History of Civic Engagement at Wagner College
History
The Port Richmond Partnership was first broached by community leaders in 2008, as a way to augment Wagner’s highly successful Civic Innovations Program. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the spring of 2009, officially establishing the Partnership. Based on an agreement between Wagner College and leading organizations and institutions in Port Richmond, the Partnership was designed to extend Wagner’s commitment to learning by doing and to rejuvenate an economically distressed community. When Port Richmond experienced a large growth in its immigrant population, the rapid influx deeply influenced the social and economic fabric of Port Richmond and created complex needs in the areas of health care, education, arts and culture, housing, and employment.
Mission
The mission of the Port Richmond Partnership is to encourage sustainable relationships among members of the Port Richmond and Wagner College communities to enhance student learning and raise civic awareness. The Partnership concurrently supports collaborations that address significant challenges and establish measurable impacts in five high need areas: arts, education, health, economic development, and immigration.
Vision
The Port Richmond Partnership seeks to develop collaborative programs that contribute to school improvement, economic growth, health care enhancement, and immigration reform; play a significant role in advancing research and inquiry about pressing community issues; and build mutually beneficial curricular and co-curricular placements for Wagner College students to broaden their experiences and strengthen a wide variety of community-based services.
The Port Richmond Partnership offers the following opportunities:
- Curricular and co-curricular based placements for Wagner College faculty, students, and staff
- Professional development activities for area students, teachers, educational personnel, and organizational leaders
- Cooperative programs to forward arts initiatives, school improvement, economic development, immigration reform and health promotion efforts
Focus Areas
Initiatives
The Port Richmond Leadership Academy is a three year commitment with a five-week summer intensive program, aimed to enhance and enrich the achievement of Port Richmond High School rising juniors and seniors, and future college first year students. The Academy is a truly unique program designed to deepen participants’ academic abilities as well as develop community capacity building skills to affect positive change locally. Academy participants are immersed in two innovative, credit-bearing high school or college courses during the summer, complete a focused community advocacy project or internship, and engage in civic learning field trips throughout the summer and academic year.
The Academy was established by Wagner College and the New World Foundation COIN Program in the fall of 2013 and was continually supported by a generous donation made by the Dugan family. It is a truly unique program designed to deepen participants’ academic abilities as well as develop community capacity-building skills to affect positive, local change. The Port Richmond Leadership Academy had been designed to reflect the energy, passion, and potential of Port Richmond youth as well as the vibrant community rich with history and cultural connection.
This opportunity is in alignment with the vision and goals of the 30,000 Degrees initiative, which seeks to increase the number of baccalaureate degrees to 30,000 by the year 2025.
The Markham Leadership Academy (MLA) is an educational initiative established in the fall of 2016 by Wagner College, Port Richmond Community High School and the Edwin Markham Intermediate School 51. The primary purpose of the Academy is to prepare participants for high school and create college awareness through enriching experiences and opportunities. In addition, the Academy strives to develop skills in the students to create positive change within the Port Richmond community.
In order to fulfill this goal, students of the Markham Leadership Academy partner with Wagner College and Port Richmond Partnership Leadership Academy (PRPLA) students to collaborate and build mentoring relationships . With the presence of the Seahawk Raider Center at I.S. 51, the Academy can effectively mirror the success of PRPLA at Port Richmond Community High School.
The Markham Leadership Academy is an intricate part of the expansion of the Wagner College educational pipeline and continued efforts for the 30,000 Degrees initiative, which seeks to increase the number of baccalaureate degrees to 30,000 by the year 2025.
The Eagles Leadership Academy (ELA) is an educational initiative established in the spring of 2018 by the Margaret P. Emery Elm Park School 21, the Edwin Markham Intermediate School 51, Port Richmond Community High School and Wagner College. The primary purpose of the Academy is to prepare participants for middle school and create college awareness through enriching experiences and opportunities. In addition, the Academy strives to develop skills in the students to create positive change within the Port Richmond community.
In order to fulfill this goal, students of the Eagle Leadership Academy partner with Wagner College, Port Richmond Partnership Leadership Academy (PRPLA), and the Markham Leadership Academy (MLA) students to collaborate and build mentoring relationships. The Eagle Leadership Academy is an intricate part of the expansion of the Wagner College educational pipeline and continued efforts for the 30,000 Degrees initiative, which seeks to increase the number of baccalaureate degrees to 30,000 by the year 2025.
30,000 Degrees is a civic engagement initiative of Staten Island’s three institutions of higher education designed to increase college readiness and baccalaureate attainment throughout the borough. Inspired by Louisville’s 55,000 Degrees and their participation in the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, the College of Staten Island/CUNY, St. John’s University/Staten Island Campus, and Wagner College adopt the university anchor model to purposefully engage Staten Island’s educational stakeholders in higher education’s public purpose.
Our Purpose:
To prepare the future professionals, business leaders, and engaged citizenry the borough needs as it rises to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow – for a stronger Staten Island.
Our Goals:
- To increase the number of college graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher from Staten Island by 30,000 by the year 2025
- To build sustainable cross-sectoral partnerships and institutional practices that endure beyond 2025, in pursuit of our purpose.
In alignment with the purpose and goals of the 30,000 Degrees initiative, Wagner College expanded its mission as a practical liberal arts institution to K-12 students from PS 21, IS 51, and Port Richmond High School. Each school in the K-12 pipeline works with Wagner College to recruit and sustain cohort models to generate college awareness and preparation, through a lens that is unique to the mission of Wagner College, and the legacy of our 18th President, Dr. Richard Guarasci.
Learn about the Port Richmond Partnership, from NY1.
Learn more about the Port Richmond Partnership Expansion from NY1.