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Hospitality Pathways Joins Civic Hall to Empower Marginalized Communities Through Innovation in the Retail Cannabis Industry

Hospitality Pathways Joins Civic Hall to Empower Marginalized Communities Through Innovation in the Retail Cannabis Industry

New York, NY (January 29, 2024) —Hospitality Pathways, a leading organization dedicated to providing in-demand job skills for members of marginalized communities, has joined Civic Hall. Hospitality Pathways offers training programs that lead to sustainable employment, livable wages, and future growth opportunities within the emerging retail cannabis industry.

 

As members, Hospitality Pathways will leverage Civic Hall’s ecosystem and incubator to drive innovation to strengthen its training and employment pathways for barriered communities. Hospitality Pathways goes beyond technical skills, offering extensive soft skills training in areas such as the culture of hospitality, professionalism, teamwork, prioritizing, time management, industry terminology, work ethic, and conflict resolution. Students are provided with a stipend, a weekly unlimited MetroCard, and daily meals. Hospitality Pathways collaborates with a robust network of employer partners to help connect graduates with jobs in the field.

 

“Our partnership with Hospitality Pathways demonstrates the power of Civic Hall—plugging in a  training provider into a diverse innovation and educational ecosystem broadens opportunities within emerging workforce sectors, with a specific focus on empowering historically marginalized communities,” said Seema Shah, Executive Director of Civic Hall.

 

“Our collaboration with Civic Hall marks a strategic alliance that enables us to harness the vast innovation ecosystem they offer, unlocking the full potential of social equity within our rapidly evolving industry,” said Beatrice Stein, Founder and Program Director of Hospitality Pathways. “This partnership transcends rhetoric; it’s a commitment to tangible impact. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality training complemented by wraparound support for our students. As members of Civic Hall, we are poised to elevate our program to new heights.”

 

ABOUT CIVIC HALL

Civic Hall is a member of The Fedcap Group. Civic Hall’s mission is to support and enable best-in-class programs that help close the digital skills divide and plan for the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. Civic Hall will facilitate groundbreaking partnerships among high-impact tenants, civic and social innovators, workforce training partners, and NYC’s diverse employer ecosystem to work collectively to meet the educational and professional needs of all New Yorkers, especially those from communities too often left behind. For more information about membership opportunities, please visit civichall.org. 

 

ABOUT HOSPITALITY PATHWAYS

Hospitality Pathways is a pioneering organization dedicated to empowering members of marginalized communities by providing in-demand job skills and opportunities within the expanding retail cannabis industry. Through comprehensive training programs, we aim to bridge the gap and create a pathway to sustainable employment, livable wages, and future growth. Visit Hospitality Pathways for more information.

 

For media inquiries or more information, contact:

Jim Malatras, The Fedcap Group/Civic Hall (Jmalatras@fedcap.org)

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LaGuardia Community College and Apex Technical School Partner to Build Pathways for Students in the Trades Seeking College Degrees

LaGuardia Community College and Apex Technical School Partner to Build Pathways for Students in the Trades Seeking College Degrees

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (January 25, 2024) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY and Apex Technical School [apexschool.com] have officially entered into a partnership, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort to enhance educational opportunities for students pursuing trades and seeking college degrees. The agreement, signed by Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College, and Steve Markowitz, President of Apex Technical School, establishes the Apex–LaGuardia Pathway—a first phase in a longer partnership between the two institutions.
Under this partnership, LaGuardia Community College will offer two college credits to students enrolled in Apex’s Home Digital Automation (focused on energy efficiency to meet climate goals) and Robotics (technology) programs. The collaboration aims to provide students with a seamless transition from technical training to pursuing college degrees, addressing the evolving demands of today’s job market.
Apex Technical School, known for its hands-on training in the trades since 1961, has been a key contributor to equipping New Yorkers with marketable skills for employment. Licensed by the New York State Education Department, Apex Technical School sees this partnership as an opportunity to facilitate easier access to college education for its students.
“Our partnership with Apex Technical School will go a long way in supporting students obtain their college degree after they graduate,” said LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams. “This is another example of how LaGuardia serves the community and helps New Yorkers with socioeconomic mobility and finding sustainable jobs.”
“Apex students will now have easier access to a college education at one of the best colleges,” said Apex Technical School President Steven Markowitz. “This partnership is creating a pathway to college and help students follow their dreams of earning their degree in an area they are passionate.”
“These are the first of a number of pathways between LaGuardia and Apex that will count for college credit,” said Sunil Gupta, Vice President for Adult Continuing Education at LaGuardia. “We hope this pathway will encourage students to explore the opportunity to enroll at LaGuardia and earn their degree.”
LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to educate New Yorkers seeking new skills and careers. As an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of underserved populations. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students while providing them with access to a high quality, affordable college education.
Apex Technical School [apexschool.com] is a member of The Fedcap Group [fedcapgroup.org]. This international nonprofit, headquartered in New York City, is dedicated to creating opportunities for people with barriers to economic well-being. The work of The Fedcap Group is structured through four major areas of practice: Education, Workforce Development, Occupational Health and Economic Development, each led by experts in the field and delivered through top-tier nonprofit agencies across our growing footprint.

