Summer in the Settlement City
By Allison Rowe
New York City is a frenetic place – the only “slower” season for many is summer. But not for Henry Street. We pick up the pace in the heat. Here’s a “snapshot” of one week in July.
Peer Leadership Program: Middle School Students Helping Students
In New York City, choosing the right high school is as challenging as choosing the right college. To help students negotiate the process, Henry Street has launched a Peer Leadership program to train eight middle school student leaders to advise and assist other students.
During the opening week, Director of Education Services Matt Phifer stopped by to share his story of finding success as a first generation college graduate, and to answer questions about planning for high school, college and a professional career.
“Getting into the right high school is just as important as getting into the right college. And what you’re doing, going out and helping your peers get into the right schools, that’s fundamentally important too,” Matt told the student leaders.
This six-week program, comprised of workshops and individual sessions, teaches the peer advisors to coach students through the high school application process, and share the importance of making proactive education decisions.
“The idea is that these students will hear it better from one of their peers than an adult,” said Phifer.
Summer Camps
Between our three Camp Henry locations and the Barbara L. Tate Arts Camp, Henry Street is enriching the summer experience of more than 300 children with crafts, swimming, sports, field trips and more.
At Camp Henry, this year’s theme, “Around the World in Six Weeks,” takes campers on an educational journey to a different country or continent each week. The campers kicked off the theme with lessons on their home, the United States. They crafted passports and totem poles, studied currency and landmarks, and even created models of famous bridges.
At the Barbara L. Tate Arts Camp, the first week included a nature walk through Henry Street gardens to collect found objects for a craft project. Their theme for the summer, “Time & Travel,” is the launch point for cultural field trips all around New York including museums, galleries and theaters. The campers will also ignite their creative spark, working toward a culminating student-authored presentation, as well artwork on display at the closing exhibition and reception.
Expanded Horizons’ Henry Street University
The Expanded Horizons program at HSS is undergoing some big and exciting changes this summer – come Fall, the program will welcome rising 9th graders for the first time, as the program transitions from a focus on College Access, to one that ensures College Success by following students from the beginning of high school through college graduation.
While the staff plans thoee changes, they’re also welcoming a new batch of students at Henry Street University, a six-week summer experience that prepares rising high school seniors for the college application process. Students participate in SAT/ACT prep classes, attend college tours, review application processes, write personal statements and explore financial aid opportunities.
The first week they attended The College Fair, hosted by Columbia University. There, they met with representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities to learn about educational options, and identify potential financial and social support.
YAIP
Henry Street’s Young Adult Internship Program is busy preparing a new round of 38 participants for three weeks of job readiness training, followed by 10-week internships in a variety of professional fields.
In order to ensure that every program participant has the right mindset to obtain and maintain employment, program coordinator Sara Vonhold started the pre-orientation period with some intense icebreaker games. Each aspiring intern had to lead the class in a unique stretch or dance move, then sing a solo of their choice in the center of the room – and every student rose to the challenge! Next they learned a valuable lesson about breaking the bad habit of making excuses, recalling the many famous people who overcame adversity in their lifetimes.
The participants will continue attending workshops and trainings daily until August 3 when their internships begin. After the internship period, the YAIP staff will follow up program participants for nine month to ensure they acquire and maintain employment.
SYEP
The Summer Youth Employment Program is a citywide initiative that connects young people, ages 14 to 24, with summer jobs. Henry Street alone is managing employment for 2,000 youth in three boroughs, and more than 100 SYEP youth have found work at the Settlement as junior camp counselors, kitchen aides, and more.
