New From Council
Annual Induction Ceremony: Over 800 kids attended Council’s Annual Induction Ceremony at Crest Hollow Country Club, in Woodbury, NY, on May 27, 2011. This event is the culmination of a year’s work by the kids and their advisors and an important component of Council Membership. For more information about membership and Induction please visit the link below.
2011 Champions for Children Gala: Over 200 guests attended Council’s 2011 Champions for Children Gala, on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at the Harvard Club in New York City. Annually, Council celebrates and recognizes individuals who embody a champion spirit for kids. This year’s event was hosted by actress Tamara Tunie, star of television’s Law and Order Special Victims Unit. Awards were presented to –John P. (Sean) & Anne Churchill Coffey, Earvin (Magic) Johnson, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises; and, Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers. Please click here for a list of this year’s generous supporters.
Gang Conference: Council for Unity in conjunction with The United Federation of Teachers and Local 237, Teamsters held Confronting Gangs & Bullyism: Comprehensive Perspectives and Solutions on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at UFT Headquarters in New York City. The focus of the conference was on successful strategies utilized by the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, the NYS Department of Corrections, the NYS Judiciary, New York City and Long Island school systems, District Attorneys, community based organizations, law enforcement agencies, the LGBTQ community and the Council for Unity. The conference was moderated by Saundra P. Thomas, Vice President, Community Relations, WABC-TV. Dr. Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University gave the Keynote Address followed by a panel presentation given by Brian Fischer, Commissioner, NYS Department of Correctional Services; Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and Correctional Facility; Michael J. Ferrandino, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI; Dr. David Brotherton, Author, renowned expert on gangs and Chair of the Sociology Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; The Hon: Doris Ling-Cohan, Justice of the NYS Supreme Court and Commissioner, NYS Court’s Franklin H. Williams Commission on Minorities; Gregory Floyd, President, Local 237; and, Deanna M. Rodriguez, Chief, Gang Bureau, Kings County District Attorney. A wide variety of workshops provided attendees with effective strategies for combating gangs and bullyism. For highlights of the conference please visit the link below.
Bullyism Prevention Curriculum: Council for Unity has developed a new curriculum to combat the growing problem of bullyism in our schools and communities. The Partnerships for the Prevention of Bullyism Curriculum: A Teaching Guide for Faculty and Administrators utilizes time tested strategies and best practices from both Council for Unity’s school and community based networks. Lesson plans from CFU’s Comprehensive and Dragon Slayer syllabi are reconstructed here to focus exclusively on combating bullyism. Our empowerment strategies are also incorporated along with projects and initiatives to convert an anonymous building into a unified community where all who are affected by the climate of the school play a role in reframing it into a more humane and safe environment. For more information please contact Lisa Wright, Managing Director.