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Now in our 20th year, Friends is a unique organization in New York City that works with adolescents returning home from Rikers Island. Through daily offerings in education, employment, social support and youth leadership, Friends seeks to level the playing field for our youth members by building on relationships we develop with them prior to their release.
We are a youth development center that acts as a family. We offer education, but we are not a school. Our core components are developing competency, providing a sense of belonging, and offering the opportunity for participation and leadership. We do so by targeting kids who have gone to school while incarcerated at Rikers Island.
Our staff comprise a remarkable breadth and depth of talent-criminal justice policy, delivery of employment services, education, social work-and includes two workers who began at Friends as youth members 15 years ago. The common thread that unites us is our strong commitment to realizing the potential of our youth members for personal fulfillment and positive civic engagement.
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