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Established in 1995, the Grand Street-administered Beacon Center is
only a few short blocks from the agency's main community center at 80
Pitt Street. Housed at Marta Valle Comprehensive school, the Beacon
Center is within walking distance of a number of local elementary,
middle, and high schools. The Beacon Center offers our community a
secure, safe haven in a drug-free zone where residents of all ages are
offered academic enrichment, college and career exploration,
counseling, health education and referrals, athletics, creative
expression, cultural activities, and parent support. The Center serves
well over 5000 community members each year, and brings more than one
million dollars in services to our local schools.
The mission of Grand Street's Beacon Center guides its unique
work, while remaining concomitant with that of the larger agency. That
mission is to provide comprehensive, community-based, family-focussed
services that empower young people and adults to develop their
strengths and skills and to become economically and socially
self-sufficient.
The Beacon is home to a variety of programs and services,
including, among many others:
- The Lehman Brothers College and Career Discovery
Center, helping over 1000 young people annually to achieve their
educational and career goals. The Center offers individual college
counseling and advocacy, campus visits, workshops on the application
and financial aid processes, seminars for parents and teachers, and
SAT/ PSAT prep classes.
- Careers In Training (CIT), targeting the junior
high population with academic assistance and community service. CIT
provides 50 young people with career exploration opportunities through
interaction with professionals who serve as guest speakers and career
mentors.
- Leadership Development Clubs, promoting critical
thinking, conflict resolution, and mediation skills. These clubs
include the Youth Leadership Team, a group of dynamic teens who
develop service projects and programs for the larger community; and CIALES,
a parent and community driven advisory council.
- Tutoring, provided by Board of Education certified
teachers and skilled undergraduate and graduate students, for hundreds
of Beacon Center participants.
- The Carrera/ Dempsey Pregnancy Prevention Initiative,
funded by the Robin Hood Foundation, offering holistic pregnancy
prevention services to 60 young people, including academic support,
family-life education, computer training, career exploration, medical
services, and individual sports and recreation.
- Programs for Parents and Adults, including ESL and
GED classes, Computers for Moms, and Career Opportunities for Women.
- Summer Day Camp, breathing life into a summer
education - science, math, literacy - through hands-on activities
complimented by sports and recreation, creative arts, cultural events,
and field trips. A special teen camp allows participants to take part
in a program of leadership skill-building and community service
opportunities.
- Enriching after-school programs including a Department
of Employment work-readiness program for 50 participants, and an Advantage
After School Program providing academic assistance in the critical
after school hours; all utilizing our unique holistic program model.
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