This year, Horizons Academy students didn’t just meet expectations— they shattered them.
From a 100% graduation rate to paid internships that launched real careers, our 2024–2025 school year proved what’s possible when young people are given the right opportunities. We welcomed 100 new students, guided 65 into college credit courses, and connected dozens more to meaningful, paid work experiences. Behind every number is a student whose future just got a little brighter.
JCCGCI’s Horizons Academy is dedicated to empowering high school students with the tools, skills, and confidence they need to succeed. Through internships, career readiness training, leadership development, and creative projects like the PhotoVoice Exhibition, Horizons helps participants explore their potential while giving back to the community. Every project is designed to foster critical thinking, teamwork, and self-expression; preparing students for a brighter future. The program is proudly hosted at Abraham Lincoln High School, and we extend our sincere thanks to Principal Ari Hoogenboom and his team for their support in making Horizons Academy possible.
The 2024–2025 school year at Horizons Academy was one for the record books. In addition to enrolling 100 new students across grades 10, 11, and 12, we created life-changing opportunities that bridged the gap between high school and the world beyond.
Sixty-five students earned 1–3 college credits through the CUNY Horizons Supervised Course, accelerating their post-secondary goals before they even graduated. Thirty-six students gained hands-on experience in spring paid internships matched to their career interests, while 42 others completed six-week paid summer internships- many of whom shared their transformative journeys here.
Pictured Above: A Horizons Academy student presents their project at the Photovoice exhibition, where 10 students shared powerful stories through photography.
Every student participated in skill-building workshops led by Horizons staff, covering job readiness, college prep, healthy living, leadership, and mentoring. We also partnered with Kaplan for SAT prep and with Chase Bank for essential financial literacy training.
The Spring 2025 semester featured our PhotoVoice Project, where 10 students told powerful stories through photography — a creative platform for youth voice and perspective. And even after graduation, our support didn’t end. Seventy graduates from the Class of 2024 received a full year of follow-up guidance to help them thrive in college or the workforce.
Pictured Above: Two Horizons Academy students collaborate on a hands-on project.
Since 2013, Horizons has proudly maintained a 100% graduation rate, with roughly 85% of students transitioning directly to higher education or careers. It’s proof that when you invest in young people, the returns are limitless.
Horizons Academy is funded by the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), and the Pinkerton Foundation.
Want to learn more or get involved?
If you have any questions or would like to get involved with Horizons Academy, please contact Program Director Marissa Sperling at m.sperling@jccgci.org.
ABOUT JCCGCI
Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) is a community-based organization with a citywide scope, providing a wide-spectrum of senior citizen, career, educational, crime-reduction, mental health, community revitalization and related services benefiting all segments of the population. JCCGCI is also a technical assistance provider, offering capacity building services to nonprofits in all five boroughs through its NonProfit HelpDesk division (www.nphd.org). With 40 program sites throughout New York City staffed by almost 400 social service professionals, JCCGCI assists an average of upwards of 2,500 needy individuals and families each day.
JCCGCI’s Holocaust Survivor Support Services is one of the largest in the world, providing critical assistance to over 4,000 Holocaust Survivors annually. Services include Homecare, Transportation, Case Management, Friendly Visiting, Medicaid Appeals, Socialization, and Home Delivered Meals. |
