Access to out-of-school enrichment activities or the lack thereof constitutes one of the great social divides among young people. Children growing up in low-, especially very low-income households lack access to those activities: museum trips, country excursions, tennis coaching, swimming lessons, robotics clubs, music school, dance classes, sports leagues, college campus visits, cultural exchanges, and summer camp.
Parents and educators recognize the value these enhancements provide, especially for middle school children at a critical life crossroads: enabling pre- and early adolescents to explore interests, nurture skills, expand horizons, gain social skills, develop self-esteem and confidence, and learn teamwork, tolerance, and individual initiative. Decades of unwise budget cuts have eliminated enrichment opportunities like these from public middle schools. Parents in less deprived neighborhoods regularly supplement their schools with such programs; our families cannot.
Without access to these enrichment activities, life opportunity gets cut short, the cycle of poverty continues, serious health issues from the lack of physical fitness activities advances with age. In the absence of summer camp or other meaningful summer engagement, low-income youth suffer social and academic setbacks as compared to their more engaged peers. That is why Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth brings to low-income children the same top-quality school year and summer camp programming which other children take for granted but which children in low-income households otherwise would never receive.
The Schools We Serve
John Ericsson Middle School 126, 80 Catherine Street
- Community School District 2
- Community District 3 Manhattan
- Chinatown, Lower East Side
- Title 1 School
- Many students live in shelters
- Contact: John DeMatteo, Physical Education Director, jkatnice@aol.com,
917-826-2269
MS 140, 123 Ridge Street
- Community School District 1
- Community District 3 Manhattan
- Lower East Side
- Title 1 School
- Very high needs school; Many students live in shelters
- Contact: Lin Lin Chou, Administrator, LChou@schools.nyc.gov ,917-847-7825
Luisa Dessus Cruz Middle School 302, 681 Kelley Street
- Community School District 8
- Community District 2 Bronx
- Southeast Bronx
- Many students live in shelters
- Title 1 School
- Contact: Rosny Louis, Assistant Principal, RJeanlouis3@schools.nyc.gov
516-430-0399
MS 297, 75 Morton Street
- Greenwich Village, Chelsea
- Community School District 2
- Community District 2. Manhattan
- Ecsonomically diverse student body, including children from Fulton Street NYCHA project
- not a Title 1 school, but includes students in households in poverty
- Contact: Valerie Leak, Principal; valeriel@75morton.org, 212-295-7555
MS 167- Wagner School, 220 E 76 Street
- Upper East Side
- Community School District 2
- Community District 8 Manhattan
- Very Large School, Economically Diverse
- Not a Title 1 school, but includes students in households in poverty
- Contact: Gavin Rodgers, Dean, GRodgers@schools.nyc.gov, 631-806-1264
Our Seven Point Program
1 – PROGRAM EXPERTISE: SGHY does not run programs. We develop program ideas and then identify and engage the City’s best, top-caliber program providers in their respective fields, benefitting the children with an unusually high expertise level.** SGHY negotiates generous discounts with all program providers and camps.
2 – SCHOOL COLLABORATION: SGHY plans activities with administrators and teachers at our partner middle schools. We involve school day teachers alongside program providers and at camps to assure communication and collaboration between the school and the program or camp meet individual student needs. SGHY covers faculty per session rates in accordance with collective bargaining agreements.
3- UNIVERSITY AFFILIATION: SGHY collaborates with Columbia University to involve student and faculty scientists and athletes in SGHY activities, both in partnership with middle schools and on Columbia’s campus. This provides role models and college inspiration to our middle school students;
4- VARIETY: SGHY offers an unusual variety of healthy programs and activities in sports, dance, hands-on science, outdoor nature, cultural exchange, and music and drama. This variety includes familiar activities so they can build on existing interests with others that can expand their horizons..
5 – SUMMER CAMP: SGHY offers students whose families cannot afford tuition the opportunity to attend top-quality sleep-away or day camps. Such active social and physical engagements contributes greatly toward success in the school year that follows.
6- VALUES: All activities in addition to their particular skill sets, promote self-esteem and self-confidence; teamwork and tolerance; self-responsibility and individual initiative; perseverance and sportsmanship; college inspiration and grand dreams. SGHY believes that experiencing nature in the great outdoors also provides value to inner-city youth in experiencing a balanced whole-world perspective,
7 – TOTALLY FREE: SGHY with your support provides these activities totally free-of-charge to children and families. This includes providing transportation, meals, snacks, canteen allowances, proper attire and supplies as needed, all covered by SGHY.