Community School District 21
521 West Avenue

Contact: Barry M. Fein,
Telephone: 718.714.2541
Fax: 718.449.8236

**Program Description**

Project activities will support the New York State and New York City English Language Arts and Math Performance Standards. While no specific curriculum will be used, all activities will be modeled after established educational requirements as proposed in the comprehensive Education Plan of each of the participating schools. This Plan establishes the education blueprint for the school. Program activities will enhance existing after school activities including Project READ, including basic literacy skills such as reading, writing, critical thinking, self-expression, speaking for all students, and recreation. Academic enrichment activities will help students meet New York State and District 21 performance standards. Students will also be offered science and math enrichment, drama, arts, recreation, and conflict resoluton/violence prevention activities. One school, in conjunction with Futurekids, will provide computer instruction for limited English speaking parents and their children. Participating students will be given the opportunity to expand their knowledge of topics ranging from literature to art, and permits them to prepare material that is interdisciplinary.

Peer Mentoring/Conflict Resolution

This component will utilize project participation and students from 10 schools in District 21 Students from the area schools will be identified by school officials and parents. Targeted students in need of remediation in reading, mathematics and/or language acquisition will be assigned a peer mentor and a peer group. Ongoing on-site administration and supervision by project staff will ensure that both the project participant and the student to benefit from the experience. In addition project participants will be available as homework helpers through telephone contact with students. Project participants will work with students in groups of two to three children, utilizing instructional materials and methods provided them by project staff. This will allow project participants to effectivey work with as many students as possible. About 600 children will benefit from this component. Community School District 21 and the New York City Police Department/ Division of School Safety was funded to establish a program to reduce and/or prevent substance abuse and violence by school-ages youth. The School Safety Cadet Program is a unique in that it is the first time that the Division of School Safety, a local law enforcement agency, will partner with a New York City community school district to train students to be peer mediators. Professional development will consist of training adults and students in effective peer mediation strategies, and implementing a newly adopted violence prevention program for at-risk students.

Funded Organization:
Community School District 21