Comprehensive Youth Development: Our Mission
Comprehensive Youth Development partners with NYC public high schools to prepare young adults, ages 14- 24, to secure a successful future for themselves and their families. Through this partnership, our students develop the capability to graduate from high school and make informed decisions on higher education and careers.
Forging paths to success
Comprehensive Youth Development believes that education enables equity, and that all of NYC’s young people deserve to graduate from high school with an actionable postsecondary plan that will help them join the 21st century economy.
Since 1995, CYD has worked with underserved youth ages 14-24, addressing barriers and paving the way for them to pursue higher education, training, or employment that can lead to sustainable wages and help break generational cycles of poverty.
Whether a young person comes to us for tutoring or college advisement, to learn digital or financial literacy, discuss career options or find a vocational training program, CYD tailors our free services to meet that student’s specific needs. We also meet social and emotional needs – through counseling, connections to pro bono attorneys, and medical and housing referrals – that can stand in the way of success.
Our services are intensive, individualized, integrated, instructional, and inspirational. See them in action in this 90 second video:
CYD at a Glance
What's New at CYD

A Message from the Executive Director: Building a Coalition

An Introduction to the Corporate World

Heroes of CYD: The AtomicMind Foundation

Heroes of CYD: The Delaney Family

Meet Our Students: Nicole and Destiny

Welcome to Our Newest Board Member!

Congratulations to the Class of ’25!

Hands-On Healthcare Learning

Heroes of CYD: Volunteers

Heroes of CYD: Alumni

A Bee-utiful Evening

A Visit to J.P. Morgan

Welcome to CYD NextGen Leaders!

Celebrating Postsecondary Commitments

Heroes of CYD: The Principals

Future Opportunities on Display

CYD to Host 7th Annual Spelling Bee for Grownups Fundraiser on May 21

Zooming in on Careers

How to Succeed in Marketing

Pathways into Tech

Heroes of CYD: The Power of Service

Learning About Careers at City-As-School

HPHS Junior College Night

MCNDHS Students Investigate the Wild Bees of NYC

Meet Our Students: Dejanay

Congratulations to the Midyear graduates!

19 Years of Empowering Students to Realize Their Dreams

From the Executive Director: CYD celebrates Black History Month

Meet Our Students: Yoshika

From the Executive Director: Welcome to CYD’s 30th Anniversary Year!

A Tradition of Gratitude

The Applications Are In!

Meet Our Students: Alan

Meet Our Students: Manzura

Cracking the Code of Financial Aid

Imaginary Patients, Real Healthcare

Megan Campbell Joins CYD

Successful Futures Start Here!

A Message from the Executive Director

Meet Our Alumni: Wenting

A Jump Start to College

Meet Our Students: Diego

A Career Academy Milestone

A Pathway to Healthcare for HPHS Seniors

Celebrating Our Graduates

They Decided!

Empowering Tomorrow’s Workforce

2024 Spelling Bee for Grownups

Meet the Bee Master!

Connecting with Colleges

Youth Perspectives: Do Young People Feel Prepared for Life After High School?

Can You Spell Sällskaplig?

Welcome to Our Newest Board Member!

All Aboard for Careers!

College 101

Boys to Men

Meet Our Students: Sheyla

Springing into the Future!

Meet Our Students: Fatoumata

Keeping Their Eyes on the Prize

FAFSA 2024: Our Advisors Are on It!

Welcoming a Community of Asylees

Meet Our Students: Justin

The Applications Are In

Ready for 2024

Student’s Work Featured at American Museum of Natural History

AtomicMind Donates Expertise to Help Students Aiming for Top Colleges

Meet Our Students: Ying

Colleges, Careers, and Beyond

Networking for Success

All Aboard!

Learning About College

Meet Our Students: Jeandry

From the Executive Director: A Season of New Opportunities

What are you looking forward to this school year?

Meet Our Staff: Sebastian Munn

Staff Day

Welcome to the Board!

Thank You for 16 Years of Meaningful Service!

Meet Our Students: Chime

Getting Ready for College

Congratulations to the Class of 2023!

