Our Mission
- Educate administrators, teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists and parents in methods of group leadership that help schoolchildren redirect the powerful and sometimes violent feelings that arise throughout their school day.
- Reverse the destructive cycles of school failure, over and under achievement and promote effective emotional communication in schools. The ultimate goal is to help students become constructive members of their community.
- Increase and encourage student and teacher retention in public schools.
- Investigate the group dynamics that unfold in school settings. To appreciate the impact of these group dynamics throughout a school community on: learning; over achievement and under achievement; relationships with peers and with faculty; the retention of students, teachers, support staff and administrators; and destructive behavior and violence.
- Work with institutions of higher learning to develop graduate courses for administrators, teachers, parent coordinators, counselors, psychologists and social workers focusing on group dynamics and group leadership.
- Conduct research and publish findings on group dynamics in school settings.
Our Achievements
- In consultation with the New York City Department of Education we received a three year grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools entitled “A Co-Leadership Model for Improving Children’s Understanding and Interaction with Peers and Family Through Resilience Coaching and Training of Resilience Coaches” the only one awarded to New York City and one of only 45 awarded nationally.
- Contracts with the New York City Department of Education in Prevention and Intervention Services, Conflict Resolution and Student Support Services to provide co-led groups with on-site teachers and counselors for 840 at-risk students a year in 50 schools.
- A successful evaluation by Metis Associates, an independent evaluating team, which found that after GroupWORKS interventions, educators were more satisfied with their jobs, more compassionate and evidenced increased resiliency and reduced burnout in responding to the stresses of their jobs.
- Ongoing training groups for new school counselors and social workers through the Department of Education’s Manhattan and Staten Island Integrated Service Centers. Support and training groups have been provided to over 300 educators a year.
- Professional credit courses for new educators, designed by GroupWORKS and offered through the New York City Department of Education’s After School Professional Development Program, have enrolled over 300 students.
- Advanced Support and Training Groups to teachers and counselors who have completed our basic training program in group leadership.
- Mentorship and support for new principals and leadership of groups for the entire teaching staff of a new high school.
- Training for City College of New York students who plan to become school principals.
- GroupWORKS passed its five year advance ruling period and is fully qualified as exempt under section 501©(3) and as a public charity under section 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.