We are excited to announce that the Episcopal Charities Board of Directors approved $333,700 in grants to 35 programs this past April. Programs awarded are located across the diocese and include summer camps, afterschool programs, children’s arts opportunities, and more!
Children’s Arts Christ Church, Bronxville: Young at Arts, $15,500 Young at Arts (YAA) provides afterschool and school-day performing arts programming for 500 children from second through twelfth grades in three locations, particularly reaching out to youth in low-income communities in Southern Westchester and the Bronx. The program empowers young people to reach their full potential, onstage and off, through outstanding arts instruction and the creation of exceptional music and theater. YAA is in the third year of a multi-year grant.
Christ Church, Staten Island: Community Outreach Youth Programs, $6,300 The Christ Church Community Outreach Youth Programs engage young people in comprehensive choral and instrumental music programs. Classes are offered at Christ Church and at a nearby community center located in NYCHA public housing. Students are trained to read music and given the basics of music theory; these ideas are put into practice with singing, steel drumming and the ukulele. Students offer performances to the wider Staten Island community.
Grace Church, Nyack: Amazing Grace Circus! Big Top Summer Camp, $7,700 The Amazing Grace Circus! began in 2002 as a youth response to the tragic events of 9/11. Since then, hundreds of children and youth have “joined the circus,” receiving expert training in the circus arts, learning about teamwork, and developing discipline, strength and coordination. The troupe performs throughout the tri-state area, and with the support of Episcopal Charities, children from low-income families receive scholarships to take part in the program’s fun, unique circus arts summer camp.
Holy Trinity, Manhattan: Pied Piper’s Children Theatre Academic Year, $15,500 At the Pied Piper Children’s Theatre, children ages 5 to 18 mount full-scale theatrical productions, exploring their creativity, learning theatrical, musical and technical skills, and developing self-discipline, commitment and leadership. Funds from Episcopal Charities support tuition reduction for families in need and support the program in developing an increasingly comprehensive technical theater program aimed at older students.
Holy Trinity, Manhattan: Pied Piper Children’s Theatre Summer Intensive, $4,000 Pied Piper’s four-week summer workshop provides intensive theater training for teenagers engaged in Pied Piper’s academic year program. The selective program targets youth who would not otherwise be able to afford such training. Classes include voice, dance, acting, theater tech, costumes, and stage make up; participants also attend a Broadway show.
Holyrood Church, Manhattan: Washington Heights Choir School, $12,200 The Washington Heights Choir School is a free after-school choir program for elementary-age children. Experienced music professionals provide daily instruction in vocal and instrumental arts in a holistic and structured environment. To ensure student success, musical training is complemented by exercise and movement, games, homework help and tutoring for English language learners.
St. John’s, Monticello: Nesin Cultural Arts Academic Year Program, $12,100 Nesin Cultural Arts provides music, dance, and visual arts instruction as well as performance opportunities to nearly 100 students in grades K-12. The organization serves an impoverished, rural community in Sullivan County, and the church provides space for instruction and performances. Parishioners offer financial and volunteer support, and Nesin and St. John’s are working together on plans to transform St. John’s rectory building into a center for children’s arts education.
St. John’s Monticello: Nesin Cultural Arts Summer Music Academy, $3,000 Nesin’s Summer Music Academy is a selective one-week program for 40 students who strive to achieve the highest possible level of musicianship. Classes prepare students for college auditions and music festivals, as well as greater levels of personal enjoyment.
St. Paul’s On-The-Hill, Ossining: After School Music Program, $3,600 The music program at St. Paul’s On-the-Hill supplements school-day learning by providing children with opportunities for musical training and expression. About thirty-five children per ten-week session learn instrumental and vocal music through group and individual lessons given by trained professionals from the congregation.
Children’s Academic Enrichment For all children, success in school is central to success in life. For families in under-resourced communities, finding a path to success can be daunting. That’s where our Children’s Academic Enrichment programs come in. Each takes special care to work with individual students’ unique challenges – helping them to build a foundation for future achievement.
Grace Church, Manhattan: GO Project, $15,000 The GO Project shapes the futures of under-resourced New York City public school children by providing them critical academic, social and emotional support starting in the early elementary years. GO provides year-round educational and family support services to children struggling in school, serving 600 students (K-8) through weekend and summer intensive programing. Small classes taught by professional educators contribute to remarkable learning improvement over time.
Grace Church, White Plains: Brighter Futures Mentoring Program, $15,000 The Brighter Futures Mentoring program at Lifting Up Westchester (formerly the Grace Church Community Center) is an after school educational enrichment and college preparation program for homeless and low-income children ages 5-18. Among this particularly vulnerable population, the efforts of caring staff and volunteers have paid off in the form of improved grades, decreasing truancy and drop-out rates, and increased likelihood of attending and completing college. Brighter Futures is in their third year of a multi-year grant.
