15% off test prep classes, tutoring, and admissions counseling for Mentor Coaches and Fellows
The Princeton Review (MCAT/LSAT/GMAT/GRE): $200 off any graduate program for Mentor Coaches
Veritas Prep (GMAT): $200 off any GMAT course for Mentor Coaches and Fellows

NYNY Partners with Barclays Capital!

2011-11-23T17:00:32Z

NYNY is proud to partner with Barclays Capital! Barclays has been a financial supporter of NYNY's 2010 and 2011 benefit dinners, and also selected NYNY as a Finalist for the Chairman's Award, a global philanthropy award. Barclays has agreed to host NYNY Fellows at a Barclays Day in 2012, which will include a panel discussion and job shadowing. Its Diversity Campus Recruiting has also committed to giving special attention to NYNY Fellows' applications. At least 43 Barclays employees have been engaged in NYNY activities as donors and/or volunteers, including a Governing Board member, a Young Leadership Board member, 4 Mentor Coaches and 5 Career Coaches. We are grateful for Barclays' commitment to NYNY!

NYNY’s Mentor Leadership Council hosted an MBA and Business School Summit

2011-11-01T22:45:25Z

Congratulations to the Mentor Leadership Council for hosting an outstanding MBA and Business School Summit at Google's New York City Office on October 27, 2011! The event was led and organized by the MLC and is the first in what will be a series of professional development events that are geared towards NYNY volunteers. Pictures and details of the event, including panelists and links to our MBA fair participants, are below. Stay tuned for information on future MLC events!

Panelists:

Moderator: Damien Hooper-Campbell, 2011 Mentor Coach, Candid8 Advisors

Admissions Board members from:

Harvard Business School
Wharton
Columbia

Alums from top business schools who have transitioned to diverse careers:

Avin Bansal, Harvard Business School, Goldman Sachs
Katherine Boas, Stanford Graduate School of Business, McKinsey
Erica Hamilton, Wharton, iMentor
Wendy Herm, Kellogg, Red Bull
Cyrus Massoumi, Columbia Business School, ZocDoc

MBA Fair Participants:

Attendees entered a free raffle to win:

One full 9-session prep course from Manhattan GMAT (valued at $1590)
Full set of 8 Manhattan GMAT Strategy Guides (valued at $249)
3 hours of one-on-one MBA admissions coaching from The Art of Applying
$750 worth of essay editing from The Art of Applying
4 hours of consulting and a free essay guide from Stacy Blackman
(2) 30-minute MBA admissions consultations for top-10 business schools from MBA Exchange
(5) 30-minute consultations for top business schools from StratusPrep

A big thanks to Google for making this event possible!

NYNY Announces the Community College Initiative

2011-10-24T20:16:50Z

NYNY announces the Community College Initiative (CCI), the largest volunteer mobilization of its kind. Engaging New York City's prized university system and enlisting NYNY Mentor Coaches as co-instructors of a college success curriculum, the Initiative will ultimately lead thousands of young people who might otherwise have floundered without the right resources and support to Bachelor's Degrees and empowering careers.

The Chronicle of Higher Education calls community colleges the “fastest-growing segment of higher education” and an increasingly popular post-secondary entry point for high school graduates. However, attrition remains high, and eventual Bachelor’s Degree attainment low, largely because students choosing such a path receive inadequate guidance and positive reinforcement along the way. The Community College Initiative – an idea that originated with our Fellows – addresses the systematic lack of college persistence support and transfer advisement for community college students with Bachelor’s Degree aspirations. Community college students are among society's greatest yet least nurtured assets, and NYNY stands to define how support from outside the education sector can engender their success.

Joe Pinto joined the NYNY team this month as Vice President of the Community College Initiative, bringing start-up insight, education expertise, and a network of youth development partners from his experience as co-founder of the Urban Assembly School for Law & Justice and Executive Director of its non-profit arm. High-level planning conversations with the City University of New York (CUNY) proceed at a swift pace, with the goal of a pilot launch in the coming months on the campus of Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). NYNY’s Governing Board, Mentor Leadership Council, Young Leadership Board and the many entities they represent across corporate, non-profit and governmental lines provide a steady stream of advocacy, resource power and strategic thinking. In addition, NYNY is thrilled to announce a collaboration with Arbor Brothers, whose expertise will help sharpen the design and implementation processes of the CCI.

