Greetings!
When I was in high school, so many years ago, April 15th was the day that colleges mailed their acceptance letters. We waited anxiously to hear -- who wanted us? Who'd give us enough scholarship money? Where would our friends be going? Then, when I got to college, I wondered why I was there.
The details may change, but the internal work that accompanies high school graduation is the same. It's a major life transition. Kids need all the support they can get.
For that matter, so do parents!
- Editor
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Overcoming Obstacles, Then, More Obstacles
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Shannon never went to
school; she cut class to hang out with friends -- the wrong crowd, naturally. Goals?
She shrugged a lot when asked. Of course, she was failing. But, somehow, she
found her way to YABC.
She liked this small school with evening classes and its
focus on setting goals. She liked talking with Joe Skinner, her advocate,
figuring out her future. She showed up for classes. Her grades were good. Then,
last summer, she was pregnant.
Will they stop helping me?
"Shannon was initially scared to death about telling us she had
to take time off to have her baby," Joe told us. "She
was all tears at this [family/team] meeting because she felt like she was screwing
up. We held her hand through it all."
Once she understood she was still welcome at YABC -- that we're here to support her-- she relaxed
and focused on what she needed to do to get back to school in February.
The pregnancy rate among Staten Island
females, 15-19, is higher than we want (63.3 per 1,000 in 2005); and results in
too many young girls dropping out. The delivery and post-partum period isolates
them; the new baby, losing touch with friends, and falling behind in coursework
make it hard to come back. At YABC, we arranged for Shannon
to continue with home study and we kept in touch with her by phone. It's the kind of support we offer every student.
She's back!
Shannon was one of the
first students through the door when the February semester started. Her mother
cares for Elijah, born November 28th, while Shannon
attends school and her internship at a nursing home. She's planning on college
and a career in nursing or childcare. She's doing well in her classes and will
graduate with a Regent's diploma in June.
Can a teen who's failing in school turn her life
around? We help make it happen every day.
Can a young girl handle a new baby,
too? In Shannon's case, she had already set
some goals for herself. She has a support system in place, and Elijah seems to
have strengthened her resolve.
Helping young people like Shannon
leave failure behind and overcome obstacles to embrace a positive future makes our work so worthwhile.
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Getting the bucks for college
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By the time our students get to YABC they've often put their
parents through hell. Family support is one of the most important tools young
people can have to successfully transition from high school to college. Many in
our programs, though, have so damaged their relationship with parents or
guardians that they are no longer willing to provide the emotional or financial
support or even the personal information a student needs to apply for Federal
and State Financial Aid.
We make every effort to encourage our students to reconcile
with their families and we offer counseling and teen/parent mediation to help
facilitate the process. But, sometimes it just doesn't work.
When is a child independent?Many parents feel that
if this child really wants to go to college he or she can apply for college
loans as an emancipated minor or independent.This lack of
support can become an impossible hurdle. Not living with parents or not
being claimed by them on tax forms does not determine dependency status for
federal student aid. The FAFSA regulations for 2009-2010 state a student
must be born before January 1, 1986 to apply on his/her own.
Fortunately, this year there have been a few changes to the
Federal Financial Aid Student Application (FAFSA) process that make it possible for
students with a wider variety of situations to declare "independent status."
This year FAFSA has included a "dependency status worksheet"
which allows students to determine whether they can meet the criteria for
independent status without having to write directly to FAFSA. Students can
complete this questionnaire without creating an account in order to make a
concise plan for applying for aid.
Not every student in a difficult situation will be able to
take advantage of these new changes. Some will still need to do their best to
patch up strained relationships in order to properly apply for FAFSA.
Finding HelpThe New York
Center offers guidance and a variety of resources for those who need help making
their dream of going to college a reality.
Additional Resources:
Student Aid on the Web in English, Spanish, Braille, and audio The FAFSA website
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| April Headlines |
They came all the way from Paris to get to know us! They are "inner-city
youth" who live in Paris.