On Their Way to Healthcare Careers!

Meet Our Students: Isabella

2023 Spelling Bee

Creative Approaches to Digital Literacy

A Dazzling Array of Opportunities!

After a Dangerous Trek, a New Life at School

Back by popular demand!

Meet Our Students: Amani

Welcome to Our New Board Members!

College Without Debt

Meet Our Students: Kingan

Honoring a Daughter by Helping Others

A Room of Their Own

Amazing Grace

Patients and Understanding

Following Your Passion at Work

CYD Moves Upstairs at Manhattan Comprehensive

From the Executive Director: Forging Can be Hard Work!

The Gift of Warmth

X-Ray Vision: A Graduate Pursues a Hospital Career

A Lifeline for Immigrant Students

Expanded Options for Life After High School

Teaching It Forward

Heard in the Hallways…

CYD Remembers a Beloved Tutor

From the Executive Director: Forging Paths to Success

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Students Become Game Designers

The Spelling Bee Is Back!

Students Say Yes!

A Playlist for American History

Approaching the Big Questions Through Poetry

Students Develop Solutions to Real-World Problems

Coding in the Classroom at City-As-School

CYD Welcomes New Board Members John Baumgartner and Katie Karoll Lavino

From Queens to Wisconsin: A Posse Scholar Takes Flight

Every Day Something Good Happens

Signs of Spring

A CYD Career Academy Graduate Returns in a New Role

Congratulations to the Newest Graduates of MCNDHS & CAS!

A Student Finds Her Path in Challenging Times

“Class starts at 8. It’s 8:39.”, by Jonathan Hull

Where Do We Go from Here?Essays and Poems by our Students

Next Stop, College

Roberts Joins NYCETC Council

Going Forward!
From the Executive Director:
Going Forward!

Video: A Look Inside CYD

Warmest Wishes for Peace and Togetherness in 2022

Preparing High School Students for Today’s Workforce

Students Participate in “Dress Like Your Dream Job” at HPHS

It’s Awesome to be Back

Back to School: A Letter from Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts shares insights on “Career Stewardship with Michael Melcher”

What I’m Doing On My Summer Vacation

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

I’m Graduating… Now What?

Congratulations to TheDream.US Scholarship Recipients!

How Does CYD Measure Progress?

Alumni Spotlight: Lesly Sanchez

Justice for not Just Us

Building New Relationships with SOUL

Honoring Bob Delaney

From Michael Roberts, Executive Director

How Can I be “Real As Me”?

Helping Older Students Succeed at City-As-School

New Funding for CYD

Preparation Meets Opportunity: Sharing Promising Practices from CYD’s Career Academy

New Leadership at CYD

Thank you, Pam Craig

CYD Distributes Hotspots for Remote Learning

A Day in the Life of Briana Carp

Congratulations Winners! CYD Student Essay Contest

College Counseling during the Pandemic: A day in the life of Gina Morrello

You did it! Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Students Adjust to the New Normal

Tutoring Continues, Pandemic or No Pandemic

We Celebrate Career Academy Graduates on the Front Lines

Socially Distanced, not Emotionally Distanced

It’s Graduation Season!

Alumni Give Back: How to Succeed in the Real World

A Roadmap to Paying for College

Volunteers Play a Key Role

A Safe Space for LGBTQIA Students at City-As-School

Our Students Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving

Serving New York City’s Diverse Youth

NYC Park Rangers Corps

The Cooper Union Summer STEM Program

The Rockefeller University Comparative Bio Science Center

October Comes Bearing College and Career Opportunities

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Expanding Options After High School

100 Years of Preparing Young People for the Future

Summer Classes in Full Swing at CDI

Kimberly Espinoza: Columbia Bound

CDI Students on the Radio!

Exploring Careers in Business

College Decisions

Back by Popular Demand! CDI’s Third Annual Spelling Bee for Grownups!

Building a Future

The Wide World of Nursing

Where Presentation Meets Opportunity

Spelling Bee 2019 – Save the Date!

Soaring Above the Competition

Congratulations to our Posse Scholars!