Media Contacts:

Elizabeth Streich | office: (718) 482-6131; cell (347) 229-8674; estreich@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Manuel (Manny) L. Romero, Ed.D. | office: (718) 482-5061; cell: (480) 235-3366; mlromero@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Jim Malatras for Apex Technical School | 212-727-4200; JMalatras@fedcap.org.

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This Encore Fellow Is Helping A Nonprofit Serve 60,000 Children A Year

This Encore Fellow Is Helping
A Nonprofit Serve 60,000 Children A Year

Helping Mamas provides essential baby items and period products to women and children in need throughout the state of Georgia and in Knoxville, TN. The nonprofit was started in 2014 by Jamie Lackey, a social worker who saw moms use plastic grocery store bags as diapers and knew something needed to be done.
Helping Mamas has experienced exponential growth over the past eight years, particularly during the pandemic. The organization now serves nearly 60,000 children a year and distributes 2 million essential items through 150 partnerships with social services agencies.
Last year, Pegi Amend, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) retiree, joined Helping Mamas as an Encore Fellow, a seasoned professional who takes on a significant, paid assignment at a nonprofit for 6-12 months. When her fellowship ended, Amend accepted a full-time position as Helping Mamas’s director of finance and operations. Learn why, in the words of Jamie Lackey and Pegi Amend, below.

Jamie Lackey CEO

When the pandemic hit in 2020, we saw a 400 percent increase in need and that hasn’t slowed down one bit. I needed someone to help with finance and operations, because we basically blew up overnight.
We posted a job listing and I believe Pegi saw it and reached out to someone from Encore.org who contacted me, to see if I’d be interested in bringing her on as an Encore Fellow. She’d taken an early retirement from HPE and they were offering to cover the stipend. That struck me as a pretty incredible opportunity – to get access to someone with so much experience for six months before investing in a salaried position.
And it turned out being such an easy and natural fit. Within a week I was like, “Will you stay forever?”
I couldn’t even wrap my brain around the processes we needed, and she immediately knew how to organize everything. She had a lot of experience working with smaller companies that had been acquired, so all of that change management work allowed her to clearly see best practices and processes for our organization. That’s really what we were lacking – we had policies, but not practices and procedures. I had no idea how efficient we could be until she came along.
I was willing to do whatever needed to happen to get her to stay. In September, I started planning the budget for her position. I asked for her recommendations on the job description. And when her fellowship ended, we rolled her into a full-time position.
She’s helping us get a blueprint in place because we’re looking to expand into other locations. We’ve also been experimenting with a mobile program, where we have a van that we take out to communities, and people are able to drive through and get the items they need —like what food banks have been doing, but with baby supplies and period products.
The pandemic opened us up to partnering with a lot of schools and campuses, in addition to continuing to work with domestic violence shelters, kids and families in foster care, refugee resettlement organizations and hospitals — to name a few.
We certainly get a lot of thank yous and grateful comments from people who can put the money they would have spent on diapers toward rent and utilities. That feels good, to know we’re making a difference. This whole thing started out as a passion project and it’s turned into something much bigger.

Pegi Amend Director of Finance and Operations

At HPE I had a number of roles. I eventually moved into operations, but the whole time I was there I was very focused on helping the community and I ran HPE’s employee volunteer program for 15-20 years.
If life had been different, I would have been a social worker. But my mom encouraged me in another direction, so I went into engineering. I knew at some point, though, after the kids finished school and the house was paid off, I’d retire and be able to spend more time working in the nonprofit space.
About five years ago, I started eyeing what would be next and, I think through Google searches, I learned about the Encore Fellowship program. When I retired in 2020, I knew HPE sponsored a certain number of people in Encore Fellowships each year.
But I was still exploring nonprofit opportunities and having a field day volunteering — at The Red Cross, a couple of food pantries, Covid-19 vaccination sites — trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
When I saw the job at Helping Mamas I was really interested — their work seemed like such an essential piece of the poverty puzzle — but I worried that if I just sent my resume over they’d say no, seeing me as overqualified. So I reached out to someone at Encore.org to have them approach Helping Mamas, and see if they’d be interested in having HPE sponsor me as an Encore Fellow in the role. And, luckily, I was able to get one of the two sponsorship opportunities HPE offered in 2021.
At the beginning, a lot of my work was just straightening out the financials, reviewing their systems and helping to organize and document their processes. I had just done that at HPE so it was something I could easily pass along. I also had a lot of experience with software and hardware and knowing which programs could help. It was exciting to realize what a big impact I could have through making little changes here and there – things that come second nature to me, but that you don’t often have time to think about at a small organization.
At HPE, I was working with mostly older people.. My experience at Helping Mamas is much more age diverse. Every year, we have eight AmeriCorps VISTA members serving one-year terms and they skew pretty young. They’re energetic and willing to take on anything, and I feel like they’ve helped me understand my kids better. It’s been fun.
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This Encore Fellow Helped Embed Social Justice in Engineering

This Encore Fellow Helped Embed
Social Justice in Engineering

Jim Blakley joined an intergenerational team at Arizona State University working to make social and environmental justice practices the norm for engineers

After working in the tech industry for nearly 40 years, Jim Blakley knew he wanted to pursue an Encore Fellowship, working part-time for a nonprofit organization that aligned with his values. At 60, he was ready to retire and knew several colleagues who had enjoyed their Encore Fellowship experience. He submitted an application, expressing interest in a virtual opportunity so he could work from his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Around the same time, Darshan Karwat, 37, heard a colleague at Arizona State University (ASU) mention Encore.org (now CoGenerate) and the next day saw Encore.org mentioned again in a book he was reading. Seeing it as a sign, the college professor and founder of Project Confluence, googled the organization and was excited by the Encore Fellowship program. He sent an email, saying he’d love to have an Encore Fellow collaborate with him on a new project.
Shortly after, this intergenerational pair was matched. Both spoke with CoGenerate’s Sarah Gibson below.
What is Project Confluence and what inspired you to start it?
Darshan: In talking with students and other practicing engineers, I was hearing a hunger to apply their skills in other ways – not just following orders or designing systems to ensure a profit, but also considering the social and environmental impacts of their work, and creating positive social and environmental value in the world. I saw them struggling to see themselves working in engineering, being dissatisfied, and dropping out of engineering altogether. It was frustrating to see so much talent leaving this field when they could be having such a positive impact.
Engineers build things — the cars we drive, the way power is generated, the buildings and infrastructure we live and work in, the weapons used in wars, artificial intelligence — and all of these things have impacts on the world, positive, negative, and unclear. I believe it is possible for engineers to create less damage and more beauty in the world. Project Confluence is one effort to embed environmental protection and social justice in engineering.
How does it work?
Jim: Eventually, we hope it will become a certification program like LEED, but to start we created a professional development program that sensitizes engineers to social and environmental justice and teaches them how to make decisions with that in mind. We developed a curriculum and delivered it over eight weeks to an architecture, engineering and consulting firm as a pilot. Next up is rolling it out to other firms in the industry.
In the early part of the fellowship, I helped Darshan develop a strategy and plan for Project Confluence. In the second half, I was one of the developers and instructors for the curriculum.
Darshan: Engineering promotes values. For example, we hear a lot about efficiency as a driving value in engineering. But there isn’t yet a standardized process for how to approach social and environmental justice, for how people and natural resources are impacted.
Can you give us an example of how decisions might change, using the lens of social and environmental justice?
Jim: Sure. We worked with a firm that was tasked with building a bypass in a busy area of South Carolina. They did an analysis and the client chose to go through a historic community that was predominantly African American. Their reasoning was that it would impact the fewest number of people, and the firm had no real way to factor in the impacts or influence of their client’s choice.
The community went into an uproar and the engineering firm had to go back and re-do some of the design as well as improve a local park as a way of mitigating the impact. This was all because there were no standards applied to help the engineers make decisions with social and environmental justice in mind. Engaging with the community in a meaningful way early and often could have changed their design decisions and saved a lot of money and heartache.
How was the Encore Fellowship experience?
Darshan: It was awesome. I gained a mentor and, in doing so much work together, Jim became my friend. He has a perspective that I generally am not exposed to. He has 40 years of experience and has all of this wisdom. He was at a very high level at a large tech company when he retired, and I assume you only get to that point by having demonstrated leadership, management and organizational talent. The way he thinks about what we’re doing is different from how I think about it, and I love that.
Jim: It was such a great collegial exercise, working with Darshan, some of his students and other professors and professionals with subject area expertise. There was a great deal of respect between everyone and it felt like we were on a shared mission. We each had to apply our creativity and skills to put this program together and deliver it. To get such a positive response from the firm we did the pilot with has been really rewarding.
The participants from Mead & Hunt and facilitators in the Project Confluence pilot program.
What kind of impact are you having?
Jim: The firm we did the pilot with is now getting new business from clients who value social and environmental justice. They’ve gone after new grants that support doing this specific type of work, and they’re experiencing cost savings by avoiding potential problems they may have encountered down the line. Their current employees report being more engaged and they’re having an easier time attracting new talent since young engineers really care about environmental impact. They’re demonstrating leadership in this space and are able to include their efforts in their ESG reporting. So far, there really hasn’t been a downside.
Darshan: Longer term, we want to create working examples of how principles of environmental and social justice can become part of how engineering firms do their business. To date, the connection between engineering and social and environmental justice has tended to engage individual engineers and communities rather than firms. There are regulatory changes coming where firms will have to think about this differently but that can all too easily become a checkbox exercise, like greenwashing. We’re trying to move beyond that – so this isn’t something you have to do, but something you want to do.
Any final thoughts for those considering becoming an Encore Fellow?
Jim: One of the main reasons I retired was to have more time to do things that I cared about and to get more involved in causes that were important to me. The Encore Fellowship was a great way to make the jump from a high-pressure work environment to a nonprofit. I was able to use what I’ve learned and not just be an extra set of hands. The match was ideal and my friendship with Darshan is a great added bonus.
LEED certification took 25 years to become a standard practice and this might take just as long. I probably won’t be around then, but hopefully what we’ve built will be the seed.
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First Tech Fund Joins Civic Hall to Expand Opportunities in NYC’s Innovation Ecosystem to Underserved Individuals

First Tech Fund Joins Civic Hall to Expand Opportunities in NYC’s Innovation Ecosystem to Underserved Individuals

Civichall-fg
NEW YORK, NY (January 5, 2024) —Civic Hall is partnering with First Tech Fund to enhance workforce training opportunities for low-income high school students in New York City, particularly within the innovation ecosystem. This collaboration will allow the First Tech Fund to provide additional workforce development programs and pathways for high school and college-aged students across New York City.
The First Tech Fund has been at the forefront providing underserved communities educational opportunities. It has empowered over 300 high school students through its year-long fellowship program, offering mentorship, college preparation, career readiness, and pathways to future opportunities since 2020. The recent launch of the Dual Impact Internship Program, piloted in 2023, successfully placed underrepresented college-aged students in paid eight-week internships. Scaling from 2 to 20 seats in 2024, the First Tech Fund will expand its impact, supported by Civic Hall’s network and resources to meet the growing needs of its 125+ college-aged alumni.

“We are excited that the First Tech Fund team has become members of Civic Hall to provide opportunities to underserved communities to join our collaborative network that will provide bright futures in New York City’s innovation ecosystem,” said Seema Shah, Executive Director at Civic Hall.  “Our partnership will support even more students across NYC to access diverse pathways to educational and career opportunities.”

“We’ve heard constantly from our student community about the difficulties they face once they arrive to college when navigating the complex internship process and we’ve seen how transformational it can be to help students land their first meaningful work experience after their freshman year. With more companies cutting staff and making reductions in DEI programs, it’s more important now than ever to invest in this programming that is creating real systems change,” said Josue De Paz, CEO and co-founder of First Tech Fund, “We’re excited for the numerous opportunities that Civic Hall’s hub of partners and resources will open for students.”