All Souls’ Episcopal Church, Manhattan: Manhattan North IPC Summer Educational Project, $7,400 The Summer Educational Project is a collaborative effort of the Episcopal parishes of upper Manhattan. In operation for over twenty years, the camp provides an academically enriched summer program for children ages 5 to 15. Activities focus on improving skills in language arts, reading and writing, math, technology, and public speaking; lessons are complemented by educational field trips to local institutions.
Episcopal Church of Our Savior: Jubilee After School Program, $9,000 The Jubilee Afterschool Program was established by Our Savior and P.S. 124 through the All Our Children Initiative. Five days per week, from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm, 60 elementary school children, primarily English Language Learners from Chinese immigrant families, come to Our Savior to receive homework help and enrichment lessons in computers, penmanship, leadership, and teambuilding skills. Childcare is also provided during school vacation.
San Andres’, Yonkers: After School Program, $15,400 In Southwest Yonkers, San Andres’ after school program serves a predominantly low-income and Hispanic/Latino population. More than thirty children attend this year-long program for one-on-one homework help, literacy and math tutoring (including support for English language learners), and a variety of arts and science enrichment activities. Strong community partnerships enable San Andres to provide crucial support to families as well, including classes in English as a Second Language (ESL) and parent advocacy meetings.
St. Andrew’s, Bronx: After School Program, $4,300 Begun in 1977, St. Andrew’s After School program is an exciting and enriching extension of in-school learning, serving up to sixty children ages 4 to 12. Academic tutoring and homework help is complemented by a rich variety of activities including arts and crafts, dance and movement, computer and technology education, cooking, and games.
St. Ann’s, Bronx: After School Program, $21,000 Serving the families of the nation’s poorest congressional district for over thirty years, St. Ann’s after school program nurtures a life-sustaining community for 100 children throughout the school year. The program provides a nutritious snack and a hot supper to every child, followed by a balanced schedule of academic support and recreational activities in small, supportive groups.
St. Ann’s Church, Bronx: Freedom School Summer Program, $20,000 St. Ann’s free six-week summer program is part of the national Freedom School network. The network’s mission is to promote civic participation among young children and their families and to foster a love of reading that leads to academic excellence. Episcopal Charities support helps St. Ann’s to pay the program’s young, dedicated student counselors. Counselors develop leadership skills at a week-long national training and put their knowledge to work over the summer, providing structure, encouragement, and personal attention to students within the context of a carefully developed curriculum.
St. Edmund’s, Bronx: After School Program, $5,000 St. Edmund’s After School Program provides supervised care, homework help, and a variety of enrichment activities for 40 children in one of the poorest parts of New York City. Children receive a nutritious daily meal and attention from experienced, dedicated staff in a safe, positive environment.
St. Luke in the Fields, Manhattan: The Go Project at St. Luke’s, $11,000 The Go Project at St. Luke’s represents an expansion and enhancement of the program formerly known as Go – St. Luke’s Tutoring. This year St. Luke’s entered into a partnership with the Go Project and became a host site offering high quality academic and social services to public school students who have been identified as underachievers. In its inaugural year, the program includes 60 kindergarteners. Higher grades will be added in subsequent years.
St. Margaret’s, Bronx: After School Program, $4,900 Located in an underserved, low-income neighborhood, St. Margaret’s after school program is a safe and healthy landing place for children at the end of the school day. Academic support and enrichment activities, along with a healthy snack, are provided to up to fifty students daily, and a variety of family support services, including an exercise class, are offered to parents.
St. Michael’s, Manhattan: Homework Help, $1,500
Located on the Upper West Side, St. Michael’s Homework Help program works with underserved youth in the area to tutor and provide academic support with their homework one night a week. Volunteer educators from St. Michael’s congregation run and organize this program.
St. Peter’s Church, Port Chester: Learning Center, $7,800 The Learning Center at St. Peter’s Church serves a constantly changing immigrant and low-income population in Port Chester. Elementary-age children from local schools enjoy academic assistance in small groups, along with enrichment activities in the arts and computer instruction.
Summer Recreation Some of the most memorable experiences of our lifetimes occur during summer vacations. Our summer recreation programs provide meaningful opportunities for personal development in safe, supportive environments. Discovery, refreshment and fun promote year-round learning and growth.
Christ Church, Poughkeepsie: Summer Camp, $12,300 The Christ Church Summer Camp is a healthy, fun environment for children in the Poughkeepsie area. Sixty campers ages 6 to 11 enjoy arts, athletics and adventure throughout the summer. The camp’s varied schedule includes swimming, music, art, field games, service projects, field trips and reading and writing activities. With almost two-thirds of its campers receiving scholarship, the camp ensures that children of all income levels grow and thrive during the summer months.
Grace Church, White Plains: Brighter Futures Summer Camp, $16,000 Brighter Futures Summer Camp at Lifting Up Westchester (formerly known as the Grace Church Community Center) provides an enriching, educational and fun experience for almost 80 homeless and low income children who might otherwise spend their summers in shelters, in front of screens or on the streets. The camp’s healthy, enriched environment and a supportive group of adults offer consistency and stability, encouraging at-risk youth to make better choices in their lives and reach their potential at camp, at home and at school.
