Program Model
Program Model
New Heights has one core program, College Bound. It integrates education, athletics and leadership development to help student-athletes develop critical skills and navigate the high school and college admissions processes. It accomplishes these goals through four key program components (Basketball, High School Assist, College Assist and Summer Academy):
-Basketball: New Heights runs two basketball programs: 1) a competitive travel basketball club for student-athletes admitted to our program and 2) a Saturday Skills developmental program that is open to all NYC youth.
-High School Assist (HSA): HSA provides each New Heights middle school student-athlete and his/her family with the guidance and resources necessary to gain acceptance to and succeed at college preparatory high schools.
-College Assist: College Assist provides each New Heights high school student-athlete and his/her family with the guidance and resources necessary to gain acceptance to and succeed in college.
-Summer Academy: The New Heights Summer Academy is a five week athletic, academic and leadership development program for middle school student-athletes.
Through College Bound, New Heights serves approximately 200 student-athletes, ages 10-18, who live primarily in New York City. The demographic and enrollment data of the 2009 participants are:
• 70% will be first generation college graduates.
• 70% live in Washington Heights, Harlem, the Bronx or Central Brooklyn.
• 65% are in high school, and 35% are in grades five through eight.
• 70% are male, and 30% are female.
• 71% are African-American.
• 18% are Latino.
• 11% are White/Other.
Below, please find a more detailed description of the four components of College Bound.
Basketball
New Heights offers two primary basketball programs, a competitive travel basketball club and a weekly developmental clinic called Saturday Skills.
The travel basketball club is nationally competitive and includes boys and girls teams ranging from 10/U (10 years old and younger) to 17/U (17 years old and under). Critical program activities include:
-Activities at least twice a week (workouts, team practices and/or games).
-Year-round participation in age-appropriate local, regional and national tournaments and leagues.
-College exposure through participation in camps, tournaments and/or other competitions at colleges and universitites.
Saturday Skills is a basketball and life skills program that serves boys and girls ages 8-12 of all skill levels. It is a 20 week, open-enrollment program that runs at locations across Manhattan on Saturdays. Key program components include:
-10 weeks of basketball clinics in which staff and volunteers teach fundamental basketball and life skills (e.g. rebounding and determiniation).
-10 weeks of organized league play culminating in playoffs, championships and award ceremonies.
Why New Heights Basketball?
The sport of basketball has a tremendous impact on the entirety of the College Bound program at New Heights. In particular, it serves five critical purposes:
Basketball as a Hook: Basketball functions in part as a hook to engage New Heights student-athletes in all of our programs. Many kids are particularly excited about basketball at New Heights, but, in order to enjoy time on the court, they need to perform in the classroom and participate in our educational programs.
Basketball as a Teaching Tool: At New Heights, basketball is also a tool our staff uses to teach student-athletes critical life skills. On the court, our coaches emphasize teamwork; encourage our student-athletes to demonstrate leadership to resolve conflicts within teams; and teach students to communicate extensively with one another. Off the court, discussing issues connected to basketball helps our student-athletes to learn basic academic skills. For instance, at the Summer Academy, the staff uses a curriculum called "Inside the Numbers" that draws on basketball themes to help student-athletes develop math skills.
Exposure to Educational Opportunities: Traveling with the basketball program exposes student-athletes to a variety of educational opportunities. Specifically, our travel teams compete in tournaments at colleges and universities. While there, New Heights teams go on tours of the universities, thereby exposing our participants to the opportunitites they can pursue in higher education. Additionally, our travel teams compete in NCAA sanctioned live recruiting events during the summer months. These events expose our participants to college coaches and, in the process, increase their chances of gaining college scholarships.
Basketball as a Positive Force for Education: Another reason that New Heights emphasizes basketball so heavily is that research suggests that participation in sports helps children to succeed in school. A longitudinal study of over 20,000 students conducted by Team-Up for Youth found that athletes have higher grades, loftier educational goals and fewer discipline problems than non-athletes. A separate study found that, in a sample of over 14,000 high school students, student-athletes were 1.7 times less likely to drop-out than non-athletes. Finally, numerous studies have identified a strong link between student participation in athletics and matriculation to and subsequent graduation from college.
