Named Winner of the 2024 Mentoring Excellence Award by Non-Profit MENTOR New York and Recognized at Upcoming MENTOR of the Year Awards
New York, NY – JUNE 6, 2024 – MENTOR New York is thrilled to announce that NYC Public Schools’ (NYCPS) Success Mentors and Attendance Improvement is the winner of the 2024 Mentoring Excellence Award.
The Mentoring Excellence Award celebrates programs within MENTOR New York’s network that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to quality mentorship. These programs have completed enhancement projects to strengthen their programming for mentees and mentors and actively engage in MENTOR New York's consulting, training, and support services.
This award not only celebrates the NYCPS’ achievements but also highlights the importance of quality mentorship in transforming lives and communities. A study from MENTOR National reports that one in three young people grow up without a mentor in our country, making efforts from schools and institutions like NYC Public Schools critical to closing this gap.
Through their programming, NYC Public Schools’ Success Mentors and Attendance Improvement provided students with mentoring services in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Launched in 2014, the Success Mentor Corps has successfully helped students gain up to 13 days of school. MENTOR New York was a consultant supporting the pilot of this initiative in NYC. Since its launch, it has been replicated nationwide.
NYCPS’ Success Mentors is dedicated to empowering students for a bright future, ensuring every day counts in their journey to success. Through their "Every Student, Every Day" initiative, NYCPS tackles absenteeism head-on with key strategies, including:
Creating clear and engaging school systems.
Building strong attendance teams.
Personalizing student support, including effective success mentoring.
Collaborating with vibrant communities for maximum impact.
In 2021, NYCPS partnered with MENTOR New York to enhance mentoring programs citywide.
NYCPS highlighted districts and schools that run Success Mentoring programs:
Long Island City High School with partner Zone 126
IS126Q with partner Zone 126
PS/MS 5 Port Morris
Community School District 26 with partner Queensboro Community College
IS 303K with partner Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island
PS 65X
PS 41K with partner Nickelodeon School Partnership Program and Children and MetaLogic Strategic Consulting
IS 281K and the Cavallaro Soccer Program
PS 25X The Bilingual School with partner ASPIRA
PS 226K
PS 59K with partner United Community Schools
Additionally, NYCPS has piloted mentoring programs with partner I Will Graduate in DHS shelters including Rosa Parks Family Residence and Praxis Kingsbridge, making a significant difference for students facing challenges. These efforts reflect their unwavering commitment to equipping every student with the tools and support needed for academic achievement and lifelong success.
Brenda Jimenez, CEO of MENTOR New York,"We are incredibly proud of NYC Public Schools’ Success Mentors and Attendance Improvement for their dedication to enhancing the lives of students across NYC by supporting the learning experience and academic environment with mentoring. Their commitment to quality mentorship and continuous improvement sets a powerful example for what is possible when we prioritize relationship-centered schools."
Danika Rux, Ed.D, Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership, NYCPS, “We are extremely proud of our Success Mentoring programs. Chronic absenteeism leads to higher rates of school failure and from there it is often hard to recover. Success Mentors is one of several investments NYCPS has made to keep every student in school, every day. Success Mentoring also goes beyond that, improving the health, safety, and future of all students.”
Flavia Puello-Perdomo, Chief of Schools for Community Wellness and Supports, NYCPS, “Our Success Mentoring programs leverage the power of adult-student relationships to help students connect and engage in school and their school community and, ultimately, decrease chronic absenteeism. When students are connected to caring, trusted adults, they are more likely to attend school each day, engage in meaningful academic and enrichment opportunities, and take advantage of the academic and social supports that prepare them to succeed in the future. We couldn’t be more excited to be recognized by this award!”
As the winner of the Mentoring Excellence Award, NYCPS’ Success Mentors and Attendance Improvement will be honored on Wednesday, June 26 at The Bowery Hotel during the in-person MENTOR of the Year Awards. This awards ceremony is open to the public and tickets can be purchased on MENTOR New York’s website: www.mentornewyork.org/mentor-of-the-year.
All funds raised for the MENTOR of the Year Awards go toward supporting MENTOR New York’s mission. MENTOR New York remains committed to supporting mentoring programs like NYCPS’ Success Mentors and Attendance Improvement through comprehensive consulting, training, and support services, ensuring that every young person has access to the transformative power of quality mentorship.
NYCPS’ Success Mentors and Attendance Improvement was among 20 mentoring programs serving young people across New York State to compete for the 2024 Mentoring Excellence Award. The runner-up was Baldwin School’s Mentoring Program, and the second runner-up was America Needs You. The remaining nominees included: Apex for Youth, Bio Bus, Center for Supportive Schools, Compeer of Greater Buffalo, Compeer Rochester, Connections Mentor Inc, EAC Network, EPIC Zone Youth Clubhouse, Freedom Scholars Learning Center, Girls Mentor Girls Inc, Princess Chambers Inc, Riley’s Way Foundation, Rise Up Rochester, Solar One, Student Sponsor Partners, Sunnyside Community Services at Queens Technical High School, Weber Middle School: College Pioneers Mentoring Program.
For more information about MENTOR New York and the Mentoring Excellence Award, please visit www.mentornewyork.org/mentoring-excellence-award.