They come from Morocco, Algeria, and other former French colonies, in addition
to France.
Most are from poor backgrounds; many were failing academically or acting out. They now
attend Centre de Formation d'Apprentis which was founded in Paris so
under-performing high school students could work in various industries while
they studied. Sounds like YABC and Olympus
Academy, doesn't it? We
had a great time visiting with them.
The auction committee meets next Monday at 6pm. Won't you join us? The committee would love to have additional volunteers join the committee. Lend a hand on the journal. Find great items for the auction. Contact Mike Baver by email or phone: 718-947-4121.
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P.S. 50 Bowling
has grown! Currently there are
30 bowlers from 2nd through 8th grade and come from schools all over Staten
Island under the direction of Coach John Castellano. Some of the children have remarkable ability and natural
talent, according to Mr. "C." Alex
Cippollone, a 7th grader, is averaging 171+ and had high games of 200 &
222. Joseph DeAngelis started as a 2nd grader and is now averaging 135. His
high games so far are 197 & 201. Victoria Sparendera, a fourth grader averages
91. Her high game is 113. "She throws
the ball so gently it takes awhile to get to the pins, but she usually manages
to catch the pocket and knock down lots of pins," said Mr. "C".
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SPOTLIGHT SERIES - Some mediators have requested a schedule change, so we're polling our mediators to determine what evenings work best. If you haven't responded, please contact Gary Carsel.
Do you know someone who'd like to work for the NY Center?
- Program Associates - part-time positions open working in elementary after school programs. Candidates must have some college and experience with elementary aged children. Salary $8-$10 per hour. Send cover letter/resume to Robert Busan
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Administrative Assistant- part-time position open at Olympus Academy
in Brooklyn. Candidates must have some college
and experience with at-risk high school students. Salary $10-13 per hour.
Send cover letter and resume to Erin Neubauer-Keyes.
If you know someone interested in one of these positions, have them email their resume to Candace Gonzalez.
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Please help us expand our circle of friends. Use the "Forward email" link below to send this newsletter to someone you think would be interested. Your friend's address is protected. We don't keep it and won't use or sell it. |
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| ON MY MIND
Dom's Wanderings |
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When my son Joe was entering his senior year in high school,
it felt like a fog of confusion descended over the household.
Joe didn't know
what he wanted to do next. He wasn't interested in looking at schools. He
talked about a year off, but he didn't know what he would do with the year. Our
discussions were long and painful.
One Saturday, at the last minute, I stepped in for his
friend's father who couldn't fulfill a promise to take a carload of kids to an
open house at Five
Towns College.
Joe reluctantly agreed to come along.
It was a life-transforming trip for him. I will always
treasure seeing the spark of excitement that ignited in his eyes as he walked
through the recording studios. That day, he realized that he did have a dream and
that he could build his future around sound. He could do what he loved.
The transition from high school is often as confusing for
parents as for students. Sometimes the obstacles are money, sometimes
pregnancy, often, just not finding that spark.
Good relationships can buckle
under the stress. Bad ones can get worse. But, when it's handled well, You forget the pain and thrill at the young adults our
children become.
The work of helping students find goals that matter and the
courage to pursue them is the most important thing our staff does.
Next, I want us to
find more and better ways to help parents re-engage with the kids that have
caused them such grief.
Dom
PS - As always, I welcome your comments and questions. What's the most important thing we can do to help students and parents with the transition out of high school?
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Help Us
Strengthen
Our Community |
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| Our Calendar |
ACT Classes Helping separating or divorcing parents understand how to help their children cope with the changes. Saturday, April 410 am - 4 pm Spotlight on MediationApril 22nd 5:30-8pm
Fundraising Auction
Thursday, June 4th
Basic Mediation Training & Divorce Mediation
June 11, 12, 13, 14 See details here
Registration form
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