In Spring 2024, the First Tech Fund will open applications for its free fellowship program for New York City high school students. The program offers virtual workshops, mentorship, career exploration, and networking opportunities.

About Civic Hall

Civic Hall is New York City’s tech training, innovation, and entrepreneurial hub in the heart of Union Square. Civic Hall is a member of The Fedcap Group. Civic Hall’s mission is to support and enable best-in-class programs that help close the digital skills divide and plan for the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. Civic Hall will facilitate groundbreaking partnerships among high-impact tenants, civic and social innovators, workforce training partners, and NYC’s diverse employer ecosystem to work collectively to meet the educational and professional needs of all New Yorkers, especially those from communities too often left behind.  For more information about membership opportunities, please visit civichall.org.  

ABOUT FIRST TECH FUND

First Tech Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to empowering low-income high school students in identifying, navigating, and attaining academic and professional opportunities. First Tech Fund provides a supportive, adaptive ecosystem where students get access to free tech, free broadband, skills training, social capital, mentorship, and more. Follow First Tech Fund on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Contact

For media inquiries or more information, contact: Jim Malatras at JMalatras@fedcap.org.

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The Women’s Project Awarded Grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to Provide Alternatives and Services to Women Facing Pre-Trial Detention and Incarceration

The Women’s Project Awarded Grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to Provide Alternatives and Services to Women Facing Pre-Trial Detention and Incarceration

New York, NY (December 11, 2023) –The Women’s Project—a member of The Fedcap Group’s Wildcat Service Corporation—has been awarded $1.4 million by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to provide 60 women annually with an alternative to pretrial detention and incarceration, focusing on connecting women with housing, behavioral health treatment, education, job opportunities, and government benefits to put these individuals on a path to economic sustainability and out of the criminal justice system. The award is for 15-months with the potential for renewal for up to three years. 

 

“We know that ATI programs, such as this one, give justice-involved New Yorkers the life-changing opportunities and services they need to better their lives, which has a positive ripple effect on families and communities,” said DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado.  “We are proud to advance this nation-leading effort to increase public safety and help more women succeed.  We thank Governor Kathy Hochul for providing DCJS with unprecedented resources to promote these evidence-based approaches.” 

 

The Women’s Project was created in 2017 under Wildcat Services Corporation to meet a dramatic need in offering holistic solutions aimed at reducing the population of women and gender-nonconforming individuals in Rikers Island jail and New York State prisons. The dedicated and trained staff at The Women’s Project provides comprehensive care coordination services, court support, and wellness programming designed specifically for the unique needs of the community it serves.

 

“Because of the significant investment by New York State, the Women’s Project will be able to provide an innovative program to provide alternatives to incarceration for dozens of women, allowing economic and family stability,” said Kate McMahon, Senior Director of the Women’s Project. “We appreciate the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado, and the state legislature.”

 

The Women’s Project is one of nine new programs awarded funding under a $6.3 million increase in funding through DCJS, which is currently administering roughly $24 million to support Alternatives to Incarceration.

 

“The merger with The Fedcap Group has enabled Wildcat’s The Women’s Project to broaden the size and scope of programs and services offered,” said Peter Samuels, former Wildcat Board chair and current member of The Fedcap Group Board. “With the significant investment by New York State, we will now be able to expand the program’s reach to more individuals as well as offer a wider range of programs, career tracks, and job opportunities.”

 

This substantial investment by New York State marks a pivotal moment for Wildcat Service Corporation and The Women’s Project, underscoring their commitment to transforming lives and communities impacted by the criminal legal system. 

 

Gene Waddy, current Wildcat Board chair, stated, “Wildcat’s history has laid the groundwork for an extraordinary future. As we continue to provide quality services, we anticipate substantial growth and an even greater impact in the coming years.”

 

For more information about Wildcat Service Corporation and The Women’s Project, please visit https://wildcatnyc.org/womensproject/.

 

Contact: 

For The Fedcap Group, Jim Malatras, 212-727-4200, JMalatras@fedcap.org.

 

About Wildcat Service Corporation

Wildcat Service Corporation, founded in 1972, is a trailblazing organization dedicated to providing employment and support services to individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. Through innovative programs like The Women’s Project, Wildcat aims to break barriers and create opportunities for those seeking to rebuild their lives. Wildcat Service Corporation a pioneering organization dedicated to empowering individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, is proud to announce a significant milestone in its efforts to support marginalized communities. 

 

About The Fedcap Group

For 87 years, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative, and disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. Serving 340,000 people this past fiscal year, The Fedcap Group provides educational services to every age group, vocational training, and job attainment in high-growth industries, as well as support services such as behavioral health services—all targeted to helping people achieve long-term self-sufficiency. The Fedcap Group also invests its time and resources in broader system change—working in partnership with federal, state, and local government to improve the way services are designed, funded, and delivered.

 

About the Women’s Project 

The Women’s Project is a community whose collective work serves as an alternative to pre-trial detention and incarceration. We marry legal advocacy, education and service provision to transform the existing culture in our criminal courts and permanently decrease the number of women detained in our city jails and state prisons. We provide holistic, integrative, culturally competent, and person-centered services to assist women in returning to court and participating in their defense. We are a community of shared expertise and experience. We believe in the power of individual agency and collective engagement. Women come to our space to learn, to grow, and to gather support. We aim to create the space and stop the noise that often prevents women from finding their individual power—the power that will help them to live the lives they want and make their dreams real, no matter what challenges await.    

 

About DCJS

The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the state’s criminal justice system, including, but not limited to: training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; overseeing a law enforcement accreditation program; ensuring Breathalyzer and speed enforcement equipment used by local law enforcement operate correctly; managing criminal justice grant funding; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; overseeing county probation departments and alternatives to incarceration programs; and coordinating youth justice policy. Follow DCJS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

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“Sean-Cahill”

Sean Cahill

Vice President of Strategic Business Development

“Sean-Cahill”

Sean Cahill

Vice President of Strategic Business Development

Sean Cahill joined The Fedcap Group in January of 2023 as Vice President of Strategic Business Development. In this role, Sean focuses on the optimization and scaling of each revenue stream across the breadth of each of the companies, practice areas, and lines of business that comprise The Fedcap Group.

Prior to joining The Fedcap Group, Sean spent six years consulting for Fortune 500 companies enhancing and streamlining their go-to-market. Prior to his consulting career he was an entrepreneur building his own global tax management (GTM) firm in conjunction with Sequoia Capital which developed cutting edge strategies and tech stacks for post-revenue startups within the revenue technology space; Sean successfully exited the space via acquisition. Before his life as an entrepreneur, he served as a sales executive with Cisco and Xerox corporations.

Currently, Sean lives on the northside of Chicago with his wife Sarah, two young sons, and dog Penny, where they can typically be found exploring their beloved neighborhood of Andersonville or wandering the lakefront.
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Paul Smith’s College Launches New Culinary Program in New York City

Paul Smith’s College Launches New Culinary Program in New York City

New “PSC in NYC” Culinary Program to Start in Spring 2024

The Program will be Housed at Fedcap’s Food Arts Center, a State-of-the-Art Teaching Kitchen in Midtown Manhattan

New York, March 3 – Paul Smith’s College is launching a new culinary program in New York City at The Fedcap Group’s Food Arts Center, located at 210 E 43rd Street. Paul Smith’s College is known for culinary and hospitality programs and has offered high-quality training and education for decades. Last year, Paul Smith’s culinary program was ranked 11th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Paul Smith’s has been approved to offer an accredited Culinary Arts Essentials certificate program at the new location in New York City. After completion of the program, students will receive 33 college credits in Culinary Arts. Students will learn a wide range of culinary techniques and skills, nutrition, baking and pastry basics, and kitchen management knowledge, among other essential courses, in preparation for graduates to be prepared for high-demand culinary careers.

The Culinary Arts Essentials certificate will be completed in little over eight months, with a spring semester at the New York City location, and then a “Summer in Saranac” residency to finish the certificate, where they will complete and internship program at one of the regional resorts, hotels, or restaurants and finish other core courses, like baking using Paul Smith’s College’s state-of-the-art baking facilities.

Graduates of the new PSC in NYC culinary program would be automatically accepted into a Paul Smith’s Associates or Bachelor program in culinary, baking/pastry, or hospitality program.

Not only has Paul Smith’s expanded their base of operations for additional enrollment opportunities, but also, the program will focus on enrolling underrepresented individuals into a high demand program and exposing them to opportunities in New York City and the Adirondacks. Up to 20 students will start in the first cohort.

