In our 5 years Kingsborough’s Project Rise has seen so many program and student accomplishments and we couldn’t be more proud. MDRC and the Social Innovation Fund just released a report, Engaging Disconnected Young People in Education and Work, that evaluates Project Rise in its 5 sites (Kingsborough, FEGS, and Henry Street Settlement in New York, Rutgers in New Jersey, and the Full Employment Council in Kansas City, MO).

In this report, KCC’s Project Rise was recognized, among other things, for our collaboration with the College that provided resources to both staff and students—KCC Urban Farm as the pre-internship site, referrals to KCC’s Single Stop for social service benefits, the opportunity to bank college credits, etc.

In a message to her staff, Associate Director of KCC’s Project Rise, Dina LiMandri, said: “There’s a story that the report won’t tell. One about growth and development, leadership and management, interdisciplinary team approaches, and what it takes to create a culture of engagement.” Without a team that brought “a perfect balance of creativity, organization, temperament, and strategy…” our services would look completely different.

Across all sites, Project Rise has been wildly successful:

• More than 91% received some HSE preparation.
• About 72% began internships and over half of those worked more than 120 hours.
• Within 12 months, 25% earned a high school equivalency credential or high school diploma.
• About 25% entered unsubsidized employment.

Go Project Rise!