Church of the Incarnation, Manhattan: Incarnation Camp – Pioneer Village, $10,600 A program of the Incarnation Center in Ivoryton, Connecticut, Pioneer Village is a rustic outdoor summer camp experience for young teens that promotes leadership and fosters a community of lifelong friends. Episcopal Charities supports Incarnation Camp’s commitment to offering scholarships to young people from low-income urban communities.
San Andres’, Yonkers: Summer Program, $7,000 Integrated with San Andres’ after school programming, the summer program at San Andres provides a safe, fun, and culturally rich home away from home for close to forty young children in low-income Southwest Yonkers. Day campers benefit from a wealth of activities including arts education, literacy classes, and field trips throughout the New York City metro area.
St. Andrew’s, Bronx: Summer Camp, $8,300 The eight-week summer camp at St. Andrew’s is an engaging and enriching community of up to 100 students ages 4-12. A highly structured day gives students an opportunity to participate in a wide variety of pursuits, including field trips, movement and visual arts, sports, academic enrichment activities, and indoor and outdoor play.
St. Edmund’s, Bronx: Summer Camp, $4,000 St. Edmund’s Summer Camp offers 20 to 30 children an enriching opportunity to engage in arts and crafts, creative games and educational activities for seven weeks. The program is a low-cost day camp option for working families, fostering a positive community under the supervision of caring, experienced staff.
Saints John Paul & Clement, Mt. Vernon: Summer Vacation School, $4,400 The five-week Summer Vacation School at the Church of Saints John, Paul and Clement provides up to twenty low-income children with a full complement of summer camp services including arts and crafts, sports and karate, academic tutoring, healthy food, and field trips to educational and cultural attractions.
St. Mary’s, Manhattan: Summer Camp, $5,500 St. Mary’s Summer Camp is a free program of fun and learning for neighborhood elementary school children, particularly those living in nearby public housing and shelters. Academic support includes tailored math and reading curricula, and children experience hands-on learning at St. Mary’s Urban Farm. A variety of field trips and sports and recreational activities are incorporated into the day camp schedule.
St. Peter’s, Port Chester: Summer Program, $12,300 The summer day camp at St. Peter’s is a fun, safe and enriching environment. St. Peter’s provides quality care (including extended days) for eight full weeks to children from low-income working families. In a multicultural setting, children receive summer academic support, arts, drama and dance enrichment, instruction in karate and other sports, and educational and recreational day trips.
Skills Building Working to build brighter futures for our fellow New Yorkers is at the heart of our mission. Our Skills Building programs aim to provide the light at the end of the tunnel. Included in this category are post-prison reentry programs, literacy assistance, youth leadership development and programs for recent immigrants. Every program works to meet its participants “where they are,” recognizing that every person served is actively seeking a better life… and is willing to work to achieve it.
Grace Church, Millbrook: EPIC Regional Youth Leadership Program, $10,000 EPIC is an emerging youth leadership program in a rural area that equips young people to act as agents for social transformation. With the support of staff facilitators and volunteer mentors, high school age students gain critical thinking and analysis skills, work in teams to identify issues that affect their communities, and craft their own methods of response, including arts, events, and activities.
St. George’s Church, Newburgh: Girl Power Program, $7,000 The Girl Power Program is a unique empowerment opportunity for up to twenty-seven at-risk middle school girls in the city of Newburgh. Facilitated conversations and activities help girls build self-esteem, develop supportive friendships, grow academically and make wise personal choices.
Church of St. Matthew & St. Timothy, Manhattan: Angels Basketball Program, $5,000 The Angels Basketball Program gives at-risk youth (ages 8-17) an opportunity to engage in team sports and gain leadership skills under the care of positive adult mentors. The growing program now provides meals to participants, backpacks containing food for the weekend, as well as counseling and referrals for academic and social services. The program has more than doubled in size over the previous year and now serves more than 60 youth.
Health and Wellness Episcopal Charities’ Health and Wellness programs take many forms. From programs that offer companionship for the elderly to those that address addiction issues or provide for children with special needs, all of our programs provide essential services offered with a spirit of love and fellowship. Parish-based outreach programs have identified very specialized needs within their community and are addressing them with the help of active and committed volunteers.
St. Luke-in-the-Fields, Manhattan: Art and Acceptance, $15,000 Art and Acceptance is a risk prevention and intervention program, a safe space for LGBTQA-identified teens and young adults who are homeless or in unstable living conditions. St. Luke’s open doors are a gateway to a hot meal, dance, yoga and visual arts programming, and relationships with social workers and volunteer mentors. Participants also gain access to an array of services including crisis support, health interventions and legal advocacy. Art and Acceptance is in their third year of a multiyear grant.