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| Quarterly Newsletter |
October 2017 |
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Happy 10th Anniversary, YPIE!
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Dear Friends,
YPIE's 10th anniversary is a great excuse to reflect on our journey. I vividly recall YPIE's earliest days in the summer of 2007. We had a one-room office in the Homes for America building and were charged with the vague mission of creating access to a quality education for all Yonkers Public School students. I remember thinking 'where do we begin?' With community input and partnership with the school district we were able to identify areas of great need where we thought we could make a difference. Similar to many urban public school districts, Yonkers had a high student to guidance counselor ratio and this significantly impacted students' ability to go to college. We believed that we could help change this and we were right.
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With sharp focus and rigor, a good strategic plan and the willingness to continually refine our model, YPIE has grown over ten years into an organization doing important work with thousands of low-income students in the Yonkers Public Schools. We're providing students with academic experiences, mentors and access to selective colleges. And for those who don't realize their potential right away, we're providing inspiration as described in a recent English class essay by one of our YPIE Scholars:
Since my freshman year in high school, I was very shy and like a ghost in the school since I was new and didn't really have a voice. So I joined this program called YPIE and it has ever since changed my life to something I didn't know was possible...I am going to be the first person in my family to go to college and my parents had no idea of what a transcript was. I have to say that YPIE improved my grades and made me realize that I have more potential in me than I even see in myself. Now as a junior, I know how to speak for myself. I'm not afraid to act like myself anymore... I will let my flame keep burning until the very day that I die because of YPIE who taught me who I was truly meant to be - ME."
I believe this sums up YPIE's ten year evolution. We have grown into a large community of donors and volunteers who care deeply about the public education crisis in our country. We
have a staff of passionate professionals who change the lives of young people every day. And we have a growing network of thousands of the most amazing students, capable of anything they set their minds to. In a world that feels increasingly disengaged, YPIE is a place where we see people at their very best. Changing our world one student at a time. I thank you for your continued support along our journey.
Warmly,
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Wendy Nadel
YPIE Executive Director
PS: In case you missed our 10 Year Anniversary video, please
watch here! It's a must-see!
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| YPIE is Recruiting Volunteers! |
For this newsletter, we couldn't decide on just one volunteer to highlight. So we chose three Shining Stars to tell you in their own words why you should consider becoming a volunteer Graduation Coach. If you would like to get involved and make a difference in the life of a student, please visit ypie.org/volunteer.
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Reasons to Become a Graduation Coach!
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"It is a great opportunity to give a young person an increased opportunity to reach their full potential and succeed in life. We can all look back and credit someone with contributing to our ultimate success. By volunteering you can pay it forward and be that special person."
-Ron, YPIE Graduation Coach
Ron, pictured here with YPIE Scholar James, is a lifelong Yonkers resident who began volunteering with YPIE in 2015 as a way to give back to his community.
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"DO IT! It's amazing to see how you can really make a difference in a person's life. These kids are motivated, many just don't have access to all the same opportunities we have. It's a very little time commitment with very big rewards."
-Allison, YPIE Graduation Coach
Allison began volunteer with YPIE in 2016 by mentoring YPIE Scholars Aishe and Katherine. She encourages their success in school by helping them advocate for themselves and by sharing her experience as a mom of older kids.
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"It truly is a wonderful, rewarding and worthwhile experience. It's an opportunity to give back and to help mold and shape the future of a young person. Someone once said, 'As one person I can not change the world, but I can change the world of one person.'"
-Denise, YPIE Graduation Coach
Denise mentored YPIE Scholar Alberto through all four years of high school. She found her experience as a Graduation Coach was a "win-win" and discovered that she not only had a lot of life experience to share with her mentee, but also learned a lot from him as well.
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Interested in volunteering?
Sign Up for the Info Session!
Thursday, October 19th, 2017
For more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact
Steve Cruz.
