El Puente De Williamsburg Inc

EL PUENTE IS A COMMUNITY HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTION THAT PROMOTES LEADERSHIP FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE THROUGH THE ENGAGEMENT OF MEMBERS (YOUTH AND ADULT) IN THE ARTS, EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, WELLNESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLSEL PUENTE COMMUNITY SCHOOL SERVES ALL MS50 STUDENTS (~325 STUDENTS) THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY TO CREATE UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, AND WILL PROVIDE TARGETED/INTENSIVE SERVICES TO STUDENTS (AND THEIR FAMILIES) WHO FALL IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT FROM SCHOOL ARE CHRONICALLY LATE TO SCHOOL ARE FREQUENTLY CITED FOR BEHAVIORAL INFRACTIONS AND/OR SUSPENSIONS ARE NEW IMMIGRANTS/ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELLS) WHO NEED CULTURAL, AS WELL AS ACADEMIC TRANSITION, SUPPORTATTENDANCE IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES ARE BASED ON QUALITATIVE/QUANTITATIVE DATA AND APPROACH ROOTED IN COMMUNITY & FAMILY CONNECTEDNESS (EX. 1-ON-1 STUDENTS AND/OR FAMILY MENTORING, HOME VISITS, PARENT CONFERENCES, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS). WE CURRENTLY SERVE 60 STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE SUCCESS MENTORING PROGRAM THAT SPECIFICALLY TARGETS CHRONICALLY LATE AND ABSENT STUDENTS. WE HAVE SEEN OUR SCHOOL YEARLY ATTENDANCE RISE FROM 89% TO 93% AND CHRONICALLY ABSENTEEISM REDUCED BY HALF. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES SUPPORT MS50 STAFF IN CREATING AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR STUDENTS FAMILIES AS DECISION-MAKING PARTNERS, THROUGH EDUCATIONAL/VOCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES, & CULTURALLY/LINGUISTICALLY RELEVANT ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING. WE ALSO HAVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS TO PREPARE PARENTS TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES THROUGH THE PTA AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM, AS WELL AS WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS, TO INCLUDE: FITNESS, NUTRITION & WELLNESS, ESL/GED AND JOB TRAINING/SKILL BUILDING. ABOUT 80% OF OUR PARENTS HAVE ATTENDED AT LEAST 1 WORKSHOP, EVENT AND/OR PROGRAMMING IN THE PAST YEAR. IN THE FACE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL TEAM WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE MS 50 ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF TO TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL LEARNING.THE STAFF ORGANIZED A COMPUTER AND SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTION FOR EVERY STUDENT WITH IN PERSON PICK UP OR HOME DELIVERY BY STAFF. THEY ALSO DESIGNED A COMPREHENSIVE ATTENDANCE RETENTION SYSTEM TO INCLUDE ONE TO ONE DAILY STUDENT/FAMILY CHECK INS, SMALL GROUP TUTORING( PARTICULARLY FOR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS AND THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, INTEGRATED ARTS CLASSES, BEREAVEMENT/GRIEFCOUNSELING/SUPPORT GROUPS, COMMUNITY INCENTIVES, AS WELL AS DELIVERY OF FOOD, SUPPLIES AND SOCIAL SERVICE REFERRALS TO FAMILIES IN MOST NEED. AS A RESULT, OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL MAINTAINED A 93% ATTENDANCE RATE VIRTUALLY.EL PUENTE CORNERSTONE LEADERSHIP CENTERS LEARNING LABS AS SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK CITY TRANSITIONED TO A HYBRID MODEL OF EDUCATION, EL PUENTE WORKED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO HOST THREE LEARNING LAB PROGRAMS. LEARNING LABS WERE SPACES WHERE WE SUPPORTED/FACILITATED THE REMOTE LEARNING OF YOUTH K-8 DURING THE DAYS THEY DID NOT ATTEND IN PERSON SCHOOL. PROGRAMS OPERATED 5 DAYS A WEEK MONDAY FRIDAY FROM 8 AM 3 PM. THE PROGRAMS OFFERED DIRECT ACADEMIC SUPPORT, AS WELL AS ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, AND SUPPORT TO FAMILIES WHO DID NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, TRAINING AND ACCESS TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT CHILDREN NEEDED WHILE LEARNING REMOTELY. MANY OF THE YOUTH EL PUENTE SERVED WERE MULTI LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE OF OUR STAFF WAS ESSENTIAL IN SUPPORTING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. THROUGHOUT THE 10 MONTHS DURATION OF THE LEARNING LABS, EL PUENTE WORKED WITH YOUTH AND FAMILIES FROM 10 ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS. AFTER 3:00 PM, YOUTH HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION TO OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS PROVIDING A FULL DAY OF PROGRAMMING FOR YOUTH. EL PUENTE LEARNING LABS WERE SUCCESSFUL AS THEY NOT ONLY ADDRESS THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF OUR YOUTH BUT BECAUSE WE WORKED TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THEIR WELLNESS, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL NEEDS AS THEY WERE RETURNING TO SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PERSON AFTER SIX MONTHS. OUR MASTERFUL STAFF NOT ONLY FOCUSED ON THEIR IMMEDIATE AND DAILY WORK TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL PROGRAMMING AND RESOURCES TO OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES BUT ALSO CONTINUED TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES.GLD/LCANCLIMATE WALK PUERTO RICO IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE''- THE CLIMATE WALK, LA CAMINATA, HAS BEEN OUR ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL SIGNATURE EVENT. WE USE IT TO CREATE AWARENESS AS WELL AS MOBILIZE PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION IN MITIGATING AND ADAPTING TO THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN PUERTO RICO AND THE AFTERMATH OF THE HURRICANES AND EARTHQUAKES. IN 2020, OUR TEAM IN PUERTO RICO TRANSITIONED THIS EVENT TO A VIRTUAL PLATFORM AND HOSTED OUR FIRST VIRTUAL CAMINATA:EL VIRTUATON. THEY ENDED UP WITH OVER 11,000 VIEWS, ENGAGING COMMUNITY GROUPS, UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOLS, FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES ISLAND WIDE TOGETHER TO STAND FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE BUT ALSO INTEGRATED MORE GROUPS IN THE DIASPORA TAKING ACTION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES IN SUPPORT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF PUERTO RICO. OUR COMMUNITY-BASED EMERGENCY RESPONSE: THE WELLNESS HUB HAS BEEN LINGUISTICALLY & CULTURALLY GROUNDED & FOCUSED ON OUR NETWORK OF FAMILIES WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS. EL PUENTE HAS DESIGNED AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE & PREPAREDNESS PLAN THAT PROVIDES RELIEF/ RECOVERY TO OUR FAMILIES WHILE ALSO BUILDING A RESILIENCE NETWORK FOR LONG-TERM PREPAREDNESS TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES PLAGUING OUR COMMUNITY FOR DECADES. THE PLAN FOCUSES ON ORGANIZATIONAL AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING TO RESPOND TO COVID-19 AND PREPARING FOR THE NEXT CRISIS. THE WELLNESS HUB HAS BEEN EL PUENTES HOLISTIC RESPONSE DEVELOPED DURING COVID-19 TO ASSESS AND ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE YOUTH AND FAMILIES. OUR WELLNESS HUB WAS DESIGNED TO CHECK IN WITH FAMILIES, EVALUATE AND ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS WHETHER DIRECTLY OR BY MAKING THE NECESSARY REFERRALS WITHIN OUR NETWORK OF PARTNERS.