StreetSquash: Harlem
StreetSquash
Harlem
Founded 1999
Executive Director: George Polsky
Board Chair: Jeffrey Laikind
Nine full time staff, seven part time staff
125 kids (school year), 30 (summer)
Schools: Thurgood Marshall Academy, Wadleigh Secondary High School, Frederick Douglass Academy II
School Year Program:, Academic Tutoring, Community Service, Mentoring, College Prep and Literacy, Squash Instruction and Competition
Summer Programs: Summer Discovery Program, Overnight Squash Camps, High School Employment Program, Summer Search, Camp Dudley, Windsor Mountain, Buck’s Rock
Facility Partners: Columbia University, Harvard Club, West Side YMCA
2007-2008 Operating Budget: $850,000
School Attendance Rate: 90%
Grade-to-Grade Matriculation Rate: 100%
Program Attendance: 88%
College Attendance Rate: 90%
One data-driven success: For the eight years that StreetSquash has been serving Harlem’s kids, the program has a 90% retention rate, meaning that year after year nine of every ten kids remain in the program.
“I am most proud of the sense of family that has been created at StreetSquash. We ask for a very big commitment from the children, but as you can see from their attendance figures, these children show up year after year. This is because they are surrounded by people who care for them, and most importantly, these adults stick around as well, helping to create a consistent, supportive and caring environment that helps these children reach their potential.”
- George Polsky, Executive Director
