Treasure Academy
We are excited about our continued partnership between the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), Carrera Program and the Urban Assembly Institute for Math and Science. The goal of this partnership is to help students develop the motivation to achieve academic and personal success, and to provide them with the tools to make healthy decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Based on a model of youth development designed by Dr. Michael A. Carrera, this program has been proven to help young people delay sexual activity, reduce teen pregnancy, and ensure high school graduation and college admission. This proven national program is at several locations in NYC and around the country.
How does it work?
To complement the (UAI) rigorous academic program, the CAS Carrera Treasure Academy conducts weekly in-school classes, providing comprehensive academic support that helps remove barriers to learning so that your child can excel, and be healthy and safe in their early adolescent development. We achieve this by:
- Daily homework help and tutoring along with individual academic plans designed to meet the needs of the participants. This component will provide support and encouragement for parents to become more involved in their children’s education and in planning for high school and college.
- Weekly “Job Club” classes where students learn about the world of work, earn stipends, open their own individual savings accounts, explore career options, practice money management, learn job skills, and learn about starting a business.
- Weekly “Power Group” sessions with a group of students and a licensed school counselor/social worker who provides guidance and support for adjusting to middle school, improving social skills, and addressing issues that young people face today.
- Weekly “Family Life and Sexuality Education” sessions to help students understand puberty, how to communicate better with parents, and how to resist peer pressure. In addition the CAS Carrera Treasure Academy offers Parent Family Life and Sexuality Education classes. These classes help parents speak with their children about puberty and sexuality so that young people learn to make healthy decisions.
- Weekly self expression through the arts
- Individual lifetime sports programs
- Providing access to comprehensive medical and dental services. Medical advocates provide support for families in their pursuit of quality healthcare for their children. Students learn how to advocate for themselves at appointments and identify their rights as health care consumers. Through a partnership with Helen Keller’s Child Sight Program there is an annual vision screening and eyeglasses are provided for those students in need.
Meet the new Program Director:
Chris Maestro is extremely excited to take the helm as the new Program Director for the Carrera Treasure Academy. Before joining the Carrera team, he worked for The Urban Assembly network where he worked closely with principals and partnership coordinators to broaden the range of enrichment, internship, and mentoring opportunities available to Urban Assembly students. Chris served as Program Director of a teen after school program in the Bronx. He began his career in education as a Global History teacher over 13 years ago at the High School for Enterprise, Business, and Technology in Brooklyn. Chris holds a B.A. in History and a M.A. in Socially Responsible Business and Sustainable Communities.
Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Chris: ChrisM@UAInstitute.org or 347.899.7267