SJC Brooklyn has partnered with several stakeholders this fall in order to better serve the surrounding Brooklyn community and to provide its neighbors with opportunities to further their education and capitalize on the benefits available to them.
The campus on Sept. 21 hosted the National Academy Foundation’s (NAF) annual Internship Showcase, an event that highlights NAF’s commitment to preparing high school students for the professional world. SJC Brooklyn over the last year has enjoyed a firm partnership with the National Academy Foundation, which provides career and technical education to over 35 New York City public high schools.
Community Partnerships Yield Positive Results
Of the dozens of students that participated in these internships, five were picked to share their unique experiences, in industries ranging from finance to banking to non-profit social services. Following the student presentations, representatives from SJC Brooklyn’s admission and marketing and communications offices spoke to the 50 assembled students about the opportunities available at St. Joseph’s College, as well as how the students experience with NAF will prepare them for success in college.
“Our partnership with St. Joseph’s College provides the students we serve with an opportunity to learn about how college can prepare for their future after high school, putting them on the path to become career ready,” said Tanya Navas, director of New York City NAF Academies. “By hosting our Internship Showcase, SJC Brooklyn provided us with a forum to highlight student achievement in experiential learning and to learn about the opportunities that exist for them following graduation from their NAF Academies.”
School Supply Drive for YWCA Residents
With the start of the new semester, SJC Brooklyn conducted its annual school supply drive to provide low-income youth in the community with the tools and supplies they need to start their school years off on the right foot. This year, the College was pleased to work with the Brooklyn YWCA; giving backpacks filled with school supplies to the young YWCA residents.
SJC Brooklyn and the YWCA combined efforts to make sure that nearly 100 local students started the school year with necessary supplies. Working with New York State Assembly Members Walter Mosley and Jo Anne Simon, the office of marketing and communications successfully distributed these supplies Oct. 8 at the YWCA’s annual Domestic Violence Prevention Event. The remaining items will be distributed later in October at a domestic violence safe haven.
“Education is the one of the cornerstones of progress, and it is imperative that our young people have the items they need to succeed in school,” said Mosley (D,NY- 57). “I’m proud to work with my good friend in the Assembly, Jo Anne Simon, and our partners at St. Joseph’s College and the YWCA to provide the most vulnerable families and children in our community with the school supplies they need.”
SJC Brooklyn Opens its Doors to Bedford Academy Students
St. Joseph’s College for a century has strived to bring the benefits of education to students traditionally not represented in the higher education landscape. On Sept. 29, the offices of marketing and communications and admissions welcomed 30 students from the Bedford Academy to campus to learn about the college application process and to take a campus tour.
“At Bedford Academy, our curriculum guides students toward higher education from the moment they first step foot on campus all the way to graduation,” said Cluny Lavache, assistant principal of Bedford Academy. “Our partnership with SJC Brooklyn enables us to bring our students onto a college campus, learn about the college application process, and, with the SJC College Experience, prepare for and actually complete college-level work while still in high school.”
