New York, NY, April 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — What if all NYC students were engaged in equitable, immersive and joyful learning that prepared them to thrive in community, college and career? Within the New York City public school system, there are a group of values-aligned nonprofit organizations that are partnering with schools to bring this vision to life. Two of these nonprofits — NYC Outward Bound Schools and The Urban Assembly — joined together this spring to celebrate an innovator in public education, and a leader in social and emotional learning.
David Adams, CEO of the Urban Assembly, was awarded the fourth annual Greg Farrell Award in March. This Award honors the life and legacy of the late Greg Farrell, a founder of NYC Outward Bound Schools and EL Education, and the Executive Director of the Fund for the City of New York. The Award was established by a group of Greg’s former colleagues at NYC Outward Bound Schools.
“David is cut from the same cloth as Greg — both visionary leaders with the gift of getting things done with grace, compassion and deep respect for others,” said Richard Stopol, President Emeritus of NYC Outward Bound Schools and a member of the award committee. “Both also inspire through the depth of their commitment to making a positive difference in the world and the personal examples they set in living their lives.”
“This year feels particularly special because we’re honoring a peer in the NYC public education space,” added Vanessa Rodriguez, CEO of NYC Outward Bound Schools. “David and the Urban Assembly share our belief that students are human beings first — and that their social-emotional needs must be met in order for them to achieve academic success.”
Both organizations partner deeply with schools to help them integrate social, emotional and academic development (SEAD) to support student success. While social-emotional learning and character education in schools is not a new idea, integrating these skills and competencies into all areas of learning, especially content-area classroom learning, represents an emerging field of work.
“I think that our education system is a reflection of who we want to be in the world,” said Adams during his acceptance speech. “And I’m very grateful that I’m in a position to give something to the world that hopefully makes a difference.”
The landmark report From a Nation at Risk to A Nation at Hope (2019), reaffirms the work that many organizations doing innovative work with and in public schools believe, stating, “Social and emotional learning benefits all children, of every background…All students need supportive relationships and nurturing learning environments, but students facing additional stress have a particular need to be surrounded by caring adults that treat them as individuals with potential and inherent worth. And when adults create this environment, children of every background can thrive.”
And as recently as March 2024, a new study out of California confirms that positive changes in growth mindset and self-management predicted better attendance and higher test scores comparable to additional days in the classroom.
The research is clear: students who feel they belong and have a voice that matters are more successful academically.
To help ensure that all students feel a sense of belonging, agency and engagement, NYC Outward Bound Schools uses a three-fold approach: coaching educators and school leaders to integrate daily instruction, assessment and curriculum that supports deeper learning, so students can think critically and make meaningful connections to the world around them; supporting the implementation of Crew, NYC Outward Bound’s signature advisory structure and school culture that promotes student belonging; and providing catalytic outdoor adventure programming directly to students.
At the Urban Assembly (UA), belonging is developed by ensuring students are college, career, and community-ready. UA accomplishes this through robust social-emotional learning (SEL) programming that prioritizes skill development in key SEL competencies, postsecondary readiness programming that enables career awareness alongside relevant work-based learning opportunities, and academic programming that facilitates student dialogue to promote agency and engagement in the classroom.
“Both the Urban Assembly and NYC Outward Bound have a deep history of innovation within our city’s public schools,” added Rodriguez. “And we look forward to continuing that work in service of NYC’s young people.”
About the Greg Farrell Award
The Greg Farrell Award is an annual Award that honors the life and legacy of Greg Farrell, a visionary educational leader and public servant; a founder of NYC Outward Bound Schools and EL Education; and Executive Director of the Fund for the City of New York. The Award was established by a group of Greg’s former colleagues at NYC Outward Bound Schools, who serve as the Award Selection Committee. Each year, the Award recognizes an individual that exemplifies the qualities that Greg exhibited and that he sought to nurture in others, brought to life by the award’s tagline: “lighting sparks, living boldly, leaving the world a better place.”
About NYC Outward Bound Schools
NYC Outward Bound Schools is a nonprofit organization that partners with over 70 NYC public schools to engage students in equitable, immersive and joyful learning that prepares them to thrive. Our work is grounded in the understanding that social, emotional and academic development are interconnected and essential to student success. We coach educators and school leaders to implement instruction for deeper learning into their classrooms, and Crew, our signature advisory structure, into their school communities and cultures. We also provide opportunities for students to develop leadership skills through outdoor adventure programming.
Together, these supports help students graduate with a solid postsecondary plan, prepared to thrive in college, career and life. Students who attend schools that fully embrace our model are much more likely to graduate high school on-time, and to enroll and persist in college.
About Urban Assembly
The Urban Assembly is a nonprofit that promotes social and economic mobility by innovating in public education, both in its 22 New York City schools and in the solutions it offers to school districts nationwide. The Urban Assembly partners with schools and districts to design and scale solutions that improve social-emotional learning, post-secondary readiness, and instructional quality.
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