10 Years, 10 Triumphs
Triumph 5: NYCA Planted the Seeds for Inclusion and Programming with the JCC in Manhattan
The creation of BOOST! is one of NYCA’s greatest triumphs in its 10-year history.
As with all our collaborative programs, we researched best practices and found a terrific after-school program at Have Dreams in Park Ridge, Illinois. We brought this model to the NY metropolitan area and partnered with community based recreational organizations in Manhattan, New Jersey and Long Island so children with ASD could attend an after-school program in the same location as their siblings and neighbors. One such program is BOOST! at The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan (JCC).
BOOST! is a highly-structured after-school program in which typically developing peer mentors teach children with ASD to communicate in a group setting and practice social skills while learning about the world around them. All of this is designed to help kids with ASD achieve the maximum level of independence and happiness and to experience the everyday joys of childhood.
We would like to thank the JCC in Manhattan for the last 10 years, and for embracing special needs and autism. We look forward to planting the seeds with them for inclusion and after-school programming across the nation.
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