New York City Public Schools Invests in buildOn's Bronx Youth Programs

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Apr 04, 2024, 11:28 ET

NYCPS Expands Nonprofit's Service Learning Programs with $2.1M Initial Investment

NEW YORK, April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit buildOn will expand its Service Learning Programs in the Bronx to reach 30 percent of all high school students within the next five years thanks to a new investment from New York City Public Schools. Over the next three years, NYCPS has committed to scaling buildOn's work in the Bronx with an initial $2.1 million investment in its first year.

Since 1993, buildOn has engaged nearly 100,000 Bronx youth, collectively contributing more than 800,000 hours of service to their communities. buildOn is currently active in 17 Bronx high schools and aims to reach 50 Bronx schools by the 2027-28 school year, ultimately engaging more than 15,600 students annually.

"BuildOn helps kids understand that they ought to be citizens of the world while still paying attention to their neighborhood," said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. "buildOn is a champion of hope, shaping young people who can make change happen."

Through buildOn's Service Learning Program, youth from under-resourced high schools are mobilized to transform their communities through service. From feeding their hungry and unhoused neighbors, to helping seniors and younger children, and nurturing community gardens and green spaces, buildOn youth become civic-minded individuals invested in the well-being of their community and our world. Studies have shown that buildOn students attend school an average of 15 more days per school year than peers not in the program, and 97 percent graduate high school.

"The partnership with Chancellor Banks and New York City Public Schools is transformational on many levels. It will engage 30% of all the high school students, creating a tipping point in the Bronx; it will empower Bronx youth to drive positive change in their communities, and it will strengthen education and graduation rates," said buildOn CEO and Founder Jim Ziolkowski.

Downloadable photos of Ziolkowski and Banks––who was the keynote speaker at buildOn's 2023 Gala––are available here. Photos of Bronx students at service are available here.

About buildOn

buildOn has been uniting people worldwide through service and education since 1991. buildOn's programs build solidarity through civic engagement, create equitable socio-economic opportunities, and support sustainable social development. In the U.S., buildOn mobilizes youth from six cities to transform their communities through service. Globally, buildOn partners with communities in eight of the world's economically poorest countries to construct schools, enroll out-of-school children, and support adult learners through its Adult Literacy Program. To date, buildOn has completed more than 2,500 schools and breaks ground on a new school every two days.

Learn more about buildOn's work to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy through service and education at buildon.org.

SOURCE buildOn, Inc.