Partnership with Children Launches Three New Afterschool Programs Focused on Mental Health
New York-based nonprofit Partnership with Children (PWC) is launching three new afterschool programs centered on trauma-informed mental health care for high-need youth in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Partnership with Children (PWC), a 118-year-old nonprofit focused on schoolchildren's mental health in New York, is introducing three new afterschool programs in Brooklyn and the Bronx. These programs are specifically designed for high-need middle schoolers and are built upon a foundation of trauma-informed care.
The new initiatives, implemented at South Bronx Academy for Applied Media, Riverdale Avenue Middle School, and Mott Hall, are part of the Department of Youth and Community Development's COMPASS afterschool program. They aim to help students cope with poverty-related stressors and develop essential life skills while participating in afterschool activities.
PWC integrates trauma-informed mental health support into all aspects of its work, from staff interactions to program design and environment. "We have a profound opportunity to prepare New York's schoolchildren for successful futures with an intentional, integrated ecosystem of support centered on mental health," stated Wesner Pierre, CEO of PWC.
This model has previously been piloted at PS 194 in West Harlem, where PWC reported significant improvements in academic outcomes, reduced behavioral incidents, and a strengthened school culture where students felt supported and motivated.