In 2025, CYD marks 30 years of forging paths to success for New York City students! Over the course of this year, we invite you to join us in celebrating the many heroes – founders, Board members, volunteers, and partners – who have played a pivotal role in shaping CYD’s work over the last three decades. We will also share plans for the future as we mark the beginning of a new chapter in our mission. We begin by paying tribute to our visionary founders!
30 years ago, NYC’s transfer schools were a little-known innovation. 30 years ago, many vulnerable young people were disengaged from school, and the population of “out of school out of work” youth swelled. Then came Manhattan Comprehensive Night & Day High School (MCNDHS), a transfer school for older youth founded by principal Howard Friedman. The school’s schedule, still unique in the city, enabled students to work during the day and attend school at night. Howard understood that young people ages 18-24 wanted a high school diploma and needed support to do that, but had to balance education with family responsibilities, earning a living, and trying to survive in 1990s NYC. Howard reached out for volunteers, and luckily for CYD they heard his call.
Along came Carolyn Risoli, David Bolotsky, Kevin Walker, and the late Meryl Greenfield, who volunteered with students in the evenings. They enlisted Greg Cohen, who created a student life center and ultimately became the first Executive Director of what was then called Comprehensive Development, Inc. (CDI). The late Bob Delaney, a retired Brooklyn Union Gas executive, volunteered to help young people develop plans for college and became the school’s first one-man “College Office.”
CYD’s founders realized that students needed holistic 360-degree support to graduate and succeed in life after high school, and they developed a comprehensive service model. Each year, the team added another brick to the foundation of CYD. Today, they are still involved, serving on the Board of Advisors (chaired by David Bolotsky), and supporting the organization to help vulnerable older youth from across the city and new immigrants from over 40 countries at MCNDHS, City-As-School, The High School for Health Professions and Human Services, and the CYD Career Academy.
We salute those leaders and continue to live by their ethos of partnering, service, and bringing communities together to support building successful futures for underserved populations.
Your dollars make a difference!
Without the support of each and every one of our individual donors, the stories you read about and the programs that make an impact in the lives of our young people would not be possible. Thank you!
