ST. JOSEPH’S RECEIVES GRANT TO PROVIDE SUMMER COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

March 02, 2023

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – March 2, 2023 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $230,000 grant from The Teagle Foundation to support a collaboration between SJNY and Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York (BHGHNY) to provide summer humanities courses to high school students from Brooklyn.

The three-year grant will allow for the implementation of The Citizen’s Path, a Knowledge for Freedom Program for rising high school seniors who are participants of BHGHNY, modeled after the Knowledge for Freedom Initiative started by the Teagle Foundation. Beginning in summer 2023, local high school students will take one 3-week course called Citizen's Path, based on an overview of civic engagement, government and human rights from classical thinkers and writers. Along with a series of trips and cultural events using New York City as a classroom, students will understand their unique role in this world by looking to the past in order to inform the present, creating a vision for our future.

“The Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York scholars come from historically underserved communities with little access to higher education preparation,” said Lysandra Hutchinson, director of college access and collegian support for BHGHNY. “Through extensive programming and assistance, our scholars will be able to experience firsthand what it's like to be a college student thanks to the opportunity to form this partnership with St. Joseph’s. We hope that The Citizen's Path will develop them to be critical thinkers and prepare them to be engaged citizens, while also providing the tools and resources needed to successfully transition and excel in college.”

Over the three-year grant period, SJNY anticipates that a total of 70 students will be able to partake in The Citizen’s Path. Each student will have the opportunity to earn college credits by partaking in the summer course which will also alleviate the effects of summer learning loss by practicing critical thinking, reading, information literacy and writing skills. The Citizen’s Path summer program will not only capture interest in the humanities, but also prepare students for higher education by practicing the skills proven to promote overall academic success, while cultivating informed citizens.

“The Teagle Foundation and BHGHNY are devoted to cultivating the study of liberal arts and fostering democratic citizenship,” said Michael Burke, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy. “I am honored to be part of the St. Joseph’s team that is working with the Teagle Foundation and BHGHNY to provide local high school students with the opportunity to experience a liberal arts education through The Citizen’s Path program.”

For more information, visit sjny.edu.

ABOUT THE TEAGLE FOUNDATION
The Teagle Foundation works to support and strengthen liberal arts education, which they see as fundamental to meaningful work, effective citizenship and a fulfilling life. Their aim is to serve as a catalyst for the improvement of teaching and learning in the arts and sciences while addressing issues of financial sustainability and accountability in higher education.

ABOUT BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE OF NEW YORK
Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York helps motivated high school students rise above disadvantaged backgrounds. Their goal is to graduate young people who are physically, emotionally and academically prepared for post-secondary education and productive life, breaking barriers so they can become community-minded leaders.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
St. Joseph’s University, New York has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the University provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through its Brooklyn, Long Island and online campuses, the University offers degrees in more than 100 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.