More Than 1,000 Items Donated to Clothing Drive for NYNY!

2011-10-13T18:15:09Z

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Anita Fee
anita.fee@newyorkneedsyou.org

MORE THAN 1,000 ITEMS DONATED TO CLOTHING DRIVE FOR NYNY, NEW YORK CITY’S ONLY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSING ON THE SUCCESS OF FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS

New York, NY - The Mentor Leadership Council (MLC) of New York Needs You (NYNY) hosted its fall clothing drive on September 24, 2011, securing donations of more than 1,000 items for Fellows in the NYNY program. More than 75 donors provided clothing and accessories valued at a total of $10,000, giving Fellows, who are the first in their family to attend college, the opportunity to “shop” for professional attire. High-end items, donated by members of the NYNY community, were distributed through a raffle.

Lord & Taylor generously donated shopping bags for the clothing drive and 25 volunteers within the NYNY community donated their time, providing logistical support and ensuring that all Fellows were served.

The clothing drive was the second of its kind this year organized by the MLC, a group of NYNY Mentor Coaches tasked with optimizing the Mentor Coach and volunteer experience. The successful event has had an immediate impact, preparing Fellows for professional opportunities while engaging the wider NYNY community for a great cause.

"The clothing drive is another great example of how NYNY goes above and beyond to set up these young adults for success. Many college students today need help identifying and acquiring proper business attire. Some organizations may provide training on what is appropriate to wear in the workplace, but they stop there. NYNY took it a step further. At the clothing drive, the Fellows not only received guidance on how to dress for work, but they were able to take home some great pieces to start building their business wardrobe!”
-Tia Cummings, MLC, NYNY Mentor Coach

“I would like to express my utmost gratitude to everyone who donated items to the clothing drive. The business attire that I received boosts my confidence in my appearance and will only add to my ability to make a great impression on a potential employer. Our Mentor Coaches and volunteers provided us with clothing while also giving us advice on what to wear during which occasions, much like older brothers and sisters would do for their younger siblings. I plan to wear these clothes during internships, interviews and networking opportunities.
-Felix, NYNY Fellow

NYNY closes the opportunity gap through the most intensive career mentorship program in NYC, enabling high-potential, first-generation college students to realize their career aspirations. The organization was launched after NYNY’s President and Founder, Robert Reffkin, uncovered significant empirical data indicating that the education level of parents, family structure and socio-economic conditions have a significant influence on the economic mobility of youth. The primary components of the NYNY curriculum are college success and career development. Through the NYNY Fellowship, first-generation college students will have the support necessary to reach their full potential. For additional information on NYNY, visit: www.newyorkneedsyou.org

NYNY Raises $1.6 Million Through Annual Benefit!

2011-10-05T15:25:31Z

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Mason Beard
mason.beard@newyorkneedsyou.org
(646) 651-1582

NYNY, NEW YORK CITY’S ONLY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSING ON THE UPWARD MOBILITY OF FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, RAISES $1.6 MILLION THROUGH ANNUAL BENEFIT!

New York, NY ‒ New York Needs You (NYNY), a non-profit organization focusing on the college and career success of first-generation college students, hosted its annual benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street on September 15, 2011. NYNY honored Merryl Tisch, Chancellor, New York State Board of Regents; Kenneth Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express and Daryl Roth, Founder, Daryl Roth Productions, in front of a sold-out audience of 630 guests.

The benefit raised $1.6 million and celebrated the growing impact of NYNY, whose intensive mentorship program supports 150 students who are the first in their family to go to college (Fellows) and engages 400 professionals throughout New York City. Speakers sharing insight on the achievements of the organization included Robert Reffkin, NYNY Founder and President, and PJ Kim, NYNY Executive Director.

Attendees further supported NYNY through a silent auction, which featured items such as all access field passes and VIP seats for a New York Giants football game, and a three-night stay at a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property. At the end of the night, guests received generous discount cards from men’s clothier Bonobos and women’s fashion outfitter Ann Taylor.

The success of the night garnered attention for NYNY’s mission to provide first-generation college students with the resources to achieve their professional goals with the help of dedicated volunteers and a structured career development curriculum.

