Arete Education Inc

ARETE EDUCATION, INC. TRAINS AND EMPOWERS YOUTHS TO LEAD SUCCESSFUL LIVES, BY PARTNERING WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO GROW INVESTMENT IN MOTT HAVEN YOUTHS.

ARETES CORE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES INCLUDE: (1) EXPANDED DAY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS; (2) SUMMER BRIDGE INTEGRATED ARTS AND ACADEMICS INTENSIVE ALL-DAY, FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM; (3) COLLEGE BRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT ACCELERATION AND PAID INTERNSHIP FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM; (4) WORK-BASED LEARNING AND PAID INTERNSHIPS IN TEACHING, STEM, AND THE ARTS; (5) INTEGRATED COLLEGE ACCESS SERVICES; AND (6) YEAR ROUND SERVICE LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP YOUTH DEVELOPMENTARETE EDUCATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE MOTT HAVEN SECTION OF THE SOUTH BRONX, PROVIDING WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES TO 750 STUDENTS AND FAMILIES YEARLY. THIS COMMUNITY REPRESENTS SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN NEW YORK STATE. IT HAS DISPROPORTIONALLY HIGH ASTHMA RATES AND OTHER PROBLEMATIC HEALTH INDICATORS THAT MADE IT ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AN ESTIMATED 29% OF MOTT HAVEN RESIDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY, COMPARED TO 20% OF NYC RESIDENTS.THROUGH OUR DEEP PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS, ARETE HAS BEEN ABLE TO ENSURE 95% OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATE ON TIME, WITH STRONG COLLEGE PLACEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE RATES, CONTINUING THROUGH THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC. ARETES COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMS PROVIDE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO AP COURSES, COLLEGE CREDITS (CLEP, COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL BRIDGE PROGRAM), ONE-ON-ONE COLLEGE MENTORING, AND WORK-BASED LEARNING. OUR FLAGSHIP PARTNER SCHOOL, THE LABORATORY SCHOOL OF FINANCE & TECHNOLOGY: IS NATIONALLY RANKED WITH U.S. NEWS; HAS A 4-YEAR GRADUATION RATE OF 95% AND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS INDEX OF 87%; PERFORMS IN THE TOP 25% IN NYC SCHOOLS ON STATE EXAMS; AND OVER 90% OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKING ONE OR MORE AP COURSES AND OVER 60% OF 8TH GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS RECEIVING HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS. ARETE ALSO PROVIDES PARTNER SCHOOLS WITH 500 HOURS OF EXTRA INSTRUCTION AND ARTS EDUCATION PER STUDENT THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR.THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR CLIENTS INCLUDES YOUTH IN GRADES 6-12, 22% STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, 92% FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, 9% ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND 99% MINORITY (ASIAN, 1%, AFRICAN AMERICAN 14%, HISPANIC/LATINX 83%, WHITE 1%). IN THE TWO YEARS OF THE PANDEMIC, ARETE HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID AND SERVICE PROJECTS FOR OUR FAMILIES, INCLUDING: (1) DISTRIBUTION OF HOTSPOTS, CHROMEBOOKS, AND ZOOM ACCOUNTS TO SUPPORT THE IMMEDIATE MOVEMENT OF SCHOOLING FROM ON-SITE TO REMOTE; (2) ARETE FAMILY HELP HOTLINE CREATED WHEN ARETE RETRAINED STAFF TO CREATE A BILINGUAL PHONE SERVICE FOR MOTT HAVEN FAMILIES THAT PROVIDES EMPATHETIC LISTENING AND GUIDANCE FOR HOW TO ACCESS CITY RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS; (3) VOLUNTEER GROCERY DELIVERIES OF DONOR-PURCHASED GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES RECENTLY LOSING A LOVED ONE TO COVID AND/OR SUFFERING FROM ACUTE FOOD SHORTAGES; (4) FEED OUR NEEDS SERVICE PROJECT TO ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES IN THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES BY PROVIDING FUNDING FOR MEALS TO OVER 500 FAMILIES PREPARED BY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES; (5) REGIONAL ENRICHMENT CENTER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT STAFFING FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF TIME NYC DOE SCHOOL BUILDINGS WERE CLOSED TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN CENTRAL HARLEM; AND (6) LOVE AND RACIAL JUSTICE YOUTH LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE, A YEAR-LONG SERVICE PROJECT INVOLVING THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION IN A STUDY OF LOVE, RACIAL JUSTICE, AND SERVICE; (7) ARETE HOPE NETWORK, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID TO FAMILIES LIVING IN TEMPORARY HOUSING IN MOTT HAVEN AND HARLEM, PROVIDING STIPENDS, GROCERIES, LAPTOPS, MENTORING AND DAILY ATTENDANCE SUPPORT TO ENROLLED FAMILIES, RESULTING IN A POSITIVE IMPACT TO THE STUDENTS ATTENDANCE RATES AND GRADES; (8) INTERGENERATIONAL TUTORING - HIGH ACHIEVING UPPERCLASSMEN PARTICIPATE IN OUR PAID TEACHING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND RECEIVE RIGOROUS TRAINING AND COACHING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROVIDE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC SUPPORTS TO TUTEES IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, ALLOWING STAFF, ALUMNI, AND UPPERCLASSMEN TO CREATE A CARING SUPPORT SYSTEM TO HALT AND REVERSE LEARNING LOSS RESULTING FROM THE PANDEMIC; (9) ARETES BRONX-BASED TEACHER PIPELINE THAT MENTORS ALUMNI OF OUR PROGRAMS INTO TEACHING AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CAREERS.