Our Draft Day in Harlem

 Dear YIP Dream Makers, Supporters, and Friends,

On behalf of our organization and in line with our mission to make a difference with our nation at-risk youth, I am extremely honored to inform you that this year we, together with our country’s oldest military academy and most prestigious institution for the study and development of leadership, are going into New York City’s boroughs of Harlem and the Bronx to bring 6^th, 7^th and 8th-grade at-risk boys to the United States Military Academy for our first-ever West Point Youth Impact Program.

This past Saturday morning, at the Hugo Newman Preparatory School in Harlem NYC, our West Point YIP with LTC Reynold Arredondo, the YIP Program director and participating Corps of Cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point held its recognition of the selection of the participating boys for the upcoming program this June. In the style of an NFL Draft, we drafted the boys with families and teachers present, providing them a West Point Army Football Hat as each took the stage to sign a letter of commitment to participate in the West Point Military Academy Youth Impact Program. Five NYC public schools were involved with the selection process: Hugo Newman Preparatory School, Fredrick Douglass Academy, Urban Assembly Academy of the Bronx, Bronx Latin School, and the Bronx Eagle Academy.  

We believe that the leadership development of this program is unprecedented for all of the participants; at-risk boys and Cadets alike will have unparalleled embedded lessons that build confidence and courage for each of them to make the right decisions, for the right reasons, at the right time under duress. This program is based on building relationships of trust built of character with one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world and its Corps of Cadets with those young “at-risk” Boys from New York City to make positive change, direction with skill sets from access and trust that will make our community better.

It was a great day – coinciding with the last day of the NFL Draft, where NFL Franchises find the core of their teams. We too found the core of our newest team for the West Point Youth Impact Program. We plan to win a World Championship!

Attached is the Pointer View article from yesterday and a few photos of our West Point Draft Day.

We are truly blessed and honored to walk together in the footsteps of the long gray line as it perpetuates the solemn code of Duty, Honor, and Country. 

See pictures from West Point’s Draft Day, and read West Point’s Pointer View article on the event.