PASE Network News

Interested in trends and promising practices in higher education attainment in New York City? The recently released learning brief, “Bold Solutions to Re-Engage,” by David Fischer of Altior Policy Solutions provides an in-depth exploration of the topic. This report examines the ongoing challenge of declining college enrollment, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a collaborative initiative between Petrie Foundation, The Heckscher Foundation for Children, and Ichigo Foundation, 14 grants were awarded to college and nonprofit organizations to address these issues. The brief highlights key learnings from these efforts and provides strategic insights for stakeholders focused on re-engaging young New Yorkers in higher education. Read the full report to explore these impactful solutions. 

Yesterday was International Self-Care Day – looking for ways to level up your understanding of and strategies for self-care? Temescal Associates and How Kids Learn Foundation recently released “Self-Care For Youth Workers,” a paper to raise understanding and awareness of the importance of self-care in afterschool programs. The paper provides definitions, shares a curated set of resources, and guides readers through crafting a self-care plan. This resource was designed with both organizational leaders (school leaders and staff, supervisors at the parent non-profit org, etc.) and program staff in mind, as they consider the best ways to promote self-care among youth worker staff. 

Earlier this year, Center for an Urban Future published a report entitled “Solving the Staffing Crisis Facing NYC’s Human Services Organizations.” Citing that the average human services nonprofit has more than 15 percent of its positions vacant, as well as unsustainably high levels of staff turnover, the report does a deep dive into this issue on a local level. The report examines the scope of the crisis, explores its impact on nonprofits and service delivery, highlights best practices within the local human services field, and ends with recommendations. Read the full report on the Center for an Urban Future website. 

What does Student Readiness mean in a higher education setting? #DegreesNYC  Data Fellows explored this topic in their recent youth participatory action research and resulting report, Student-Ready Schools and Campuses Report. While the term “student readiness” traditionally refers to the extent to which individual students are prepared for school, placing the majority of the responsibility on students to prepare themselves to fit into their schooling environment, this report’s definition of Student Readiness flips this script, and insists that schools and campuses must prepare themselves to receive a diverse group of students and provide them with the necessary resources and experiences that they need to succeed. Through their research, the Data Fellows focused on several major themes, including curriculum, campus culture, technology, mental health, and financial wellbeing, and outlined a series of preliminary suggestions for schools, colleges, and universities to become more Student-Ready. 

Currently in its 6th year, The Trevor Project’s U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People amplifies the experiences of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States. In addition to highlighting trends, including around mental health, healthcare access, and the impacts of anti-LGBTQ+ policies, the report provides data-driven ways to show support and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ young people in our lives — as well as the potentially life-saving benefits of creating affirming spaces and communities. Readers can engage with the report as a PDF document or through an interactive webpage.