KeyBank Market President for Hudson Valley/Metro New York John Manginelli (center) presented the KeyBank Foundation grant to Westhab President and CEO Rich Nightingale (left) and JC Soto, Dayspring Community Center Director, Westhab.
KeyBank Foundation awarded Westhab a $240,000 multi-year grant to create a pipeline to college and careers for low-income students at Dayspring Community Center in Yonkers, NY. Starting September 2024, the program will support 30 9th- to 12th-grade students from Dayspring’s youth program in proactively exploring and choosing the post-secondary path that suits them best.
“I grew up in Yonkers; this is the kind of investment our neighborhood needs.” shared Dayspring Director JC Soto. “Nodine Hill of Southwest Yonkers (where Dayspring is located) has a poverty rate that is double that of all of Westchester County. Increasing college readiness and providing resources to advance their skills in careers with livable wages will allow teens to earn higher incomes, translating into better life outcomes, including health, wealth, and happiness.”
To develop the program, Westhab will work with the Yonkers Partners In Education (YPIE), a Westchester-based nonprofit with expertise in ensuring students are ready for, enroll, and complete college. Staff will help students academically prepare for college and navigate and complete the college application process. For students not interested in college, staff will assess teens’ skills and interests and, through partnerships with programmers and guest speakers, help inspire potential career pathways. Participants will be connected to additional supports, such as Dayspring’s Employment Services, to help actualize their plans.
YPIE Executive Director Samuel Wallis shared his excitement about the project, “We are thrilled to partner with Westhab to ensure teens at Dayspring Community Center are prepared for success in college and careers. We know how important it is to meet students where they are, and we look forward to working with students in a trusted community center like Dayspring. We are grateful to KeyBank for its generous support to make this partnership – and critical service for students – possible.”
Over three years, the program hopes to make more significant shifts in the trajectory of the community. “This generous investment by KeyBank Foundation will help individual students but also aims to create a more lasting change in the community by nurturing an ongoing college-ready culture for high school students. “We hope to broaden futures and disrupt cycles of inequality that we see in Nodine Hill,” said Mr. Soto.
“Supporting the communities in which we work is a core value of KeyBank. We are proud to be a part of paving the path to increased college access and fulfilling careers with livable wages for these teens,” said John Manginelli, KeyBank Hudson Valley/Metro New York Market President.
