Avenues for Justice
100 Centre Street, Room 1541
New York, NY 10013
info@avenuesforjustice.org
©Copyright 2022 Avenues for Justice. All rights reserved.
.png)
AFJ offers Northstar Digital Literacy software with over 70 levels of self-paced study and certification available at each level, supplemented by weekly online group instruction and testing led by our Court Advocates.
With the success of our certification programming, AFJ will continue to offer OSHA Safety Education and Training program, along with the Flagger and Scaffold User Training, quarterly, alternating between centers. Our Adult CPR/AED training will also be offered through our partnership with the New York Junior League (NYJL). In 2025, AFJ added an onsite Security certification training in partnership with S&S Security Training and Services. Using third party providers, AFJ refers Participants on an as-needed basis for Food Handlers certification programs.
Launched in September 2020, corporate partners facilitate job readiness and financial literacy training with mock interviews; resume writing; basics of budgeting, bank and credit accounts; dress for success; and mentoring. The program includes guest speakers who are successful in unconventional careers and job structures (work for hire, freelance, project-based work) to expand the idea of a career. Partners since the launch include JPMorgan Chase, First Republic Bank, Island Capital Group, New York Junior League, the Whitney Museum, Uber, BlackRock, and Slickdeals.
In partnership with AFJ corporate partner BlackRock, we have begun offering coding classes for our Participants. The class is intended to bridge the equity gap in STEM education through computer science, project-based learning, and teamwork. AFJ wants to help our Participants understand that computer programming can be used as a tool for empowerment. Participants will start with website design and move on to more complex coding platforms like Python. Our new facilitator focuses on individualized attention but also puts a high value on self-motivation.
In addition to offering coding courses, AFJ has expanded its relationship with BlackRock from quarterly Job Readiness round-robins where Participants receive personal attention on three important factors of their hiring journey: resumes, cover letters, and mock interviews to offering financial literacy for our Participants and their families to ensure an understanding of their financial needs and well-being.
The 2025 8-week paid internship series supports, educates, and equips all AFJ Participants of working age and those under 18 striving for financial, professional, and personal success while fostering valuable skills and experiences for long-term employment. The structured internship placement program comprises of three cohorts of 20 interns, with cohorts in February, May, and October. Eligibility is determined by their participation in our 8-day job readiness curriculum. Upon completion of the curriculum, AFJ interns engage in 8-week placements within community-based businesses, receiving a competitive hourly stipend paid by AFJ.
To ensure comprehensive coverage, the summer months are supported by the City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The goal is to place 30 Participants in this internship initiative by the end of the year. By participating in this program, AFJ Participants not only enhance their job readiness but also gain exposure to employment opportunities that may arise beyond the initial 8-week period.
In 2025, AFJ strengthened and expanded its mental health programming, ensuring Participants receive consistent, responsive, and culturally competent support. Court Advocate Elsie Flores—currently pursuing her MSW at NYU—has stepped into the role of Mental Health Liaison. She conducts basic assessments, manages referrals, ensures follow-ups, and works closely with program staff to incorporate wellness check-ins across workshops. She has also expanded our network of trusted referral partners across all five boroughs, enhancing our ability to connect Participants with individualized care through providers such as Queen Mental Health, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, the Bowen Center, and Astor Services, among others.
AFJ offers a range of mental health–focused workshops and projects, including Group Therapy, Project DOT, and Art Therapy at both community centers. Project DOT focuses on relationships, boundaries, consent, and decision-making, while Art Therapy—provided in partnership with The Art Therapy Group—offers Participants a creative outlet for exploring emotions. Muse & Grace continue to support youth with ongoing individual therapy sessions and lead AFJ’s 12-week Group Therapy cohort that takes place quarterly.
AFJ’s mental health services continue to grow steadily, ensuring continuity of care and a strong foundation for the return of an in-house clinician in the near future.
Teen Empowerment: Our Teen Empowerment workshop has become a popular safe place for our young people to express, develop, and hone their activist voice through knowledge, conversation, and action. There is power within sharing conversation, so we have decided to alternate the in-person workshop quarterly to a designated center whilst also continuing to offer the workshop on a hybrid platform for those Participants who are unable to commute to our centers.
AFJ has seen incredible attendance with Teen Empowerment proving it to be AFJ’s most popular weekly workshop.
Legal Rights & Responsibilities: Led by Manager of Court Advocacy, Brian, Legal Rights & Responsibilities workshop is a weekly series aimed at educating Participants on their legal rights and responsibilities, criminal law, the criminal and juvenile court process, and collateral consequences. All incoming Participants are required to attend at least one workshop to inform them of their legal proceedings.
Leadership Council: Led by Teen Empowerment’s Dr. Dennis Ibude, Leadership Council is a new initiative as of 2025 involving cohorts consisting of 5 to 8 Participants, embarking on a transformative journey focused on the "Framework of Becoming a Leader. Throughout this 10-week course, Participants delve into essential principles such as punctuality, integrity, team development, conflict resolution, project management, and facilitation. These core concepts lay the groundwork for cultivating effective leadership skills. Upon successful completion of the course, individuals will not only emerge as capable leaders, but also have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in instructing and guiding the subsequent cohort.
Gun Violence Prevention Workshop: A major addition to 2025 programming was AFJ’s Gun Violence Prevention Workshop, an urgently needed initiative focused on personal safety, conflict de-escalation, and community accountability. Through guided dialogue and scenario-based learning, Participants examined the social and emotional factors driving violence and developed practical strategies for avoiding high-risk situations.
Debate: In 2025, we kicked off the Debate Team workshop led by Reggie Chatman. Reggie is a rising star in the criminal justice field, coming into the national spotlight in 2018 as the leader of the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) widely-praised debate team. AFJ's Debate Team workshop will have 12 week cohorts. This workshop aims to empower our young people with essential skills. Participants learn how to formulate persuasive arguments, develop critical thinking abilities, enhance public speaking skills, and engage in respectful discourse on various topics. This workshop not only boosts our Participants’ confidence but will also foster teamwork and collaboration amongst peers.
English as a Second Language (ESL): Supportive instruction for multilingual youth strengthening their English language proficiency in reading, writing, and communication.
Mentoring is available to all participants and their families 24/7, as well as referrals to other needed services including substance abuse recovery.
Currently, Avenues for Justice maintains a bank of 60+ volunteers, including tutors, who help AFJ Participants with schoolwork, exams, and admissions forms to complete high school and advance to college. Volunteers also coach Participants through our HIRE Up programs.
