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Mission

Redemption, Inc. is a community-based non-profit organization serving disadvantaged and underserved youth ages 13-19 within urban areas. Redemption encourages the educational advancement of youth by promoting intergenerational learning, community involvement, and self-advocacy. We strive to address the issues pertaining to the youth sector in the Brooklyn community, in hopes of bettering their self-esteem, improving their knowledge and access to educational possibilities, and increasing overall community awareness.

Programs

DIRECT SERVICES PROGRAMS

College 2 College Mentorship
All the members of Redemption, Inc. are current college students or college graduates. Building on the importance of shared experiences and collective intellectual power, the Redemption team maintains mentoring relationships with students in Brooklyn, working to guide them throughout their high school careers while stressing these essential elements: timely graduation, acceptance into their school of choice; and self-confidence as they climb the ladder of success. As role models the Redemption team of volunteers understands the responsibility of illustrating fundamental values, such as, self-assurance, integrity, humility, and passion in order to appropriately lead by example.

Life Skills Thematic Workshops are customized to cater to the different groups of young people and their various needs. For example, in the past Redemption structured a workshop with the theme: “Choices and Consequences”. As part of the workshop there were skits performed to illustrate to the participants the impact of “choices”. This was followed by discussion around the decisions made and impact of those decisions on each character. One of the skits also highlighted third variables that may affect ones choice to further ones education and the positive outcomes of attending college.

Accomplishments

Since the start of Redemption in 2003: it has reached over 750 youth; have formed youth empowerment networks; and 85% of the students Redemption mentored have graduated high school, and gone on to achieve at least one other personal goal including attending college. Also, having joined forces with the parent coordinators, guidance councilors, college adviser, and principals in the school, the parents are getting involved and making a difference, the culture of the school is changing for the better, and students are motivating themselves as well as their peers. Redemption serves as a positive catalyst that will continue to spark as long as the mission remains the inspiration behind the work. As a mobile support organization Redemption’s legacy is to encourages each student to feel comfortable contacting members of the organization for assistance. Currently, at least 55% of the students reach out and keep in touch with Redemption. We add all our students to a database network.

Goals

Our philosophy Reclaim, Rebuild, and Redirect structures our objectives to: 1) Increase high school retention rates in urban and marginalized communities; 2) Increase the number of people of color in colleges and universities; 3) Integrate positive parental/adult involvement and support in the lives of our youth; 4) Motivate through mentorship those who do not necessarily receive this support from their respective environments. Only 45.5% of 9th grade African Americans graduate in 4yrs compared with 81% White students. (Source: New York State Education Dept.) Redemption, Inc. aims to support these schools, students and parents struggling in substandard educational environments, to increase their level of awareness about the possibilities available through formal education and informal knowledge. Redemption provides a high quality of support to public education in New York.

Program Evaluation Methods

There is a file kept on each individual student Redemption works with, tracking their outcomes and milestones. In addition, a survey is given at the beginning and the end of each individual workshop assessing the value of the information the students received. Also, students report their success stories (testimonials), highlighting Redemption’s impact on their lives. After evaluating all of this feedback, Redemption is able to re-assess and enhance its curriculum to achieve greater success with our rap-around services. We are researching other methods of evaluation and tracking systems to document our overall impact.

Financial Statements

Download IRS Form 990 (2006)

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