YES, a nonprofit that provides support to local students from underserved communities, has signed a lease with Columbia University to open an academic development center in Morningside Heights.
The nonprofit serves middle school and high school students who attend Title I public schools in West Harlem’s District 5 and helps them prepare for high school, college and their career paths. As part of their programming, students attend weekly enrichment sessions at Columbia, held at Columbia Law School. YES’s new office at 261 W. 109th Street (on the corner of Broadway) will create a much-needed home for their West Harlem cohort and allow them to benefit from its close proximity to Columbia’s Morningside campus.
“Given our strong ties to the university, we are so excited to officially establish a community hub in Morningside Heights,” said Rebecca Tucker, Executive Director of YES. “With Columbia’s ongoing support, we look forward to using a community-based approach to create access and opportunity for all of our scholars in New York City.”
YES joins several other local businesses that have recently opened in Columbia buildings in Morningside Heights and Manhattanville, including Ban Ban Shop, Miznon, FIELDTRIP, Sapp's Restaurant, Loco Coco, and Trudy's Ice Cream.
YES is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with two decades of educational development work in underserved communities. Dedicated to promoting America’s promise of equal opportunity for equal talent, YES identifies high-achieving students from underserved communities in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and rural Appalachian North Carolina and provides long-term holistic support services that meet students’ academic and socioemotional needs at every milestone along their journey, beginning as early as elementary school and continuing through career placement. To learn more, visit yesscholars.org or contact YES NYC Program Director Sohni Syed at [email protected].