NYC Youth Funders Network Sponsors Hats & Ladders for SYEP!

Members of the NYC Youth Funders Network have joined together to sponsor the adoption of Hats & Ladders as part of NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). SYEP offers youth (14 – 24) valuable early work experiences that build career readiness and are an important investment in the future and in the well-being of our NYC communities.

Hats & Ladders is supporting the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that are providing job experiences and project-based learning to NYC’s youth as part of SYEP. More than a dozen CBOs are preparing to participate in the pilot as part of their support of youth career development. Combined, these CBOs will serve between 10,000 and 15,000 students this summer.

Hats & Ladders will provide its full suite of offerings: training, the app, a tailored curriculum/lesson plans, ongoing support, and individual youth reports and organizational reports showing usage and progress.  Initial meetings with CBOs confirm that H&L is a fun, meaningful, easy-to-implement solution that will allow SYEP staff to meet program requirements and deepen impact.

The NYC Youth Funders Network is excited to be enabling this pilot so that CBOs can be supported as they work with their youth on a set of “in app” and “real world” activities designed to promote self-discovery, career exploration and professional skill-building. Claudia Zeldin, a partner at Growth for Good and a Zeldin Family Foundation trustee, contributed to the SYEP pilot and said, “This is a great public-private partnership that will enrich college and career pathways for youth. We want all students to be able to explore their potential with such a fun and engaging app!”

In addition to the Zeldin Family Foundation, the pilot is being supported by: the Pinkerton Foundation, the Altman Foundation, the Meringoff Family Foundation and the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation.