Partners

We love working with – and learning from – our partner organizations. We think you will, too!


Free Spirit Publishing

Whether at home, in school, or out in the world, all kids face challenges. No matter the choices, changes, and opportunities young people encounter, Free Spirit has had the same mission for nearly 40 years: to provide children and teens—and the adults who care for and about them—with the tools they need to think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world.

Building Men Program

The Building Men Program supports young men of Syracuse in their journey towards becoming men of character by helping them develop their purpose and passion, instilling integrity in their leadership, and providing them with opportunities to build healthy relationships with others. Building Men strongly believes that developing a fellowship of young males striving to become responsible men will increase their motivation, passion, and leadership and help create a positive impact upon the young men’s development.

InterFaith Works of CNY

InterFaith Works of Central New York, through education, service and dialogue, affirms the dignity of each person and every faith community and works to create relationships and understanding among us. InterFaith Works’ Ahmad & Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue promotes racial and social equity using a dialogue-to-action model. The El-Hindi Center works with communities, schools, and organizations to foster mutual understanding and trust, and to learn ways to discuss difficult topics together.

School Mental Health Resource and Training Center (MHANYS)

The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS) has established the School Mental Health Resource and Training Center to support all NYS public and private schools to implement Chapter 390 of the Laws of 2016, requiring mental health instruction as part of the K-12 health curricula. The Center staff and project partners are committed to helping schools:

  • comply with the required mental health education of students
  • identify resources and develop mental health lesson plans/curriculum
  • develop and implement a plan for professional development
  • establish community partnerships to support mental health education and services
  • engage and support families
Math & Movement

Math & Movement is on a mission to help all students succeed in school. Students learn through different styles — which is why the program includes products for teaching with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements aligned with state standards. Their multi-sensory learning approach boosts retention rates, builds self-confidence, and increases test scores. Best of all, kids love to learn this way!

School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS)

The School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) is proud of its long history of supporting New York’s public school leaders and their communities. Our mission is steadfast – to provide direction, service, and support to our membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. We continue to accomplish our mission by consistently delivering unequaled service, advocacy, and supporting benefits to nearly 8,000 public school principals, assistant principals, directors, and coordinators in many of New York’s public schools and BOCES.

Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning

CASEL’s mission is to establish social and emotional learning (SEL) as an essential part of education. They envision a world where families, schools, and communities work together to promote children’s success in school and life and to support the healthy development of all children.

Inclusion in Motion

Inclusion in Motion works to empower all abilities and ages to play, exercise, learn, and socialize together while enriching our community. Their Dream Big campaign is helping create sensory-rich playgrounds in Western New York to allow children of all abilities to integrate, develop their senses, and play together.

Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

The Technical Assistance Center on PBIS, established by the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education, is an excellent resource for giving schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

The Center (a) provides the technical assistance to encourage large-scale implementation of PBIS; (b) provides the organizational models, demonstrations, dissemination, and evaluation tools needed to implement PBIS with greater depth and fidelity across an extended array of contexts; and (c) extends the lessons learned from PBIS implementation to the broader agenda of educational reform.

Association for Conflict Resolution

The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) is a professional organization enhancing the practice and public understanding of conflict resolution.

ACR is the nation’s largest professional association for mediators, arbitrators, educators and other conflict resolution practitioners. ACR works in a wide range of settings throughout the United States and around the world.

National School Climate Center

The goal of NSCC is to promote positive and sustained school climate: a safe, supportive environment that nurtures social and emotional, ethical, and academic skills. NSCC is an organization that helps schools integrate crucial social and emotional learning with academic instruction. In doing so, they enhance student performance, prevent dropouts, reduce physical violence and bullying, and develop healthy and positively engaged adults.

Brain Gym International

Brain Gym® International is committed to the principle that moving with intention leads to optimal learning. Through our outstanding instructors and movement-based programs, we empower all ages to reclaim the joy of living.

YogaKids

YogaKids International, the premier yoga program for children, has developed the Tools for Schools program to bring the age-old practice of yoga into the modern-day classroom. The YogaKids Tools for Schools program allows K-5 students to encounter yoga and its many benefits in a fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate manner. The program successfully integrates across all K-5 curricula, and does not require either you or your students to have any background in yoga.

YogaKids Tools for Schools is a comprehensive program using yoga, Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, curriculum integration techniques and character education to accomplish its mission.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® opened in 1984 to serve as the nation’s clearinghouse on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children. Today NCMEC is authorized by Congress to perform 22 programs and services to assist law enforcement, families and the professionals who serve them.

NetSmartz

NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline. The program is designed for children ages 5-17, parents and guardians, educators, and law enforcement. With resources such as videos, games, activity cards, and presentations, NetSmartz entertains while it educates.

StopBullying.gov

StopBullying.gov provides one-stop access to information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying.

Coalition to Support Grieving Students

The Coalition to Support Grieving Students is a unique collaboration of the leading professional organizations representing classroom educators (including teachers, paraprofessionals, and other instructional staff), principals, assistant principals, superintendents, school board members, and central office staff, student support personnel (including school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, and other student support personnel), and other school professionals who have come together with a common conviction: grieving students need the support and care of the school community.

The Coalition’s purpose is to create and share a set of industry-endorsed resources that will empower school communities across America in the ongoing support of their grieving students.