Bronx, NY - January 19, 2022 - Bronx Lacrosse is thrilled to be a part of SparkYouth NYC’s newest cohort of grantees, which includes 14 other exceptional youth-centered NYC organizations who utilize the power of sports, STEM, the arts, urban farming, leadership, civic engagement, and community to bring out the best in the city’s future leaders. In addition to funds to support programming, SparkYouth NYC’s model provides capacity building initiatives to help Bronx Lacrosse invest in strategic planning, impact evaluation, and leadership development.

"SparkYouth is thrilled to welcome Bronx Lacrosse to our 9th Cohort of grantees,” said Suzy Myers Jackson, Executive Director of SparkYouth NYC.  “Bronx Lacrosse has an incredibly strong track record of supporting youth both on and off the field, and throughout the upheaval of the pandemic, they have been a vital lifeline to the social and emotional well-being of their students. We at SparkYouth are honored to support their continued success."

“We couldn’t be more grateful for this grant and opportunity to work with SparkYouth NYC,” said Dan Leventhal, Founder and Executive Director of Bronx Lacrosse. “Thank you to the SparkYouth NYC team for their support and acknowledgement. We are honored to be a part of this prestigious cohort and are excited about the impact this opportunity can have at Bronx Lacrosse.” 

About SparkYouth NYC

SparkYouth NYC ignites growth in community-based programs to expand opportunities for the young people of New York City.   Every three years SparkYouth scours the City to unearth small organizations that have the potential to grow and serve more children for years to come. They believe that providing support, both financial and operational, is key to encouraging expansion and sustainability of the programs. They choose wisely, monitor carefully, and guide thoughtfully, all with an aim to close the opportunity gap for underserved NYC children.

About Bronx Lacrosse

Bronx Lacrosse is a full-day, year-round academic- and sports-based youth development program. We use lacrosse as a vehicle to build community, invest students in school, develop executive function and self-regulation skills, and improve academic outcomes. Along with lacrosse programming, we support our student-athletes with weekly intensive one-on-one algebra-readiness tutoring sessions and study halls, as well as attendance support, behavioral monitoring and intervention, and social-emotional skill-building. Bronx Lacrosse is currently partnered with three public schools and serves over 200 students in the South Bronx.