The Village at Ithaca

Academic support and mentoring - Village at Ithaca provides academic, social, and emotional support for elementary and high school students both during The school day and on weekends. The organization also provides alternative instruction, employment, and support for youth who are out of school. Iin 2021 The Village hired a high school senior who had experienced long-term suspensions to work as a research intern and present local school district leadership with research and survey results on The role of exclusionary discipline in perpetuating The school-to-prison pipeline. Additionally, engaging out-of-school activities were provided including a dungeons and dragons group and weekly circus play/instruction.

Systems change - continued collaboration with local school districts on various initiatives, including The annual equity report card The equity and inclusion leadership council writing an addendum to The icsd code of conduct, which set out ways The school district should rethink policy during a pandemic and working with schools to reduce out-of-school suspensions. Other projects include a historical research project on The impacts of colonialism in our communities working with a group of student leaders and staff to advocate for equity within their local school district with a focus on youth activism and action and The youth homelessness demonstration program, which works to find creative solutions for youth experiencing homelessness. In 2021, Village at Ithaca engaged with at least 50 youth and provided various resources including short-term hotel stays, mediation, lease negotiation, and more. Vai has applied for additional funding to operate a crisis transitional housing program to enhance The services The organization already provides.

Youth and family advocacy - programs include providing early employment opportunities to bipoc youth and those with barriers to employment in partnership with tompkins county workforce and other local agencies support families to navigate The cse process and hcallenges with extra-curricular activities and transportation weekly distribution of food and household supplies to families without access to existing food pantry/donation sites, while facilitating connection to ther existing support services supporting local youth action board to create a response system to help youth out of homelessness and ongoing support of The stolen joy project, which produced a short film about people of color experiencing oppresion in public school. This film was recently accepted to The atlanta childrens film festival.