ALSO WILL BE INTERVIEWED BY STUDENTS OF RJ BAILEY, XPOSURE-AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM 

The Town of Greenburgh and the William L. Carter Inspiration Foundation will host a visit from Former First Lady of New York,

Matilda Raffa Cuomo on Friday, May 12, 2017  as she comes to Westchester to re-launch the New York State Mentoring Program in the Elmsford Union Free School District and the Greenburgh Central School District.

During the 1980’s and early 1990’s, New York State’s Former First Lady, Matilda R. Cuomo launched the New York State Mentoring Program (NYSMP), a state-wide initiative designed to match school-aged students with individuals from local businesses, corporations, local, county and state government offices, and others from reputable organizations who served as mentors for youth.  The program existed in every region of the state and in several school districts in Westchester including the Town of Greenburgh. 

In 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo revived the program, once again state-wide, and since then new programs have been implemented around the state including Albany, Long Island and other regions.   The distinguishing features of the program that make it appealing to school districts are:  the program is school-based, thereby creating a safe space for mentoring to take place; all mentors are screened and finger-printed prior to being accepted into the program; the mentoring is one-on-one (each mentor is assigned one student); mentoring takes place for one hour once a week in areas such as the school library, a designated classroom or other areas that are  observable by other adults in the building and the mentoring commitment is for the duration of the school year.  

This Friday, May 12, 2017, the first program in Westchester, since 1994, will be launched at Alice Grady Elementary School and Alexander Hamilton High School in the Elmsford Union Free School District.  This initiative represents a partnership with the William L. Carter Inspiration Foundation, founded by Lavette Carter, wife/widow of William L. Carter, former Commissioner for the Department of Community Resources (Theodore D. Young Community Center) and the Town of Greenburgh.  Ms. Cuomo’s visit to the region will begin with her presentation to the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents Meeting where she will describe the New York State Mentoring Program to superintendents from this region and ask them to bring the program into their schools.  After visiting the Alice Grady Elementary School in Elmsford to  meet with mentors and mentees she will arrive at Greenburgh Town Hall where she will be interviewed by students of RJ Bailey who are also participants in the Xposure / Greenburgh Afterschool Program.  This program, along with the Greenburgh Cable Access Television, was recently nominated for an Emmy Award by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Chapter.     Town Supervisor Paul Feiner and Town Clerk Judith A. Beville have provided leadership and guidance to this program. 

For further information regarding Mrs. Matilda R. Cuomo, please contact Abbey Fashouer, email: abbey.fashouer@exec.ny.gov

For further information regarding the events associated with the visit in the Town of Greenburgh, please contact

Judith A. Beville, (914) 989-1501; email:  jbeville@greenburghny.com

Paul Feiner