“The Fedcap Group is dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals with barriers to economic well-being, and education is truly an entry point to sustainable careers, and the culinary industry provides many paths to sustainable well-being,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group. “Fedcap has been providing students with culinary skills training in our state-of-the-art New York City facility, preparing them for entry-level positions in the food services sector. This collaboration with Paul Smith’s College provides students with an on-ramp to further education, or they can enter the workforce immediately upon completion of their certificates. We thank Wil Edwards, Director of Fedcap’s Food Arts Center, for his leadership on this important collaboration with Paul Smith’s College that we hope will serve as a blueprint for expanding opportunities, especially to individuals from underserved communities.”

“Paul Smith’s College has been providing culinary education in the Adirondacks for decades, providing students with an education leading to degrees in Culinary Management and career options ranging from caterer, corporate/private/executive chef, and more,” said Dan Kelting, Interim President of Paul Smith’s College. “The Culinary Arts Essentials certificate is one more way Paul Smith’s College is focused on attracting and enrolling students. Our collaboration with The Fedcap Group’s Food Arts Center in New York City is an exciting development and we look forward to helping more students obtain valuable training for additional in-demand skills and roles, with the option to continue their studies towards two- or four-year degrees.”

About The Fedcap Group
For 87 years, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative, and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. Serving 340,000 people this past fiscal year, The Fedcap Group provides educational services to every age group, vocational training and job attainment in high-growth industries, as well as support services such as behavioral health services—all targeted to helping people achieve long-term self-sufficiency. The Fedcap Group also invests its time and resources in broader system change—working in partnership with federal, state, and local government to improve the way services are designed, funded, and delivered.

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Susan Walsh, SWalsh@fedcap.org
OR
Zoë Smith, media@paulsmiths.edu

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Remembering Dick Cattani—A Longtime Friend of The Fedcap Group

Remembering Dick Cattani—A Longtime Friend of The Fedcap Group

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our friend and colleague Dick Cattani. Over his many years with Restaurant Associates, Dick and his team developed a strong partnership with The Fedcap Group. Restaurant Associates catered many events for Fedcap including our Galas, hired people who graduated from our Culinary School—offering them a good job with a career ladder in their journey toward economic well-being. Dick participated in numerous Fedcap Golf events, served as a distinguished panelist for our Solution Series, and was a generous supporter of our work.

Dick started with Restaurant Associates right out of college as back of the house steward. He eventually became General Manager of the famous “Newarker Restaurant” at Newark Airport. Over the years, Dick has held many regional and corporate operating positions. He became President of Restaurant Associates in 2003 and, under his leadership, grew the company three-fold in ten states. Dick retired at the end of 2021.

Upon his passing, Restaurant Associates said this: “As we reflect on our loss and celebrate his life, we are reminded of his genuine kindness, inspiring vision, passion for life, and love for his family. A winning combination for a truly exceptional leader. Dick’s legacy is unparalleled and his memory will live on through all of us. His favorite quote will forever echo in our hearts: Work Hard and Be Nice.”

Dick was a wonderful combination of innovation, attention to detail, humanity and humor and he will be deeply missed.

On November 1st 2022, a Celebration of Life is being held at the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum. (More information to follow).

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Together we can fight the stigma of mental illness, and help build a world where care and treatment for mental illness are available to all.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This important recognition was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives, and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. This year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness encourages the amplification of the message “Together for Mental Health,” and to advocate for access to quality care for anyone affected by a mental illness.

The prevalence and impact of mental illness are hard to overstate. U.S. prisons are filled with people suffering from untreated mental illness. Incidences of mental illness have gone up significantly since the pandemic began in 2020, when The National Institute of Health reported that one in five American adults experienced a mental health issue, and one in 20 Americans lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. One in 6 young people experienced a major depressive episode, and suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-24.

The companies of The Fedcap Group understand that most people with mental health problems can recover, and that treatment and recovery are ongoing processes that happen over time. We also believe that work completes treatment. The first step is getting help, and each day across our agency we provide proven treatments, supports and community-based activities to help people living with a mental illness on their path to recovery, through a lens of long-term economic well-being.

Together we can fight the stigma of mental illness, and help build a world where care and treatment for mental illness are available to all.

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