CCNY's new community partner Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub in action.
The City College of New York began an official partnership in April 2020 with Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub (LRYOH), a community-based initiative in Central and West Harlem funded through the Manhattan District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Initiative in a collaborative effort with Community Connections for Youth. The new CCNY-LRYOH partnership encompasses a variety of community engagement and community strengthening initiatives.
Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub launched in July 2017 under the leadership of its Founder and Executive Director, Reverend Maurice Winley. The LRYOH grant is one of five grants awarded earlier in February 2017 by District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. to create five “Youth Opportunity Hubs” to serve more than 2,800 young New Yorkers each year. LRYOH provides one-stop, comprehensive support for at-risk youth and young adults, specifically African American and Latino males age 10-24 to prevent them from becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
“Our partnership with the Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub represents one of the most concrete expressions of our mandate to bring the resources and capacities of the college into the community,” said CCNY president Vince Boudreau. “We look forward in partnership with Reverend Winley and his team, figuring out the myriad ways that City College can make itself available to help advance the important mission of steering community youth toward success and security.”
In Fall 2019, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. announced the investment of $3 million to create an innovative West Harlem-based reentry and community healing program. At the announcement of this grant award, Reverend Winley said: “Through this investment and partnership we have been empowered to be a catalyst for community led restorative justice.”
This multi-faceted program is a direct response to a June 2014 law enforcement intervention in ongoing gang violence that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 103 individuals living in the Manhattanville and Grant housing developments and surrounding areas. At the time, Vance, Jr. called the grant “groundbreaking,” noting that it would “help West Harlem continue to heal through trauma-informed services with the help of credible messengers and mentors.”
In February 2020, LRYOH, led by Reverend Winley who also serves as Director of both the Harlem ARCHES and Next STEPS St. Nicholas Houses Transformative Mentoring Programs, partnered with CCNY in response to the new Next STEPS St. Nicholas Houses RFP. On April 10th, the Department of Probations (DOP) announced that the new 3-year grant will be awarded to LRYOH and its partner, CCNY, with the option to renew for an additional 3 years. Next STEPS was initiated by the DOP in 2014 based on the preliminary success of its existing ARCHES model, which showed proven results in helping participants achieve improvement in self-perception and relationships with others, lower short-term recidivism, and a decrease in justice involvement.
“We are excited to partner with this historic Harlem academic institution, CCNY, whose mission and passion aligns with our work and calling to effect sustainable transformation in our communities,” said Reverend Winley. “At our first meeting with President Boudreau, Dee Dee Mozeleski [Executive Director, CCNY’s Office of Institutional Advancement & Communications, and top advisor to the president], and the Campus Engagement Network (CEN), there was immediate demonstrated alignment of purpose and passion, and key synergies in some of the goals of our respective organizations. This partnership will increase our ability to further accomplish our mission and vision for the youth and families in Central and West Harlem. LRYOH’s mission is Saving Lives and Healing Communities One Relationship at a Time.”
“From our first meeting with Reverend Winley and the entire LRYOH team, it was apparent that City College and LRYOH shared deeply aligned missions to serve the community good,” Mozeleski concurred. “We are thankful to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for their support of this fiscal sponsorship and look forward to partnering on many initiatives in the future.”
About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
About Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub
Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub is a community-based initiative in Central and West Harlem funded through the Manhattan District Attorney's Criminal Justice Initiative and is housed at the Soul Saving Station For Every Nation. Saving Lives and Healing Communities One Relationship at a Time.