irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $915KPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: WE TRAIN EDUCATORS TO USE STORY-BASED CURRICULA TO STRENGTHEN YOUTHS' SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING SKILLS (SEL). THESE STORIES-DEVELOPED BY TEENS IN OUR WRITING PROGRAM- HIGHLIGHT SEL SKILLS DEFINED BY THE COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING: SELF-AWARENESS, SOCIAL AWARENESS, RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING, SELF- MANAGEMENT, AND RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT. OUR TRAINING ENABLES THEM TO CREATE SETTINGS THAT FOSTER ENGAGEMENT, NURTURE POSITIVE STAFF-YOUTH RELATIONS, AND MAKE ALL STUDENTS FEEL WELCOMED AND VALUED. STAFF ALSO IMPROVE THEIR FACILITATION SKILLS: LEADING OPEN-ENDED DISCUSSIONS, DRAWING OUT RELUCTANT PARTICIPANTS, ACTIVE LISTENING, ETC. LAST YEAR, WE TRAINED OVER 1700 EDUCATORS AT SCHOOLS, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, FOSTER CARE AGENCIES, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THEY WORKED WITH MORE THAN 25,000 YOUTH. WE LAUNCHED OUR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM, MIRRORS AND WINDOWS. IT PROVIDES UNIQUE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CENTERED ON YOUTH VOICES, AND CONCRETE STRATEGIES TO YOUTH-FACING ADULTS TO HELP THEM BUILD SUPPORTIVE CLASSROOMS.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Mirrors and Windows Professional Development
Culturally responsive training program that equips educators with strategies to use youth stories in building supportive, inclusive classrooms and strengthening social-emotional learning.
Represent Magazine
Magazine by and for teens in foster care, publishing personal narratives that highlight their experiences, resilience, and perspectives. Used as a tool for advocacy and professional training.
YCteen Magazine
Youth-led magazine featuring true stories written by teens in New York City on topics including identity, mental health, family, and social justice. Stories are used in classrooms and youth programs to foster empathy and dialogue.
Youth Writing Contest
Annual contest inviting teens to submit personal stories for a chance to be published and win prize money, promoting youth voice and engagement in narrative expression.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Storytelling and Literacy Resource Development 2 activities
- Distribution of stipends and educational resources to youth and educatorsDistributes stipends to young writers—over $23,000 to date—and republishes teen stories in nationally recognized educational platforms and ELA curricula, including Actively Learn, Writer’s Inc./Write Source, and Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition.
- Social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum development and distributionProduces culturally responsive social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula, each including an anthology of stories by teen writers and a 300-page leader guide with reading, discussion, and writing activities. Has produced at least 15 SEL curricula since 2014, with stories and resources reaching over 200,000 educators and 25,000 youth.
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Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Professional development for educatorsConducts professional development workshops and training sessions for teachers, administrators, counselors, and youth workers, focused on using teen stories to build student-teacher relationships and foster inclusive, supportive classroom environments. Offers Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) hours to New York State educators.
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Youth Writing Contests & Recognition Programs 1 activity
- Youth writing contests with prize incentivesHosts ongoing teen writing contests that offer prize money to participants, providing additional opportunities for young writers to engage in creative expression and gain recognition.
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Youth-Led Student Publications 1 activity
- Youth writing mentorship and publication programRuns intensive nonfiction writing programs for New York City teens aged 15–19, mentoring them through full-time professional editors to write and publish personal and reported stories in YCteen or Represent magazines. Pays teen writers $125 per published article and provides laptops to those lacking devices.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Research on program effectiveness and youth-centered pedagogyCollects and analyzes survey data from staff and educators to evaluate program effectiveness, and co-authors publications that combine education research with teen stories to support culturally responsive teaching. Findings indicate high teacher engagement and increased comfort in facilitating discussions on race and social-emotional learning.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.25M
Contributions & grants$979K78%
Program service revenue$300K24%
Investment income$26K2%
Other revenue$-51K
expenses
Total expenses$2.03M
Program expenses70%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising19%
Salaries & benefits$1.27M
Grants paid out$29K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.38M
Cash$887K
Investments$0
Liabilities$371K
Net assets$1.01M
Liquid reserves5.2 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -28.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BETSY COHEN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 50 | $122K |
| TIM FREDRICK | MANAGING DIRECTOR | 35 | $108K |
| JANELLE M GRECO | SENIOR DIRECTOR OF TRAINING | 35 | $100K |
| LORI ROSE BENSON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $25K |
board members · 7
- ARLEN BENJAMIN-GOMEZ — DIRECTOR
- BISRAT MEKBEB — DIRECTOR
- LEAH MODIGLIANI — CHAIR
- LOURDES ROSADO — VICE CHAIR
- NINA LINK — DIRECTOR
- TROY WILLIAMS — TREASURER
- VIVIAN LOUIE — DIRECTOR
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- Chalkbeat Partner — Partner organization that publishes Youth Communication's teen-written stories.
- City Council Member Rita Joseph Partner — Collaborated with Enoch Naklen on a published piece
- City Living NY Partner — Provides resource link for support for youth aging out of care.
- Collaborative for Academic and Social Emotional Learning Network — Aligns Adult SEL professional development programs with the CASEL framework.
- Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation Partner — Local organization in Brooklyn, NY that uses Youth Communication's programs.
- Fair Futures Partner — Provides resource link for youth-led advocacy, tutors, and life coaches.
- Geoffrey Canada Partner — Collaborated with QBS Publishing to create a COVID re-entry program to support students' mental health.
- Horizons National Youth Development Partner — Organization in New York, NY that uses Youth Communication's programs.
- Jossey-Bass Partner — Published the book "Who's in My Classroom?" co-developed with Youth Communication.
- NYC Administration of Children’s Services Partner — Government agency in New York, NY that uses Youth Communication's programs.
- NYCPS Office of Safety and Youth Development Partner — Partnering to provide professional development for the Respect for All program to NYCPS staff.
- New Visions for Public Schools Partner — Organization in New York, NY that uses Youth Communication's programs.
- QBS Publishing Partner — Collaborated to create a COVID re-entry program to support students' mental health.
- The Fostering Connection Partner — Provides resource link for free psychotherapy for youth in care.
- Youth Today Partner — Partner organization that publishes Youth Communication's teen-written stories.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Educator Training for Youth-Centered Classroomsmethodology: reflective_practiceBy training educators to reflect on practice and use youth stories to shape inclusive environments, we improve student engagement and staff-youth relationships, because reflective, story-informed pedagogy shifts classroom culture toward dignity, connection, and belonging.
- Story-Based Education for Social-Emotional Learningmethodology: story-based_educationBy using authentic teen-written stories in curricula and professional development, we strengthen social-emotional learning, empathy, and classroom belonging among youth and educators, because real peer narratives increase engagement and model relatable emotional and behavioral insights.
- Youth Storytelling for Empowerment and Wellbeingmethodology: storytelling-for-empowermentBy guiding youth to write and share personal stories about their lived experiences, we build their confidence, emotional wellbeing, and life skills, because articulating one's experience fosters self-awareness, agency, and peer resonance.