The Village for New York's Forgotten Youth

The Village For New York’s Forgotten Youth

An Executive Summary from

Urgent Need in a Forgotten Borough

New York City is one of the financial epicenters of the world. It’s a city of tremendous opportunity, but there are still issues to be addressed. And deep in what residents sometimes call the “forgotten borough,” those issues are more urgent than ever.

Staten Island’s North Shore has a poverty rate greater than New York City as a whole and is home to the most marginalized and underserved youth in New York City. Approximately 21% of residents live in poverty and the rate is even higher among children - 33%. Among Black and Latinx residents, the poverty rate is around 28%. And among young people, 17% of individuals ages 16-24 are disconnected from both school and employment.

With fewer programs available to help vulnerable kids in the borough and growing education inequities, there’s a need for a new model of youth development on Staten Island that emphasizes education and crucial life skills.

A Closer Look at the North Shore

173,944Population (41,706 children)

High School Graduation Rate Average for 4 high schools - 54.6%

High School Dropout Rate: Average for 4 high schools - 11.5%

Source: www.cccnewyork.org

NORTH SHORE

Bringing Inclusion to Staten Island’s North Shore

After 75 years of successfully creating and running innovative international programming, A Chance In Life is opening its first U.S. location to address the socioeconomic factors that contribute to poverty and racial inequality on the North Shore. This groundbreaking initiative, called The Village, will pay homage to our first program in Italy (“Il Villaggio”). Ultimately, our goal is to support youth ages 12-24 – of every race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, and religion – in reaching their full potential.

A 75 Year Legacy

Our mission began 75 years ago when our founder, Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing, established the first Boys’ Town in Italy. Since then, we have been providing shelter, education and opportunities to at-risk youth, regardless of their background or beliefs.

We Help Create a Town

Our mission is to provide “a chance in life” and make lasting, positive differences in the lives of disadvantaged, poor and at-risk children, their families, and their communities.

The Kids Run It

It takes a community to make an impact. We support “Towns” throughout Italy, Ethiopia, India and Latin America to provide at-risk youth with care and an education. Through our unique model of self-government, the children elect their own leaders, make decisions as a group and are responsible for shaping their community.

Our Scientific Committee

They Are Empowered

With a quality education and the skills learned through selfgovernment, the kids become self-confident and creative leaders who contribute to their community.

In 2018, A Chance In Life established the Scientific Committee, an advisory body whose members are chosen based on their recognized expertise in science of education, administration of educational institutions, laws regarding minors, protection of children, scientific research and psychology. The Committee’s purpose is to study, assess, and evaluate A Chance In Life’s activities (programs and projects) to provide recommendations on how to ensure their global quality, feasibility, sustainability, impact, effectiveness and efficacy. The Scientific Committee will continue to be a major asset as A Chance In Life opens The Village. Committee members will monitor the progress of youth and the activities they participate in, ensuring they are progressing up to scientific standards.

After receiving an education through A Chance In Life, Selva graduated from college. He is now a project coordinator at a nonprofit that teaches children about human rights.

“I do not need to tell the children my message with words. I am from where they were from. I studied hard and graduated. Through education, my future became bright. They see this, and see hope for their own lives.”

-Selva

Proven Impact

Youth at our Towns receive an education, nutrition and shelter and learn valuable problem solving and life skills through self-government. Ultimately, they grow into caring adults with stable lives, and become productive members of society.

ITALY ETHIOPIA PERU COLUMBIA BOLIVIA GUATEMALA INDIA

History

Our founder, Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing was born in Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England on August 11, 1912. In the aftermath of World War II, he became concerned with the rampant poverty and devastation the war left in its wake. With the blessing of Pope Pius XII, he set up a shelter for vulnerable youth to give them “a chance in life.” That idea transformed into the first Boys’ Town in Civitavecchia in 1945 as a self-governing, democratic community with its own currency, elected officials, assemblies and courts. By the end of the 1950’s, there were eight other Boys’ and Girls’ Towns throughout Italy. Monsignor Carroll-Abbing passed away in 2001 but his legacy lives on through A Chance In Life.

“Wherever there are children suffering, we should be there to provide a chance in life. And until the whole world is free of hungry and suffering children, we have no right to stop.”

Monsignor John Patrick Carrol-Abbing

A Vision for the North Shore’s Youth

Using the success of our Towns abroad as a foundation, The Village will offer A Chance In Life’s twist on the traditional Drop-in Youth Center. Elements of self-government will be incorporated into day-to-day activities, including youth-led teams. By specifically addressing the almost 20% of young people who are disconnected from school and employment, A Chance In Life can help prepare those individuals for a more promising, successful, and selfsufficient future.

