Red Hook Initiative
Our youth development pipeline engages over 350 adolescents each year, and runs from middle school through young adulthood, endeavoring to interrupt cycles of injustice and to build hope.
Middle School Program
RHI provides comprehensive after school programming for 40 middle school aged youth each academic year. Middle School aged youth use the support from RHI to work toward academic success, begin career and college exploration, develop life skills, strengthen social supports and exercise their leadership in Red Hook.
Our long-term goal for Middle School aged youth is that they have strong academic standing, develop confidence and know themselves. This foundation will set them up for success to navigate an often challenging transition into high school. Research shows that a successful transition into the first year of high school increases the likelihood of on-time high school graduation, an overall goal RHI holds for Red Hook youth.
Program Components
- Homework Help
- College Explorers
- Peer-to-Peer Learning
- Social-Emotional Learning
- STEAM Based Learning
- Health Education & Counseling
- Service Learning Projects
- Freedom Schools
High School Program
RHI provides comprehensive programming for 125 Red Hook youth attending high school, as they work toward their high school diploma, develop a post-secondary plan, gain paid job training and work experience, strengthen their social supports and exercise their leadership in the community. Approximately 25 of these high school-aged youth receive short-term support services around employment, education, college access and counseling.
500 Red Hook youth are engaged and served through the efforts of the Youth Leaders. Each year, RHI pays over $250,000 to High School Youth Leaders for their community leadership work.
Program Components
- Tutoring, Study Lounge, & Academic Advocacy
- Farm Apprentices
- Photojournalism
- Peer Health Educators
- Peer Health Navigators
- Youth Leaders-In-Training
- Trauma-Informed Counseling
- College Access & Readiness
- Freedom Schools
Young Adult Program
This year, RHI will recruit, engage and serve 175 young adults as we holistically support the transition from adolescence into adulthood; co-visioning their progression from surviving to thriving with participants. We will conspire with young adults to set individualized goals including furthering their education (certified vocational training, GED, high school diploma, or college degree). Through job readiness training, subsidized internships, job placement, and leadership development roles we will scaffold our youth to the resources for self-sufficiency necessary to engender financial autonomy. Our dedicated team provides comprehensive, personalized support for young adults from a strengths-based approach while intentionally addressing systemic injustice through education, advocacy and opportunities for young adult participation.
Program Components
- Individualized Case Management
- Blended Healing groups and Individual Counseling
- Specialized Employment Consultations
- Tailored Workforce Development & Readiness Workshops
- Reliable Internship Experiences
- Dedicated Job Placement Support
- College Scholars Retention Support
- Retention Support
- College Access Services
- College Institute
- GED & Adult Basic Education Course Enrollment, Tutoring & Coaching
- Public Safety Organizers
Health & Wellness Program
The Health & Wellness Team provides participants with a central point for wellness support and resources at Red Hook Initiative. We view wellness as multi-faceted and seek to build an ecosystem of healing for residents of Red Hook and its youth. Our work at the individual, group, and community levels intends to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by helping youth achieve self-actualization, reach better outcomes, and create a safer and healthier community that moves from surviving to thriving. We are working to embed healing into our day-to-day work with young people and we’re committed to reducing the organizational barriers between the youth we serve and the emotional health and healing support they need.
Program Components
- Individual Support
- Peer Healing Groups
- Ecosystem of Social and Emotional Wellbeing