Transforming the Youth Basketball Environment: While the positive association between sports participation and educational achievement applies to all sports, New Heights focuses on basketball in particular in part because of the poisonous nature of the youth basketball environment. Youth basketball is dominated by the "pro sports or bust" mentality that often undermines student athletes' academic, emotional and personal development and limits their sense of possibilities beyond sports. By creating an environment that combines basketball, education and leadership development, New Heights is seeking to foster a more positive atmosphere for young people growing up playing basketball.
High School Assist (HSA)
HSA provides each middle school student-athlete and his/her family the resources to gain acceptance, matriculate to and succeed at a college preparatory high school.
Core HSA program offerings include:
• High school prep and placement meetings two to three times per week for all 8th graders.
• Extensive support for students and families in the high school research and app process.
• Advocacy by New Heights staff for admission of student-athetes to high schools of choice.
• Counsel students and families on high school selection.
• Manage registration and enrollment for students.
• Monitor student performance through report card collection.
• Provide academic support and resources for students in need.
• Deliver high school exam preparation services for all rising eighth graders.
HSA has enjoyed tremendous success. Note the following measurable outcomes for HSA:
• 100% of students have been promoted to the next grade.
• 100% of students have graduated from middle school.
• 100% of students have attended a college prep high school.
College Assist
College Assist provides each New Heights high school student-athletes and his/her family with the resources necessary to gain acceptance to and succeed in college.
Core College Assist acitivities include:
• Meetings one to two times per week with New Heights staff for all 11th and 12th graders.
• New Heights staff monitor course selection and academic performance for all students.
• New Heights staff help students access academic support from resources at their schools,
volunteers that New Heights recruits and occasional professional tutoring.
• SAT and ACT practice exams and test preparation provided by New Heights.
• Advice from New Heights Staff on NCAA recruitment process and eligibility requirements.
• Assistance from New Heights staff with college research, applications and financial aid.
• Counseling for students on final school selection.
Consider the following measurable outcomes of College Assist's success, including a list of school placements:
• 100% of participants have graduated from high school.
• 95% of participants have matriculated to college.
Student-Athlete Summer Academy
The New Heights Summer Academy is a five week, comprehensive academic, athletic and leadership development program for middle school student-athletes. The Summer Academy takes place on the campus of Loyola School.
The goals of the program include:
• Exposing middle school students to the high school environment.
• Preparing participants for high school by addressing test prep, school choices and apps.
• Developing students' academic skills, especially basic reading, writing and mathematics.
• Developing students' basketall skills and knowledge of the game.
• Developing students' character
Sample Class Topics for Summer Academy (1 hour each)
New Heights Live is a course that provides basic grammar, vocabulary and essay-writing instruction aimed at improving fundamental literacy skills.
Inside the Numbers focuses on fundamental math skills. Instructors use basketball themes to help students develop basic math skills, including geometry and pre-algebra.
The Next Level is tied to the New Heights High School Assist program. Rising eighth graders work on test preparation (primarily TACHS, SHSAT, ISEE and SSAT), the high school application process and their exploration of high school options.
Outside the Lines addresses relevant social issues affecting the lives of our student-athletes. The courses uses mass media as a framework for studying issues that will affect our students, their families and their communitites.
Fueling Success is a nutrition course that is designed to help our student-athletes develop healthy eating habits and lifestyles.
Success by the Numbers
As of fall 2009, New Heights has achieved the following results:
206 Total number of New Heights student-athletes attending college preparatory high schools through the High School Assist program
118 Total number of New Heights graduates that have matriculated to colleges across the US through the College Assist program (98% success rate)
$30m Approximate total scholarship and financial aid dollars awarded to New Heights student-athletes from the country's top high schools and colleges
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Apply / Enroll
New Heights attracts student-athletes through multiple channels, including Saturday Skills (see description above); our website; and parent, coach and school referrals. The enrollment process includes an application and a family meeting during which students are evaluated and selected based on their potential and commitment as student-athletes. New Heights aims to enroll student-athletes in the fifth through eighth grades and to continue to serve them throughout middle and high school.
For information about applying to our programs pleas contact Ted Smith (tsmith@newheightsnyc.org):