“NYNY continues to thrive because of the support from our donors and volunteers, who believe in our work and our Fellows. The success of the benefit is a motivating example of how we are able to engage talented professionals on a high level.”
– PJ Kim, Executive Director, NYNY

NYNY closes the opportunity gap through the most intensive career mentorship program in NYC, enabling high-potential, first-generation college students to realize their career aspirations. The organization was launched after NYNY’s President and Founder, Robert Reffkin, uncovered significant empirical data indicating that the education level of parents, family structure and socio-economic conditions have a significant influence on the economic mobility of youth. The primary components of the NYNY curriculum are college success and career development. Through the NYNY Fellowship, first-generation college students will have the support necessary to reach their full potential. For additional information on NYNY, visit: www.newyorkneedsyou.org

NYNY’s Mentor Leadership Council Presents Its Second Annual Clothing Drive

2011-09-16T14:53:23Z

Clean out your closet and help outfit Fellows for upcoming internships, interviews and professional careers. We are looking for professional attire (suits, coats, jackets, shirts, sweaters, etc.) and accessories (ties, shoes, portfolios, briefcases, laptops, purses, belts, watches, glasses, etc.).

All items should be clean and in good condition. All donations of professional attire are welcome, but we are especially seeking in-season (Fall/Winter) items. All donations are tax-deductible.

We encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues to donate, as well!

There are three ways to donate items:

Bring them to our workshop on Saturday, 9/24 at Goldman Sachs at 10:30am
Drop them off before 9/24 at the NYNY office at 8th Avenue at 39th Street
Ship them to the NYNY office before 9/24

To arrange shipping or delivery logistics, or if you have any questions, please email Anita Fee: anita.fee@newyorkneedsyou.org.

Thanks so much for helping New York Needs You!

NYNY appears on BronxNet TV

2011-09-01T20:15:41Z

New York Needs You recently had the unique opportunity to appear on the Open program on BronxNet Television. BronxNet is a non-profit cable station that provides local programming for people that live in the Bronx. The Open program is the station's flagship morning broadcast that aims to bring community information to Bronx residents.

Vice President of Programs, Chera Reid appeared on behalf of the organization. Chera was joined by 2010 Fellow, Anival who also interned at BronxNet this summer.

Thank you to the entire BronxNet team and Fellow Anival for coordinating the feature on NYNY!

NYNY Partners with MetLife!

2011-08-31T17:24:48Z

For Immediate Release:

Contact:

                                                                                                                           Mason Beard

                                                                                         mason.beard@newyorkneedsyou.org

646-651-1582

METLIFE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS NEW YORK CITY’S ONLY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSING ON THE UPWARD MOBILITY OF FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, NEW YORK NEEDS YOU!

New York, NY – MetLife Foundation recently awarded a Volunteer Ventures grant of $1,000 to New York Needs You in support of a project proposed by Kristin Grimm, a MetLife employee who volunteers with the organization. The Project will provide support for one of NYNY’s Saturday workshops, in which 100 – 150 fellows engage in professional and academic development seminars.

I am thankful to have a mentor who challenges me to grow and provides guidance in all situations. This relationship reminds me how ambition is most successful when it has a focused direction and highlights how challenging that development process can be without guidance. It is exciting to participate in a community that thrives on connecting ambition with direction. This sentiment is apparent at every workshop and is echoed by the sincere dedication of all its participants. I am honored to be actively involved as a Mentor-Coach and provide the same support network to others that I am so grateful to have found for myself.

- Kristen Grimm, NYNY Mentor-Coach

The Volunteer Ventures Program encourages and supports employee involvement at the local level in nonprofit organizations that work to improve the quality of life for all. Grants are made for specific projects in which MetLife employees have continuing involvement as volunteers.

###

NYNY closes the opportunity gap through the most intensive career mentorship program in NYC, enabling high-potential, first-generation college students to realize their career aspirations. The organization was launched after NYNY’s President and Founder, Robert Reffkin, uncovered significant empirical data indicating that the education level of parents, family structure and socio-economic conditions have a significant influence on the economic mobility of youth. The primary components of the NYNY curriculum are college success and career development. Through the NYNY Fellowship, first-generation college students will have the support necessary to reach their full potential. For additional information on NYNY, visit: www.newyorkneedsyou.org

NYNY Appoints New Board Members!

2011-08-24T18:40:02Z

The New York Needs You staff and current board would like to welcome two new Governing Board members. The Governing Board is tasked with setting the overall direction and strategy for the organization in addition to exercising fiduciary responsibilities.

