Category Archives: CEWD

Project Rise

Project Rise has been very busy! Cohort 3 started the SD10 1-credit college course. Next week they will have a Financial Aide Workshop conducted by a Financial Aide representative from Kingsborough Community College own financial aid office. Cohort 3’s yearlong programming will come to a close in September, and we are looking forward to celebrating their accomplishments in a “Next Steps” ceremony.

We are currently recruiting for a new cohort (Cohort 5), and looking ahead to Project Rise Year 3. We have information sessions every Thursday, so if you are interested in our program or would like more information call us. Our flyer will be attached to review next with all the contact information and our eligibility requirements.

Cohort 4 will begin Virtual Enterprise with Daniel Kane in August, a three credit college course. Many of our participants are looking forward to banking credits and becoming young entrepreneurs. Little by little GED (HSE) scores are trickling in, and so far the Year 2 total is 13 GED’s and counting. In the beginning of next year, the GED will be changed to HSE. Look out for more posts on the changes to come and how Project Rise will tailor instruction to meet the new exam requirements….

Summer Bounty

It’s mid-summer, and KCC Urban Farm is overflowing with fresh veggies.

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Denia harvesting rainbow carrots

What’s growing?

Summer brings the end of our spring crops, including countless bunches off carrots and beets. As these come out of the ground, we make room for our favorite heat-loving fruiting crops – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, tomatillos, and cucumbers.

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Swiss Chard

 

We’re also harvesting kale, callaloo, swiss chard, and collard greens, which are versatile greens used in a variety of dishes across world cultures, from Jamaica to Italy.

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Zinnia

Summertime also brings an abundance of bright, vibrant flowers. At KCC Urban Farm, we’re growing zinnias, sunflowers, agrostemma, calendula, marigolds, bachelor’s buttons, and more to bring pollinators to our crops and liven up our offices.

 

Taste of the Farm

This week, Food Justice Interns under Prof. Helaine Harris harvested and prepared fresh  veggies for the second Taste of the Farm event of 2013. Students showcased a series of raw salads: kale salad, cucumber salad, green been salad, and two varieties of raw, grated beets. They also harvested herbs from the farm, blending flavors of mint, lemongrass, and chamomile for a refreshing summer beverage.

The goal of the internship class is to raise awareness about food justice issues and expose students to various aspects of the burgeoning food movement. Earlier this summer, these students volunteered on the farm, helping us plant lettuce and turn compost.

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Small Business and Entrpreneurship program at The College of Staten Island

Do you have a business idea that you know will be a success? Do you dream of being your own boss? The Small Business & Entrepreneurship program at the College of Staten Island can help you incubate your idea and develop your own small business!

Eligible adults can participate in the Entrepreneurship, a FREE, 3 credit business course at the College of Staten Island!

  • Create business and marketing plans
  • Deliver elevator pitches
  • Learn through integrated classroom and virtual enterprise and application
  • Receive support to launch businesses, enroll into college and find employment
  • Participate in additional math and literacy training

Currently accepting applications for Fall 2013 semester, for more info call 718-982-2625 or e-mail contnuing_ed@csi.cuny.edu to reserve a seat in an upcoming Information Session!

**Call us today to reserve your seat & find out about out extremely LOW COST training**


Programs And Initiatives

Project Welcome

Project Welcome was an employment-driven training initiative delivered by KCC’s CEWD in partnership with KCC’s Office of Continuing Education. Launched in February 2007, the program was made possible by a U.S. Department of Labor Community-Based Jobs Training Grant awarded to Kingsborough to train New York City residents in Tourism and Hospitality.
The program was free-of-charge and was open to the under- and unemployed and to career changers with an interest in pursuing careers in hospitality and food production. Project Welcome offered three training programs: Hospitality Operations and Management, Hospitality Event and Meeting Planning, and Food Service Operations. The 10-to-12 week training programs included certification test fees, books and supplies, internship opportunities and assistance with job placement. Project Welcome represented a new model for jobs training at Kingsborough; we have used the successful model since for other grant-funded initiatives.

