Metro Center's Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) has been housed within Metro since its first award in 1995. LPP provides comprehensive services designed to meet the academic, psychological, social and other developmental needs of high-risk students. This work is accomplished through a hybrid-approach of programmatic activities taking place during the school day and after school and other activities and events taking place on weekends. In addition, Metro's LPP program provides SAT preparation to New York City high school students on New York University's campus. This SAT prep takes place on Saturdays and sessions will continue through November 24th, 2018.
Currently, students attending LPP's partner schools for the 2017-2022 program cycles are at an especially high risk of not completing high school. The Metro's LPP serves 360 students attending nine New York City public high schools. The schools serve youth who live across the city, often outside of the boroughs where their schools are located.
Student participant achievement is measured via school attendance, attendance and active participation in tutoring sessions, after-school activities, Saturday and/or summer academies, and parent attendance in workshops and meetings. Resiliency is measured twice per year to ensure program retention. College/career readiness assessments are administered once per year to ensure students are on-track for graduation. All assessments will inform any necessary steps for intervention. Academic progress is tracked on a weekly basis via tutoring sessions.
To meet the growing needs of students for support through rigorous academic transitions, transitions from grade to grade, social and emotional challenges, etc, LPP has made connections with various schools and departments within New York University. Supports will be maintained through their connections to the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
As the work continues Jorge Lopez, Metro LPP associate, was recently invited to speak on the Diversity and Respect Panel at a statewide Liberty Partnerships Program Professional Development Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY. The aim of the panel was to address ways to harness the potential that understanding and valuing diversity will have to maximize the impact of the statewide LPP work on civil society.