New Ground Offers a New Path for Homeless Students

by Christine Berardi

The white building on Acorn Lane in Levittown, NY is the home to New Ground - a small but mighty organization that offers a path forward for Long Island’s homeless families and veterans.

Founded in 1991, New Ground delivers wide-ranging services including employment counseling, financial literacy and lifeskills development that help Long Islanders improve their lives and break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Through New Ground’s Educational Program, the organization provides critical educational tutoring and reading assistance to approximately 100 homeless pre-K-12 students. Shannon Boyle, Executive Director, New

Ground, explains being homeless can mean many things. “Homeless on Long Island can mean a student may couch surf at a friend’s home. It can mean a family lives in a local motel room with no kitchen relying on fast food for meals. Others may live in shelters.”

According to New Ground, nationally 75% of homeless children perform below grade level in reading and are more likely to repeat a grade and 45% do not attend school regularly. “That’s why our Educational Program is so important to helping students improve their grades. The program provides the tools and assistance necessary to address difficulties experienced by the students and ensure overall academic success for all children.

National Grid Foundation’s support in New Ground and our program means that students receive vital educational services and begin on the path to success,” she said.

Along with meeting students’ educational needs, New Ground also assists students with additional academic expenses not covered by schools that families cannot afford such as, SAT/ACT study courses, college application fees, specialized supplies, and testing for special education needs.

New Ground tracks students’ classroom improvements and success by collecting report cards on a regular basis. Social workers and executive staff review the report cards with parents and students giving parents a model to stay on top of scholastic performance and celebrate success as well as troubleshoot any problem areas.

“With program support, I am proud to say that 100% of participating pre-K-12 students successfully were promoted to the next grade,” Boyle said. ❧