Hello Kris,

I hope you are all staying cozy and safe on this wintry day!

I sent a link to the 2025 YPIE Volunteer General Interest Survey last week. If you haven’t already submitted your response, please do so by February 12, 2025. 

Congratulations to the volunteers who matched as Graduation Coaches last month! I am excited for the start of this mentoring journey with your Scholars, which I know will be as impactful to you as it is to them. ❤️

Thank you to our FAFSA volunteers for rolling up your sleeves at events this winter to assist families with completion of the FAFSA - your efforts are making a difference! According to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN):

Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one of the best predictors of whether a high school senior will go on to college. Seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to immediately enroll in postsecondary education. For students in the lowest socioeconomic quintile, FAFSA completion is associated with a 127% increase in immediate college enrollment. 

For those of you who love deep dives, check out NCAN’s FAFSA Tracker which has national and state data. Additional food for thought this month - Freshman Enrollment Grows 5.5% in Fall 2024 in Encouraging, Surprising Change.  

Finally, several volunteers have asked about the 2024-25 Yonkers Citywide Scholarships Book which was just shared this week.  

Thank you!

Stacy Winitt

Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships



UPCOMING EVENTS

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WORKSHOP

This workshop will focus on ways that Graduation Coaches can support students in search for and securing summer opportunities (jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities). No RSVP required and open to all volunteers.

• Cancelled February 6th from 3:00pm-4:00pm
• February 11th from 12:00pm-1:00pm (via Zoom) - will be recorded and shared

ESSAY COACH TRAINING - SPRING

Volunteers who plan to serve as Essay Coaches for the Spring Season are required to attend one of the sessions listed.  RSVP required; a link will be provided in the coming weeks.

• March 12th from 6:00pm-7:00pm (via Zoom)
• March 13th from 2:00pm-3:00pm (via Zoom)
• March 18th from 10:00am-11:00am (via Zoom)

GRATITUDE CELEBRATION - SAVE THE DATE!

Our annual Gratitude Celebration will be held on June 12, 2025 from 5:00PM-7:00pm at the Cross County Center.

Please see the YPIE Volunteer calendar at ypie.org/ypievolunteer



STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS

Students should sign up using this form and turn in a permission slip if they wish to attend any of these college trips. Open only to 11th graders (may change later if there is room).

• Tuesday, February 18, 2025 - Barnard
• Tuesday, February 18, 2025 - NYU
• Thursday, February 20, 2025 - Purchase
• Friday, February 21, 2025 - Lehman

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FAIR

YPIE is hosting a Summer Opportunities Fair on February 27, 2025 from 3:30-5:30pm. Students should register using this link and come learn about internships and learning opportunities!

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES DATABASE

YPIE has a searchable Student Opportunities Database with opportunities for students to volunteer, learn, or expand knowledge of different careers outside of school.

VOLUNTEER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SCIENCE JUDGES NEEDED

Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF)

• When: Saturday, March 16th, 8:30am - 3:00pm (lunch provided)
• Where: Somers High School (120 Primrose St, Lincolndale, NY 10540)
• Who: Science professionals (Masters/PhD, enrolled in a degree program, or have a bachelors plus 2+ years of experience; more details here)
• Next Steps: Set up an account and register at www.wesef.zfairs.com (put YPIE as your affiliate school) and then email Jake (jschofield@ypie.org) to let him know you registered

Help students prepare for WESEF at our Practice Presentation Party!

• When: Friday, February 28th, 3:30-5pm
• Where: The YPIE College Zone (92 Main Street, Yonkers)
• Who: ANYONE!
• What: Science Research scholars will be holding a mock poster session to receive feedback from volunteers.

GRADUATION COACH REMINDERS 

Graduation Coaches should submit one monthly update during the last week of each month.  If you did not submit an update for January, please do so ASAP.

ESSAY COACH REMINDERS

The Spring Season will launch on April 2, 2025.  Please mark your calendars with one of the training dates listed above if you plan to volunteer for the spring.

YONKERS SCHOOL VISITS

Yonkers Essay Coaches and Graduation Coaches can meet with students at school during their lunch/free periods. Please read and adhere to the YPIE Volunteer School Visit Policy, schedule your visits on days when YPIE staff will be at the schools, and email them in advance to let them know your plans.

Please review this contact list for YPIE staff and ensure that you plan your meeting for a day when YPIE staff are in the school building.

• Please note that our staff at Gorton, Obama, Riverside, Roosevelt, and Yonkers Montessori Academy split their time between two locations, so they are not available each day.  

MEETING AT YPIE COLLEGE ZONE

If you plan to meet your student at the College Zone in Yonkers or Jersey City, please email me at least one business day in advance with the date, time, and name of your student. I’ll add your meeting to the calendar and confirm with you.



VOLUNTEER RESOURCES

January 2025 Volunteer Newsletter

December 2024 Volunteer Newsletter

November 2024 Volunteer Newsletter

October 2024 Current College Landscape recording and presentation

October 2024 Volunteer Newsletter

September 2024 Volunteer Newsletter

YPIE Volunteer Handbook

Essay Coach Playbook

Graduation Coach Playbook

Becoming a Better Mentor (full 135-page guidebook)

Thanks for reading all the way to the end!