Programs include, but are not limited to:

TUTORING

(ESL) COURSES

COLLEGE READINESS TRAINING

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

MEAL PACKAGES

LEGAL COUNSELING

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT

FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING

HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY (GED) TEST PREP

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

The Model

A Chance In Life believes youth are assets to be nurtured and developed, not problems to be solved. In adherence with this philosophy, The Village will incorporate the Positive Youth Development (PYD) model. PYD refers to a broad approach that aims to build the competencies, skills, and abilities of youth so that they can grow and flourish throughout life.

This approach works on building mutually beneficial relationships between youth and their family, peer groups, school, workplace, neighborhood, community, other government institutions, society, and culture. These connections provide opportunities for youth to enhance their knowledge, interests, skills, and abilities. We believe this model will build confidence and ultimately, combined with the work of our Scientific Committee, put youth on a path to achieve greater results in education and their careers.

Membership Process

A Typical Day in The Village

MONDAYS

2:00 – 3:30 PM

Homework and Tutoring Club - Main Hall

3:45 – 4:45 PM

Computer Class - Main Hall

5:00 – 6:30 PM

Financial Literacy Club - Main Hall

6:00 – 7:00 PM

Family and Youth Counseling - A1-A2

6:00 – 7:00 PM

Legal Assistance - A3-A4

6:45 – 8:00 PM

Leadership Development Club - Main Hall

Diversity and Inclusion

A Chance In Life is committed to diversity and inclusion in all of its projects. The Village will be an essential resource, not just in terms of its educational offerings, but in terms of its impact on addressing poverty and racial inequality in the North Shore. Through tutoring and test preparation, ESL programming, and college readiness training, A Chance In Life will work to close the opportunity gap for children of color on Staten Island.

You Support, They Grow Fostering the Future of Staten Island’s Youth

In partnership with the Board, our founder changed A Chance In Life’s bylaws to include the provision of programs in the United States in 1981, setting us up to provide services to atrisk youth in this country. For a variety of reasons, including a focus on Italy and lack of staff resources, the organization was not in the position to pursue such programming. But today, we have tackled many of those obstacles and are primed to move forward.

We envision a new Staten Island where children and teens finally have the opportunity to reach their full potential. To accomplish this goal, A Chance In Life seeks foundational gifts to support the launch of The Village. Your contribution will enable us to purchase and furnish a building, launch programming for Staten Island’s most marginalized youth and, ultimately, continue the mission of our founder in the United States.

Change-making gifts from our most generous benefactors and institutional funders afford those partners unique opportunities for recognition, including naming opportunities associated with the physical space and programs.

Ways You Can Support Us

Consider a direct financial commitment, payable outright or in annual installments, and encourage your corporate employer to do the same

of appreciated stock can be made and often provide the donor with substantial tax savings

Donations

A planned gift, including those stipulated in a will, or beneficiary designations of life insurance policies or other assets, are also a great way to ensure the future of A Chance In Life’s work

We are seeking to raise $3 million over the next three years and are looking for one-time or multi-year commitments.

Transformative Results for Staten Island’s North Shore

Through our programs and PYD model, we anticipate powerful, transformative results for the youth of Staten Island and the community at large. Our unique methodology is tailored specifically to the challenges that North Shore youth face today and addresses some of the most pressing Sustainable Development Goals as identified by the United Nations. With the support of like-minded corporations and donors, we believe we are in a great position to make progress towards those goals.

Measuring Results

Several qualitative and quantitative Monitoring and Evaluation approaches can be used to measure the results of The Village. For example, when youth apply for membership, they will fill out a questionnaire. The survey will aim at measuring quantitative and qualitative data (indicators) at the beginning of the program. The same form will be administered periodically to monitor the progress and evaluate the efficacy of the program.

Surveys will track change in PYD constructs and generally will be measured preintervention, post-intervention and at future follow-ups (e.g. 3 months, 6 months, 1 and 2 years, or longer) depending on program lifespan.

Financial Information and Transparency

A Chance In Life is committed to financial transparency. All tax forms and audits can be accessed on our website, as well as breakdowns of spending by project.

Team

Gabriele Delmonaco

President & Executive Director

Gabriele heads the national operations of the organization from A Chance In Life’s New York office. A native Italian, he moved to the United States in 2001 from Rome. He possesses more than 25 years of experience in the non-profit field with a proven track record as a chief operating officer and a fundraiser, managing multinational teams.

Vice President of Development

Claire comes to A Chance In Life with a passion for education and a calling to serve the underserved. With more than a dozen years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and development, Claire has significant expertise in corporate and foundation fundraising and special events. She has used her talents to mobilize resources to support causes including New Yorkers For Children, GMHC, Point Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences, among others. She received her BA from Colby College in Maine.