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715 North Avenue
New Rochelle , NY 10801
Phone: (914) 633-2471
Fax: (914) 637-7743
E-mail: rbrownmanning@iona.edu
Title: New Rochelle RISE: Reach for Individual Success and Empowerment
Project Director: Robin Brown-Manning
Project Amount Funded (FY 2006): $249,480
Target Population: African American and Hispanic/Latino Youth, Grades 5-9
The purpose of the New Rochelle RISE: Reach for Individual Success and Empowerment program is to address unhealthy behaviors among 50 at-risk, minority youth residing in public housing in the New Rochelle community by providing them with opportunities to learn more positive lifestyles, and enhancing their ability to make healthier lifestyle choices. Iona College partners with the following 10 local organizations to implement the program: City School District of New Rochelle, Bronx Westchester Area Health Education Center, New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority, New Rochelle Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation, Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester, New Rochelle Youth Bureau, the Guidance Center, the Sound Shore Medical Center, and the Westchester County Youth Bureau. The RISE program is an intensive after school program conducted at the Barnard School , with monthly Saturday activities, and a four-week summer program conducted on the Iona College campus. The academic development component of the project provides after school literacy and community focused support that is linked with participants regular school curriculum. Project staff provide tutoring and monitor participants' academic progress through follow-up with parents and teachers. The personal development and wellness component consists of after school and weekend activities such as: Passport to Manhood and Smart Girls with the Boys and Girls Club; Power of Peace workshops; nutrition workshops, organized physical activities and sports skills clinics; SHAPE Clubs (fitness and nutrition) for participants and their families; community service projects; and healthy lifestyles workshops. Activities in the cultural enrichment component are also conducted after school and monthly on Saturdays and include: rites of passage workshops, field trips to museums and theaters, arts enrichment projects, and joint youth/family activities. The career development component consists of career academies which provide opportunities for exploring careers in health, the arts, business/finance, science/technology, and communications. Each career academy includes internet research, guest speakers, college visits, and job shadowing. The summer program is designed for 5 th and 8 th graders who are. The summer experience focuses on improving participants' academic skills, and preparing for transition into middle or high school.