New members include:

Joshua Kushner – Managing Partner of Thrive Capital, Principal of Kushner Companies and a co-founder of Vostu, the largest social gaming company in Latin America. Joshua has previously worked Vornado Realty Trust, SL Green Realty Corp., Goldman Sachs Real Estate Investment Banking, and in the Private Equity Group at Goldman Sachs in the Merchant Banking Division.
Ben Tisch – works at Loews Corporation. Previously, Ben worked at Fortress Investment Group and in the Investment Banking Division at Lehman Brothers. Ben currently serves as a Director on the Met Council Board of Directors.

Previous Governing Board members Mary-Catherine Lader, Andre Kelleners and Maybel Marte have ended their terms and we would like to thank them for their service.

“I join the entire NYNY community in expressing my gratitude for the leadership that Mary-Catherine Lader, Andre Kelleners and Maybel Marte provided in NYNY’s crucial early stages as members of the Governing Board. I look forward to their continued guidance in the years to come. I am delighted to welcome Josh Kushner and Ben Tisch to the Governing Board. Their experience in building high performing organizations will be invaluable to NYNY as we grow our impact to close the opportunity gap in New York City and beyond.”
- PJ Kim, Executive Director of NYNY

NYNY Partners with Givenik!

2011-08-22T20:59:03Z

New York Needs You has joined Givenik as one of its newest non-profit partners! Givenik is an organization that allows non-profit supporters to combine their love of the arts with a donation to their favorite organizations. NYNY will receive 5% of the price of any Broadway play or NYC event ticket that is purchased through Givenik. We hope that you will use the site to purchase your next set of tickets and continue to support New York Needs You!

NYNY is hiring!

2011-08-19T21:50:04Z

We are experiencing an amazing amount of growth and are seeking outstanding professionals for several positions here at NYNY. Please apply if you are interested and share this information with your networks.

Vice President for Community College Initiative
Community colleges are one of the greatest engines for social mobility but only 36% of students who intend to transfer to a bachelor’s program are able to make the transition. 100% of NYNY Fellows who began in community college are now in the process or have already transferred to a college that grants bachelor’s degrees. NYNY is seeking a Vice President for a Community College Initiative to build on this success and leverage our Fellows and volunteers to create and deliver an advising / mentoring program that supports community college students during the transfer process. We hope to significantly increase the number of community college students who successfully transfer to a bachelor’s program, succeed, and eventually pursue careers that would have otherwise been inaccessible. <Read more>

Fellowship Program Manager
NYNY is seeking a Fellowship Program Manager to drive college success initiatives and recruiting activities for its flagship Fellowship Program. The Fellowship Program Manager will lead the Fellow recruitment and selection process, including developing marketing collateral, presenting to prospective applicants, and tracking applicant metrics. The incumbent will build relationships with administrators at area colleges and universities that support program college success goals. The manager will ensure that our twice-monthly Saturday workshops are executed successfully leveraging the NYNY curriculum. <Read more>

Community College Program Manager
Community colleges are one of the greatest engines for social mobility but only 36% of students who intend to transfer to a 4-year institution are able to make the transition. 100% of NYNY Fellows who began in community college are now in the process or have already transferred to a 4-year college. NYNY is seeking a Community College Program Manager to build on this success and leverage our Fellows and volunteers to significantly increase the number of community college students who successfully transfer to a 4-year college, succeed, and eventually pursue careers that would have otherwise been inaccessible. The Program Manager will report to the Director of Programs, manage a Program Coordinator, and work with other staff to plan, launch, manage, evaluate and eventually replicate at larger scale a pilot Community College Initiative. <Read more>

Community College Program Coordinator
Community colleges are one of the greatest engines for social mobility but only 36% of students who intend to transfer to a 4-year institution are able to make the transition. 100% of NYNY Fellows who began in community college are now in the process or have already transferred to a 4-year college. NYNY is seeking a Community College Program Coordinator to assist the Director of Programs and Manager in building on this success and leveraging our Fellows and volunteers to increase significantly the number of community college students who successfully transfer to a 4-year college, succeed, and eventually pursue careers that otherwise would have been inaccessible. The Program Coordinator will report to the Program Manager and collaborate with staff to plan, launch, manage, evaluate and eventually replicate at larger scale a pilot Community College Initiative. <Read more>