Out-of-School-Time programs to help middle school students transition successfully to 9th grade receive $1.8 million in support from the New York Life Foundation

New York Life | June 21, 2023

NEW YORK — The New York Life Foundation and the Afterschool Alliance today announced $1.8 million in new grants to 40 afterschool, summer, and expanded learning programs across the United States. The grants will go to organizations in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont to support disadvantaged middle school youth during the out-of-school-time (OST) hours. These latest grants bring the total of New York Life Foundation’s support of youth development programs to $9.75 million over the seven years of the Aim High program.

The Aim High grant program is part of the New York Life Foundation’s ongoing investment in OST programs to help middle school youth in under-resourced communities reach the 9th grade on time and better prepared for high school. The Foundation recently adopted social justice as a third focus area, joining the longstanding pillars of childhood bereavement and educational enhancement for middle school students.

New this year are grants aimed at supporting students’ well-being, which has been significantly impacted by the pandemic as the nation faces a national emergency in adolescent mental health. Other grants remain focused on supporting OST programs’ racial equity and social justice work. Awarded through a competitive process, grants are going to OST organizations in a total of 15 states.

"Out-of-school time programs support children’s foundational academic and social skills. These programs help youth stay engaged in school, which improves the likelihood that a middle school student will remain on-track for graduation and be better prepared for high school," said Marlyn Torres, senior program officer, New York Life Foundation. "Afterschool and summer programs play an important role in supporting the positive development of children so they can reach their full potential. These programs are particularly important today as young people continue to navigate the lingering effects of learning loss, disengagement from school, and increased anxiety and mental health issues.”

Research shows that participation in high-quality afterschool, expanded day, and summer programs leads to greater academic achievement, better school attendance, and more engaged students.

"We are so grateful for the enormous, long-term contribution the New York Life Foundation is making to afterschool programs and the students they serve through its Aim High initiative,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “The Afterschool Alliance is very proud to partner with the Foundation to make Aim High the enormous success that it is. These new grants will help 40 remarkable programs do even more to support middle school students. We congratulate all of this year’s award recipients and applaud the New York Life Foundation for its vision and generosity."

The 2023 Grant Winners

Ten organizations were awarded two-year grants of $50,000 per year, for a total of $100,000 each:

• Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc., Lawrence, Massachusetts
• Sociedad Latina, Roxbury, Massachusetts
• Coaching for Change, Taunton, Massachusetts
• Reel Works, Brooklyn, New York
• Korean American Family Service Center, Flushing, New York
• ourBRIDGE, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Refugee Empowerment Program, Memphis, Tennessee
• Breakthrough Central Texas, Austin, Texas
• YWCA San Antonio, San Antonio , Texas
• C5 Texas, Dallas, Texas

Ten organizations were awarded two-year grants of $25,000 per year, for a total of $50,000 each:

• Rising Youth Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
• Uncommon Good, Claremont, California
• Raw Art Works, Lynn, Massachusetts
• Elevate Navajo, Ft. Defiance, Navajo Nation (Arizona and New Mexico)
• Horizons New York City, Brooklyn, New York
• Operation Exodus Inner City, Inc., New York, New York
• South Bronx United, Bronx, New York
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland County, Shelby, North Carolina
• East Cleveland Neighborhood Center, East Cleveland, Ohio
• Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, East Barre, Vermont

Ten organizations were awarded one-year grants of $15,000 to support their work to advance racial equity and social justice:

• Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, California
• One World Education, Washington, DC
• Swaliga Foundation, Washington, DC
• The Treehouse Foundation, Easthampton, Massachusetts
• Girls Inc. of Long Island, Deer Park, New York
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, Warm Springs, Oregon
• Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
• Hattiloo Theatre, Memphis, Tennessee
• Girls Empowerment Network, Austin, Texas
• Workshop Houston, Houston, Texas

Ten organizations were awarded one-year grants of $15,000 to support and sustain youth well-being:

• City Surf Project, San Francisco, California
• Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce, Florida
• Youth & Opportunity United, Evanston, Illinois
• New City Kids, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Student U, Durham, North Carolina
• Boys & Girls Club of Wake County, Raleigh, North Carolina
• UpSpring, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association, Cleveland, Ohio
• Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach, El Paso, Texas

The Afterschool Alliance convened a selection committee of experts in the OST field, including youth, to assess applications and make grant recommendations.

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.

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 over $415 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, childhood bereavement and social justice. 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.