Outcomes
Project Welcome is proud to have met, and exceeded all the projected outcomes outlined in the grant agreement with US DOL. Initially scheduled to enroll 520 participants, Project Welcome enrolled 798. The anticipated number of program graduates was 352 adults and 64 youths,  in the end, 495 adults and 115 youth completed training, earning industry specific certifications and CUNY Certificates of Completion.
Project Welcome employment specialists worked closely with participants and placed 295 graduates into employment, 239 of whom entered training related jobs and 207 of whom retained employment according to W.I.A. Common Measures. 50 youth participants entered employment and/or enrolled in college. 
Career Pathways: The development of a foodservice and hospitality food service career pathway allowed the job developers, staff and faculty better understand what jobs could result from Project Welcome training and how additional education, training and certifications could lead to higher wage jobs and movement up the career ladder.
Project Welcome Student Database: The database was created by CEWD to track common measures specific data required for DOL ETA reporting.
The Career Pathways, Virtual Enterprise Cyber Hotel case scenarios and student database were submitted to DOL as products for dissemination for the benefit of future grantees.
Employer Advisory Board meetings were held once to twice a year to communicate program outcomes, share best practices and seek input on training models and develop plans for sustainability.

Unanticipated Outcome
Articulation into college: To date, over 65 Project Welcome graduates have applied to KCC to pursue their Associates Degree in the department of Tourism and Hospitality.
Entrepreneurship and Ownership Track: Students had the opportunity to explore entrepreneurial opportunities through their participation in KCC’s Kitchen Incubator Program. Businesses developed as a result of this collaboration include Brooklyn Fudge, People’s Pops and Early Bird.
Successful sustainability, Dissemination and Program Replication: Building on the success of Project Welcome’s model, CEWD worked with NYC Small Business Services, Council Member Domenic Recchia and local CBO’s to develop a customized training program to meet the training and employment needs of the Coney Island community. In January 2010 CEWD launched Coney Island Project Welcome.
The Project Welcome model was also integrated into the CUNY Young Adult Program and has been adopted by SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center (BEOC).

 

CUNY Young Adult Program

The CUNY Young Adult Program (CYAP) was a partnership of three CUNY colleges – LaGuardia Community College (lead organization), Kingsborough Community College (KCC), and New York City College of Technology (City Tech). Each college offered a customized skills training program to prepare participants for employment. CYAP served participants between the ages of 18-24 who were not currently employed or enrolled in school, had their high school diplomas or GEDs, and demonstrated financial need.
Kingsborough Community College provided Food Service Operations and Hospitality Operations and Management training that emphasized hands-on skills and industry certifications.
LaGuardia Community College provided Business and Financial Services training, which included training in bank teller, bookkeeping, retail skills/customer services and basic computer operations (Microsoft Office Suite).
New York City College of Technology provided Construction-related and Facilities Management training in order to place participants in paid union apprenticeship positions as well as employment.
CYAP included an intensive assessment component, job development, bridge training, and case management.
Each student completed an E-portfolio and put together a Digital Story 21 of the E-Portfolios/Digital stories were posted online http://www.ive.cuny.edu/cyap/e-portfolio.php. Students learned how to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Movie Maker, how to conduct research using the internet and how to build an e-portfolio.

 

Green CUNY Young Adult Program

The Green CUNY Young Adult Program, funded by the New York State Department of Labor, was based on the successful CYAP program. Two components were added: a “green-awareness” piece focused on urban agriculture and the National Work Readiness Credential.
KCC Green CYAP offered training in Food Service Operations.  Training included a focus on hospitality and customer services.  The program was composed of college coursework, workshops and lectures that focused on workplace readiness, customer service and business operations.   Hands-on experience was further enhanced through internships and with virtual simulations that gave students an insider’s look on how a particular business operates.

The training also exposed young adults, 18-24 years old, to concepts of sustainability related to urban agriculture and entrepreneurship.  Weekly class topics enhanced their understanding of organic food, carbon footprint, recycling, composting, and other strategies for sustainable living.  Participants are able to connect what they learn in the classroom with real world experience through field trips to local farms and community gardens.