Giving Back: Young Professionals Join Harlem Educational Activities Fund Inaugural Junior Board of Directors
By David Stinfl, Junior Board Member
My life would be very different today if several New York City-based non-profits had not exposed me, a first-generation son of Haitian immigrants, to the business world when I was a student in junior high school, high school, and college. Enrichment programs such as INROADS, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and Prep for Prep 9, bolstered the strong academic foundation that my parents and public schools instilled in me and broadened my career aspirations. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities that these programs afforded me and, like many former participants in those programs, I embrace the responsibility of supporting similar ones, such as the Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF) as a member of its inaugural Junior Board of Directors.
Established in 1989, the Harlem Educational Activities Fund empowers students to reach beyond the expectations that broader society has set for them by offering a rigorous developmental approach that integrates academic enrichment, career guidance, and cultural programming tailored to each student’s individual needs. Students embark upon their journey to college as early as 6th grade in HEAF’s flagship High Expectations program, continue their enrichment through the high school based College Quest program, and culminate their experience as participants of HEAF’s Onward program. Evidence of HEAF’s successful mix of programming is found in the fact that 100% of HEAF’s students graduate high school and gain acceptance to four-year colleges, which compares favorably to NYC’s high school graduation rate of 63%.[1]
As a buttress to their mission, the inaugural Junior Board was commissioned to cultivate community partnerships, increase awareness of HEAF’s programs, and fundraise on behalf of HEAF. It is comprised of 35 young professionals that share a desire to increase educational opportunities for students and recognize the importance of “giving back.” The Junior Board held its first-ever event in late September 2013, raising over $2,700 dollars for HEAF and spreading awareness of the program to over 175 attendees.
I joined the Junior Board not only because I am the beneficiary of multiple programs like HEAF, and therefore understand the substantial impact that HEAF has on its students’ trajectories, but also because the Junior Board provides its members with opportunities to hone professional skills and expand their networks. Junior Board members work for corporations and organizations as varied as Macy’s, Goldman Sachs, the University of Oxford, and the YMCA of Greater New York. HEAF has allowed us the opportunity to branch out and strengthen ourselves by collaborating with other influential organizations. For example, in the first quarter of 2014, we will work with the Harlem Business Alliance and the New York Urban League to raise awareness of HEAF’s pending expansion into Brooklyn, explore fund raising opportunities, and discuss potential partnerships. It takes a community to uplift a community, and we intend to set this example. Lessons that are learned from each program and event are incorporated into subsequent campaigns and events, and will hopefully establish a foundation that future Junior Boards can enhance and build upon.
While membership on the Junior Board has its own special meaning and purpose to each member, serving on the Junior Board will always be important to me because I was one of HEAF’s target students not so long ago. It is encouraging to know that as this inaugural Junior Board finds its roots, future iterations of the Board will be able to expand the size and scope of the program to ensure that even more NYC public school students will be exposed to concepts, cultures, and careers beyond their wildest imaginations through the work of HEAF.
[1]http://schools.nyc.gov/ui/cms/sites/empoweringboys/docs/NYC%20Graduation%20Rates%20&%20Postsecondary%20Enrollment.pdf