Youth & Family
Development

From AAFE’s community center in Downtown Flushing, Queens we provide youth leadership, college application assistance, access to vocational opportunities and parent workshops. Our program works with three high schools in Flushing and serves immigrant youth throughout the borough of Queens.

COMPASS High: Through the Comprehensive After School System of NYC (COMPASS), AAFE offers learning opportunities to students in the 9th and 10th grades, engaging youth throughout the school year in personal and skills-building activities and leadership development. Our COMPASS program stimulates healthy dialogue and discussion, as well as team building through a social justice framework and structured curriculum.

Key components of the program include:
• Weekly meetings
• Workshops on college readiness
• Community service opportunities to accrue service hours and one-on-one mentoring
• Counseling at least twice a semester

CASTLE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: Our progam for 11th and 12th graders aims to empower high school students to engage in service-learning projects and become agents of social change in their communities. Meetings twice each week aim to develop leadership skills and civic engagement experience. CASTLE youth also explore post-secondary options through workshops, college trips and job shadowing.

Some key components of the CASTLE program include:
• Weekly meetings
• Workshops on college and career readiness
• Service-learning opportunities to develop a sense of civic engagement and to
accrue service hours
• Exploring post-secondary choices through workshops, college campus trips, job
shadowing, and company trips
• One-on-one mentoring and counseling at least twice a semester.

College Counseling: AAFE’S works with high school students (9th to 12th grade) as they navigate their pathway to college. Through one on one meetings, support from youth leaders, workshops and resource sharing, we guide students through the college admissions process, from applications, to financial aid, and commitment decisions.

Annual Youth Career Conference: Since 2009, AAFE has organized a youth-led career conference at Flushing High School, convening 120+ students and 30+ professionals. Youth lead the entire process with support from AAFE staff, including invitations to speakers and training youth facilitators.

For our most updated information and events, click here.