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Research Foundation of CUNY/Medgar Evers College
1650 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(212) 417-8410 (Phone)
(212) 417-8420 (Fax)

The Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions at Medgar Evers College, established in 2000, studies the convergence of mass incarceration, mass unemployment and mass disenfranchisement of people of color in Kings County. The Center provides services in the areas of research, case management, public policy, community education and training, forums, seminars, conferences and special events, as well as counseling and referrals.

Empowering Youth to Excel and Succeed Initiative
$299,994
Veronica Udeogalanya
(718) 270-5012 (Phone)
veronica@mec.cuny.edu

Abstract

The EYES (Empowering Youth to Excel and Succeed) initiative will be a synergistic youth empowerment initiative that will provide a host of developmental programs and support services to target and reduce at-risk behaviors of 30 youths over a three-year period in the Crown Heights section of Kings County, New York. Specific objectives include reducing and/or eliminating high-risk behaviors among participants, strengthening protective/resiliency factors, developing sustainable basic life skills and helping the target population develop skills and behaviors that will lead to healthier lifestyle choices and to overall success in life. The target population is largely undereducated (seen in low high school graduation rates, high high school drop-out rates and low student performance) and prone to engage in crime. Furthermore, close to 60 percent of the Brooklyn population is overweight or obese. In addition, the population has high rates of substance abuse, including marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy use. Specifically, the project will target 30 cohorts, ages 12-15, for three years. The program will operate Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., during the Fall, Winter and Spring and once a month from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Strategies, practices and interventions include mentoring, cultural events, physical fitness activities, health education sessions and tutoring. Expected outcomes include reducing and/or eliminating high-risk behaviors among participants, strengthening protective/resiliency factors, developing sustainable basic life skills and developing skills and behaviors that will lead to healthier lifestyle choices and to overall success in life for participants. Performance measures include reduction in the number of students classified as overweight, increased number of mentors matched with students and increased number of students developing sustainable life skills including leadership, self-esteem and financial literacy. IUC, Inc., is responsible for collecting all relevant program data. Project data will be analyzed in a two-stage process in order to make decisions regarding the results and program impact. The methodology is based on a two-stage (before and after). Both descriptive and inferential statistics will be applied to collected data. Statistical procedures applied will include parametric and non-parametric methods such as Chi-Square tests, linear regression and regression models to estimate the hazard of drop out for the Cohort receiving the intervention.

OMH objective(s) toward which the project's results most contribute:

• Increased awareness, education, & outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health & health disparities problems
• Improved access to, and appropriate utilization of, health & other community-based services and systems through user-centered design for racial/ethnic minorities (e.g., health IT, culturally/ linguistically appropriate services, service provider education/ training, workforce diversity)