NYN Insights Podcast on Educating and Organizing

How do you address the challenge of helping at-risk students move from middle school through college? Rhea Wong of Breakthrough New York joins us to talk about how the organization shepherds them through middle school, high school and college with after-school tutoring, summer enrichment programming, SAT prep, internship placement and mentorship. As an alumni of the program, she joined the New York branch a decade ago, when she was in her 20s and the organization had a $250,000 budget with two staffers working in a broom closet. Now it has a $2.7 million budget and more than a dozen employees. This year, Breakthrough New York is serving 440 students and it now operates in Brooklyn and the South Bronx, in addition to its original location in Manhattan.

Also, since the election, the New York Civil Liberties Union has been busy fighting for the rights of immigrants, and to assist those caught in the travel ban from seven majority Muslim nations. But a continued work toward police reform has been one of its biggest causes. Brandon Holmes, an organizer there, talks about what's it been like working in the streets and with allies to lead the charge.

New York Nonprofit Media regularly interviews nonprofit leaders to discuss their professional experience, lessons learned, perspectives on the industry and more. To recommend a candidate for our Outcomes segments, contact Aimee Simpierre at asimpierre@nynmedia.com.

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