Category Archives: CEWD

Niko, a Project Rise Success

My “life was a mess” said Niko R. speaking with Project Rise’s Associate Director Dina LiMandri. He was living in a shelter with his mom, had dropped out of high school, was not interacting with friends and was unemployed

When he realized he needed to get back on his feet, he enrolled in a Harlem-based GED program. “It wasn’t for me. It was one guy in a room in the back of the building…He gave me a packet, but wasn’t really teaching. I needed something more.” His mom found Project Rise on the internet. “The day I was supposed to come for the Information Session I got lost…I was almost not allowed to apply.” Norma D’Arancio, then the college assistant for the program, spoke with Niko’s mother about his high school experiences–he was bullied in school, survived a stabbing, and because of these experiences, was shy and mistrusting of people. Program administrators decided he needed a second chance.

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Ambassador Program at Project Rise

 

ProjectRiseLogoThe CEWD Ambassador Program at KCC’s Project Rise is part of the program’s Internship Tier System designed to provide the students the opportunity to gain specialized skills that are useful in the workplace and in their personal lives. Ambassadors learn skills such as professionalism, public speaking, networking, marketing, self-awareness, and responsibility.

Unlike many internship programs, this one allows ambassadors to work within a supportive and engaging professional environment where they learn about CEWD’s other workforce programs, teamwork and leadership, setting work schedules, developing marketing materials, networking with other professionals and neighborhood businesses, and serving as representatives of CEWD at citywide events, fairs and conferences.

This program not only aids students in self-improvement and self-confidence but also helps them overcome hurdles and barriers. Through activities such as role-playing, ice breakers, team competitions, memory quizzes, and the implementation of the “Selfie Race” (taking a selfie photo during the outreach and recruitment events with the Hashtag #CEWDwashere), each individual will utilize various learning techniques that will ultimately widen their horizons to new opportunities and success.

Note: If you are a current Project Rise participant and want to become an Ambassador, please note that slots are limited. Each participant is given the same opportunity to apply and interview for the program. Speak with Project Rise’s Associate Director, Dina LiMandri for more information.

NRC Grad on Master Chef!

MasterChefDo you watch the widely popular cooking competiting, Master Chef? If you’re watching this season, take special note of Shelly Flash. In 2013 she enrolled in our very own Northeast Resiliency Consortium under the Culinary Arts training program. Shelly completed the program and, with 9 banked college credits, immediately enrolled in KCC’s Culinary Arts program.

From a recent KCC press release, Chef Thomas Smyth, Director of KCC’s Culinary Arts program, noted that Shelly was “extremely eager to get started learning. She has a wonderfully effervescent spirit and a unique, undeveloped talent for cooking, which serves her well as a MasterChef contestant. We’re proud of her, and are Shelly Flash Master Chefrooting for her all the way.”

If you’re interested in building or refining your culinary experience, check out KCC’s NRC training program. Participants receive:

  • Full suite of employment readiness services
  • Job placement assistance and job retention services
  • College enrollment assistance
  • The opportunity to bank college credits
  • Personal supportive services

We have a few Application Sessions remaining for this summer’s cohort. Sign up to find out more about our exciting program!

CEWD Employee of the Month, April 2015

CEWD Employee of the Month, April 2015: 

Genesis Reyes

Genesis Reyes“Genesis is reliable and passionate employee. She is invested in the outcomes of the program, the success of young people we serve, and overall day-to-day management of Project Rise. ”

“I couldn’t ask for a better person to work along side with, especially when there’s a heavy load of work that is in need for assistance. Genesis is the go to person when major questions are being asked.”

“On a personal note Genesis is very loving and caring and shows lots of charisma.”

Ms. Genesis Reyes began her career with the CEWD in 2011. Ms. Reyes is currently a Kingsborough Community College student and works for CEWD full time. Over the course of her employment Ms. Reyes was promoted three times, and most recently began her position as Program Coordinator for SIF Project Rise. In this role, Ms. Reyes will provide support the program with day-to-day support to ensure if functions optimally. Ms. Reyes has successfully provided support to the Project Rise team by effective multi-tasking and administrative coordination. Some of Genesis’s contributions include creation of the Project Rise newsletter, co-coordination of the Job Club, efficient management of payment requests, to name a few. Ms. Reyes is studying Early Childhood Education and is expected to graduate fall 2015. She plans on pursuing a degree in Education Studies at CUNY Brooklyn College.

