Mayor Adams and Schools Chancellor Banks Launch Project Pivot

Mayor Adams and Schools Chancellor Banks Launch Project Pivot

On Thursday, October 6, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, along with the Office of Safety & Prevention Partnerships, announced the official launch of Project Pivot, an initiative from the Department of Education. 

Project Pivot will give students access to more assistance and tools to direct them toward academic success and social-emotional well-being as a key part of the Department’s reinvention of school safety. In order to provide these crucial interventions to school communities, the program will partner with community-based organizations (CBOs). 138 schools are connected to CBOs through Project Pivot, which offers young New Yorkers vital social and academic interventions.

According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, “Public safety remains this administration’s top priority, which is why, over the past few months, we have repeatedly engaged with New Yorkers across the five boroughs on how we can invest in the preventive, upstream solutions that give New Yorkers the resources they need to live safe, productive lives. Project Pivot will utilize our anti-violence community-based organizations to provide safety and violence prevention, student counseling and mentoring, and more at our public schools.”

He added, “When our kids know there are caring adults looking out for them and making sure they show up to school each day, they feel safer and perform better academically and socially. Our young people are the future of this great city, and Project Pivot will provide our children with the resources they need to succeed.”

In consonance with Mayor Adam’s speech, Schools Chancellor David C. Banks said, “Every young person deserves a chance to succeed inside and outside of school, and it is our responsibility to provide the resources and wraparound support to make that happen. This initiative will open doors and present new opportunities to our next generation of leaders and change-makers in New York City.”

A cohort of 138 schools was chosen for Project Pivot, which entails an investment of almost $9 million, based on a combination of academic performance and safety considerations, such as the frequency of incidents, suspensions, and chronic absenteeism among students.

The five pillars of Project Pivot are purpose, integrity, voice, optimism, and tenacity. The Project Pivot programs will be held during the school day, after school, and on Saturdays at participating sites.

While programming under Project Pivot is primarily designed to engage students, there will be planned activities throughout the school year where parents will be invited and strongly encouraged, to attend and participate with their children.

Project Pivot seeks to engage community partners that are reflective of the students and communities we serve, and who can deliver programming that is culturally relevant. Prospective community partners who offer programming that is rooted in African culture include Asase Yaa Enterprises, Chionusu Bakari, and Akoben Enterprises.

Project Pivot will be implemented at 51 schools in the Bronx, 37 in Brooklyn, 28 in Manhattan, 13 in Queens, and 9 in Staten Island, covering all the boroughs.

The Department of Education has designated CBOs that are well-known both locally and nationally and that provide services to Project Pivot. Some of the organizations include Black Girls Rock, Elite Learners, National Cares Mentoring, 100 Black Men, Man Up, KAVI, Renaissance Youth Center, the Bronx Youth Empowerment Program, Umoja Network, Aim High, Focus Broadcasting Network, Saving Our Streets, Brownsville Think Tank, Changing Perceptions, and Book Me Foundation.

In order to make sure students feel safe, supported, and empowered, CBOs will use a variety of strategies, such as providing social-emotional support for students, teaching violence-interruption techniques, creating safe corridors to help keep students safe going to and from school, and providing engaging extended-learning opportunities.

All of the services offered are anticipated to be developmentally appropriate, sensitive to cultural differences, and supported by the most recent research and efficacy data.

Parents and CBOs can learn more about the initiative by contacting [email protected]