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Domino Sugar: A Key Ingredient to YPIE's Success
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As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we salute ASR-Domino, a pillar of the Yonkers community for more than 100 years. As one of the earliest funders of YPIE, Domino has been an important partner in our growth and success. From initial funding of the YPIE College Center at Saunders Trades and Technical School, to the annual ongoing support today, we are so grateful for the wonderful relationship we have built over the years with Domino employees who continue to make an impact in the community where they work.
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Kicking Off the New Academic Year
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We began the new school year with a series of kickoff events held at each high school in Yonkers
where we reunited our 20
19 & 2024 YPIE Scholars with their Graduation Coaches
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Coaches received a brief orientation, and an overview of the milestones for the year and the new curriculum. Scholars and Coaches then met to set goals, both academic and personal, for the upcoming school year. 11th Grade Scholars and Coaches met their YPIE College Advisor, who will help them dive into the college application process as they begin to shift their focus from college readiness to college access.
This week
, the YPIE College Zone will welcome back Scholars,
all
who have committed to attending the after school learning center at least two times per week.
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YPIE Fellows
have been working diligently with their YPIE College Coaches over the course of several months. College Coaches are volunteers
, trained
to work with students to craft a solid essay that will help them get into the college of their dreams. They are putting the finishing touches on their essays for the Common Application
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YPIE Students Aim High for Selective Colleges
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YPIE continues to match our high achieving seniors to good fit, selective colleges where financial aid can be more accessible for low income students and college graduation rates are high.
Last April we
convened
admissions representatives
from twelve selective colleges. Below are three ways that we are working to increase enrollment at selective colleges:
- Encourage students to apply for and attend "fly-in" weekends", an expense paid introduction to colleges our students may not have considered. Already this fall, YPIE students have applied to and been invited to "fly-in" weekends at Amherst, Colorado College, Dartmouth, Franklin & Marshall, to name just a few.
- Visit campuses. With support from YPIE volunteer, Elisa Owen whose friends have made designated contributions for college bus trips, YPIE will be taking 30-40 seniors to visit selective colleges including Wesleyan University, Union College and Boston University.
- Meet college admissions representatives at YPIE. Admissions representatives from many great schools are on the schedule; University of Pennsylvania; Smith College; Tufts University; Hamilton College; Hampshire College; Cooper Union; Barnard College; Lehigh University; Franklin & Marshall.
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Thank You for Making the Gala a Huge Success!
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"We all need people who believe in us, encourage us and open doors. Without YPIE, David Westin and the doors they have opened, I don't know where I would be today."
-Devin DeLosSantos, YPIE Alum, Marist College student
On September 14th friends, supporters, and volunteers came together to celebrate YPIE's 10th Anniversary at our annual Gala. T
his year we were proud to honor YPIE Board Chair, David Westin.
The celebration, held at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY surpassed all goals raising more than $600,000 to fund programs to help Yonkers students get to and through college. We are so grateful for your generous support!
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Giving Tuesday is Right Around the Corner!
Giving Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (November 28th) as a way to kick off the charitable giving season. We know you have many nonprofits to choose from, so thank you for remembering YPIE in your holiday and end-of-year giving.
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Cyber Monday
Another way you can support YPIE this upcoming holiday season (or even better, year round!) is to do your shopping through
AmazonSmile. Amazon will donate a percentage of the price of your eligible purchases to Yonkers Partners In Education whenever you shop. It's easy and free!
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Program Calendar
Check out our
Program Calendar to stay up to date on all of YPIE's upcoming programs and events.
Graduation Coaches - mark your calendars for our upcoming Coffee & Brew events where you can meet other Coaches and receive additional training.
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Thank You For Your Ongoing Support
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Share a Slice of YPIE with a Friend!
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We hope you are enjoying our quarterly newsletter:
A Slice of YPIE!
There's always room for another slice of pie!
Know a friend who is as passionate about education as you are?
Share this newsletter by clicking "Forward to a Friend" below.
Thanks for helping our community grow!
Learn more and
get involved by visiting us
at
ypie.org
or on social media.
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