1420 East 68th Street Brooklyn, NY 11234 Phone: (718) 763-4701 Fax: (718) 251-3439
Roy H. Mann
Together We Make A Difference
Some Activities Include
Food Justice and Cooking
Dance (Step and Hip Hop)
Visual Arts
Drama
Sewing
Percussion
Testimonials
“ULA offers a door of opportunity for becoming a leader. . . I don’t think that any after-school program can compare to the information given here. We talk about violence . . . about how other people are being treated . . . how we can help our communities . . .” –Joshua Cherry, MS 381
“I made more friends because of GGE.”-Abigaelle Bellevue, Roy H. Mann
“I love the fact that I learned about what is going on in my community and what is going on nation-wide. I used to be shy but now I am more open-minded and able to speak my mind.” –Cassandra Felix, Roy H. Mann
“At first, I didn’t want to go to school anymore but, when I heard about the program and signed up it was fun and kept on motivating me. . . ULA motivated me to go to school and the program. This program has changed me.” –D’Andre Rose, Roy H. Mann
“When I joined ULA it really boosted up my confidence. Mrs. Nicole [program director] comes to our classes and teaches us life lessons. Like how not to be racist.” –Debbie Medy, Roy H. Mann
“ULA helped me speak up more if my friends or peers were doing something wrong. I would tell them they did something wrong instead of just stand on the sidelines and watch. We should speak up for what we believe in. We are never too young to speak up for what we believe in.” –Kayla-Hope Bruno, Roy H. Mann
“The most important things I have learned was in cooking because of food justice . . . We learned about our food and what chemicals they have in them. We learn skills like substituting different healthier foods for unhealthy things.” –Wildneysa Bellefluer, Roy H. Mann
Academic Advisory Committee committed to ensuring the academic success of our ULA students
Service Learning to engage student’s with issues related to the community
Parental Support in understanding the high school process and other aspects of middle school students’ growth
Interactive Social Justice Curriculum to educate and engage students in social justice topics such as racism, classism, and sexism
Field trips, special events, and more
Serving as many as 90 students, ULA intentionally collaborates to meet the students’ needs by filling in the gaps with enrichment programming that schools are unable to provide. Over time, we have created strong partnerships with organizations that have allowed our program to grow, expand, and continue to offer new and exciting opportunities for our students. Some partnerships include:
(MSQI)[RY1] is the New York City Department of Education’s focused effort to expand the number of middle schools that prepare students for college and career success. (citation)
helps students understand, engage, express and manage their emotions healthily.
leads youth workshops around issues such as bullying (with an LGBTQ focus), internet safety, dating violence, media messaging, etc.
provides social justice drama workshops to help develop the student’s skills in addressing these issues in their communities.
(THEO) hosts peer-led workshop series on topics such as puberty, healthy decision making, gender and stereotypes, conflict resolution, time management, etc.
provides artistic programming such as Chorus, Dance, Clowning, Book Making, and Mural Arts.
provides English, Language Arts, Math, Regents, and Specialized High School Test Prep.
ULA is a holistic after-school program for boys and girls grades 6-8 at Roy H. Mann. ULA is designed to advance leadership skills, social justice principles & values, and self-determination within our young people. Staff and mentors view youth as catalysts for change to impact their school communities and make change within the world at large. Through social justice education students develop gender, race, and class analysis to further their understanding of the world and their place within it. All ULA curriculum is informed by GGE’s Youth Development Model:
Social Growth and Identity: youth exploring the concept of identity and build character in relation to self and the larger community through a broad range of enrichment and support activities.
Consciousness Raising: challenging oneself and influencing others to think critically about systems of oppression and the roles individuals and communities play in these systems.
Youth Leadership: playing an active role in self-determination, which in turn has an impact on the community at large.
Education and Career: promoting cross-disciplinary academic excellence and exposure to nontraditional career goals.
Community Organizing for Social Justice: building organizational skills and implementing strategies that mobilize the community to change gender, race, and class dynamics for people of color living in urban communities.
Health and Fitness: building nutrition and fitness awareness and practice.
Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) is an inter-generational grassroots organization committed to the physical, psychological, social, and economic development of girls and women. Through education, organizing and physical fitness, GGE encourages communities to remove barriers and create opportunities for girls and women to live self-determined lives.
GGE envisions a society with optimal physical, economic, educational, and social systems to foster the growth and fulfillment of all its members. To that end, we will provide programs that develop strengths, skills, and self-sufficiency in girls and women and help them make meaningful choices in their lives with minimum opposition and maximum community support. We will undertake organizing campaigns to achieve safety and equality in the social, political, educational, athletic, economic, health, and media worlds of smaller and larger communities in which girls and women live and work.