Microsoft Office Suite for CUNY Students

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Great news for CUNY students: free access to Microsoft Office Software! The collaboration between Microsoft and CUNY is a huge deal for the 450,000+ students who attend CUNY colleges. In addition to helping students excel in the classroom, this partnership is also geared toward preparing students for jobs that rely heavily on Microsft Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

If you don’t already know, KCC’s Northeast Resiliency Consortium Culinary Arts and Community Health Worker programs not only prepare adults to be resilient workers, but classes provide college enrollment assistance and even college credits to eligible students. Amazing, right?! Application sessions are happening now! Sign up today!

April Job Fairs

Upcoming Fairs/Workshops/Events*:

  • April 8, 2015 11:00a-3:00p—National Career Fairs @ Holiday Inn Midtown 57 Street, 440 West 57th Street New York , NY 10019
  • April 8, 2015 12:00p-5:00p—Professional Diversity Network @ Hilton New York Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10019
  • April 8, 2015 12:30p-2:30p—Career Thinker Inc. @ Grand Central Library,135 E 46th St
    2nd floor community room New York, NY 10017
    (between Lexington & Third Ave.),
  • April 23, 2015 9:00a-1:00p—Talent Career Fairs @ New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway New York, NY 10036
  • April 24, 2015 9:30a-1:00p—NYC Green Job Fair @ , Historic St. George’s Church, 135-32 38th Avenue, Flushing, NY

CEWD is in the business of providing training opportunities to both unemployed New Yorkers and individuals who wish to enter a new industry. The Northeast Resiliency Consortium has application sessions currently running (April-June, 2015) for our Culinary Arts and Food Service Upgrade training programs. If you’re interested in either program, sign up for an application session via our website (link above) and a representative will be in contact with everything you need to know.

*Check with sponsors/locations to verify event details. 

**This is not the most comprehensive list. If you are sponsoring an event and would like it mentioned on our site, please leave a comment and we’ll make sure it is listed in upcoming posts. 

CEWD at NYCETC’s 2015 Policy Forum

NYC_Workforce_Weekly_15_02_17.inddOn February 6, the New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) hosted a policy forum titled “Policy, Perspectives and Partnerships” to discuss NYCs Career Pathways Report and for participants to share their experiences with city leaders and to discuss recent city-wide workforce developments. Over very own Director of Programs, Alissa Levine, co-facilitated group activities with CUNY Central’s Colette Labrador, during a Career Pathways workshop “How Do We Design and Implement Effective Career Pathways Models” conducted by Scott Zucker of Public Works Partnership.

 

Job Training Application Sessions

NRC_Logo_CMYKAre you interested in getting into the healthcare industry? If so, maybe a career as a Community Health Worker fits with what you want. If the health industry isn’t your thing, have you thought of a career in the fast-paced world of Culinary Arts? Job training programs at CEWD with The Northeast Resiliency Consortium has you covered!

Our low cost (only $100) job training programs will also give you robust employment readiness services, job placement assistance, help with the college enrollment process, personal support services and so much more! There are only TWO application sessions remaining before classes begin. Visit our application session page to learn about our programs and begin your application process. Your future awaits!

 

Science on the Farm

We haven’t spoken much about science on the farm, but we’ve had a number of projects going over the last few years. Last season, KCC Urban Farm ran a small experiment to see how adding minerals to our soil could boost plant nutrition. This year, we plan to expand upon that experiment, so stay tuned for internship opportunities!

The problem:
Soil is made out of minerals (50%), air (23%), water (23%), and organic matter (4%). Because KCC Urban Farm is lucky enough to receive donations of compost from the Department of Sanitation, however, our soil has 30% organic matter! What does this mean for us? For growing our high quality vegetables, it means we have to test our soil for the nutrients plants need to grow.

The solution:
Based on the soil test results, we can add mineral amendments based on what we’re missing.

The experiment:

Student research assistant Adriana Valerio measuring brix in kale leaves

Student research assistant Adriana Valerio measuring brix in kale leaves

We want to know if our mineral amendments are leading to healthier crops. In 2014, we ran a small experiment on our tomato plants: we amended only half of the plants for each variety of tomato. After a couple of weeks, we measured calcium and brix levels in new and old leaves for all of the tomato plants. We did the same thing a couple of months later. Calcium is important for plant growth – plant cells use it for structure. It’s also a good indicator of nutrient uptake. Brix is a measure of plant sugars – if brix is high, we know our plants have everything they need to thrive.

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KCC Urban Farm in the Community

IMG_1750Want to meet the farmers of KCC Urban Farm? Farm staff will be at two events in March:

March 21, 2015: Making Brooklyn Bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

March 28, 2015: NYCHA Goes Green (location to be announced)

Come talk with Farm Education Manager, Mara Gittleman, and Farm Manager, Silvia Torres, about what goes on at the farm from the students who help the farm runcontinuing education classesproduce distributions and culinary arts partnerships. We’ve got it all!