Back to School, Back in Action! Harlem NeON

On Friday, August 18th and 25th Manhattan Juvenile Operations probation officers and staff held Back to School events, at 60 Lafayette Street, and at the Harlem NeON for clients currently embarking on the journey of navigating a successful school year. Community members and clients were invited to enjoy festive music and delicious cultural local cuisines, while discussing school goals, employment opportunities, plans to combat stress, and how parents, guardians, and probation officers can play an integral role in assisting our young people. Attendees also enjoyed playing basketball, double-dutch, and even strolled down memory lane on the jungle gym and swings. Utilizing the Youth Thrive practices at its heart, the Back to School Bash and Barbeque were designed to strengthen our youths’ resilience through positive interactions with families, and distributing essential school supplies: backpacks, calculators, flash drives, marble notebooks, 5-subject notebooks, dividers, binders, paper, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, and erasers. Clients were also reminded that they are the picture of greatness. The motto for the events was: "Everything starts in your head. Stop making excuses. Just Do It!”

We would like to thank Juvenile Operations' Deputy Commissioner Gineen Gray, Associate Commissioner Lisa Frost, DOP juvenile and adult staff, Dempsey building management, clients and our community partners for their part in making this a successful event.