Spotlight Series: New York
The Petey Greene Program operates across the United States as the largest multi-state provider of individualized educational services for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. We’re excited to give you a closer look at each of our regions. Today, let’s visit New York.
MEET THE TEAM
Sherika Stewart, Division Manager
Sherika is a highly skilled human services professional with over a decade of experience in transformative justice, ranging from Rehabilitation through the Arts workshops to Cure Violence initiatives. Her career includes roles at notable organizations such as Rehabilitation Through the Arts, the Robert N. Davoren Center at Rikers Island, and the Research Foundation of The City University of New York.
Timothy Lawrence, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Originally from Chicago, he moved to New York in 2022 to study at the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Studies. There, as a scholar in the university’s service-oriented MLK Honors Program, Tim has been able to direct an interdisciplinary background towards work with nonprofits in NYC, which include ETCNY, the Edgecombe Community Garden, as well as The Bowery Mission.
Priyanka Sinha, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Priyanka is thrilled to continue fulfilling her passion for educational equity and service at the PGP. Originally from Tenafly, NJ, she graduated from Tufts University in May 2023 with a BA in International Relations. Outside of her academic studies, she was a Head Fellow of the Writing Fellows program, worked as a college advisor for the organization Matriculate, and was a Section Editor for the Poetry/Prose section at the Tufts Observer.
THE PGP IN ACTION
New York is unique in its ongoing partnerships with community-based organizations and bringing the flagship PGP high-quality tutoring programming to a variety of audiences beyond the state’s correctional facilities. As such, New York’s Division Manager, Sherika Stewart, emphasizes the importance of meeting students where they are after incarceration: “We often see the impacts of the carceral space on the learners we work with, especially when they reenter society.” In partnership with Columbia University’s Justice-in-Education Initiative, the PGP provides academic tutoring and support to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners pursuing college coursework. And through our collaboration with GOSO (Getting Out, Staying Out), the Petey Greene Program offers tutoring for young men enrolled in GED prep courses, helping to strengthen their foundational skills and boost overall academic confidence to bolster their success in reentry.
Above all, the New York region is focused on creating better outcomes for their students, wherever possible. For example, one of New York’s long-standing programs is a partnership with Exalt Youth where PGP volunteers support young students with homework. In collaboration with Exalt, the New York team and their partner set up clearer parameters and expectations for the program so both students and volunteers were getting the most out of their time together. And the results speak for themselves: there has been a significant boost in the students’ results and the consistency in tutoring.
WHAT’S NEXT IN NEW YORK?
The New York team hopes to continue supporting students as they move through their reentry journey. They are excited to add new programs that meet ever-growing needs, especially in digital literacy and other workshops that will bridge the gap between academic certification and maintaining a meaningful career. We are also eager to bring our tutoring and programming back inside the walls of New York’s prisons and jails in 2025.
DONATE TODAY
Please support the Petey Greene Program in New York as we continue to rebuild this flagship program to its former pandemic glory with services for learners both behind the walls and in our community. You can be the reason for their success! And remember: all donations made in May will be matched 4X!
Did you know that 26 million people work for companies with matching gift programs? Employer matching gift programs allow you to team up with your employer and combine your donation to the Petey Greene Program with your employee benefit to make a greater impact. If your employer matches your gift, your donation can be doubled or even tripled! Click here to learn how to double your impact this year!