There are some non-profit education-based organizations whose mission and programs are so uniquely effective that they become stand-out models for others to emulate. I recently discovered Community of Unity in New York City which is definitely one such program.

Founded in 2001 by Eric Komoroff,  Community of Unity (CofU) aims to help young people discover and develop their unique potential and purpose (their “song”) using seven essential life skills (or “instruments”):  self awareness, self esteem, sense of humor, empathy, integrity, responsibility, and focus. Learning how to use these skills empowers youth to make more positive choices for themselves and transform their own lives.

According to the CofU website:

Community of Unity bases its curriculum on the premise that by building successful peer-to-peer and peer-to-adult relationships over multiple years, youth are provided opportunities for belonging, space to build essential life-skills, and are able to grow their connection to family and community.

Services provided by the organization include a wildly successful after-school Youth Empowerment Leadership Community (YELC) program in which 90% of participants graduate high-school on time and attend college, as well as partnering with public schools to provide in school programs, professional development workshops, consulting services, and curriculum materials. To date, over 30,000 young people around the world have been touched by CofU programs, including students in over 200 New York City schools.

Future initiatives include the creation of a new middle school in partnership with the NYC Department of Education to be opened next fall, as well as YELC House—an emotionally and academically supportive housing option for public high school students on Manhattan’s Lower East Side who are homeless, in foster care, or whose families are in crisis. (Anticipated opening is Fall 2011.)

In reading about CofU, it’s hard not to think about the thousands of public schools nationwide that desperately need a healthy dose of life skill development lessons to be injected into their standard curriculum, as well as a more individualized approach to education that focuses on helping children discover and develop their unique potential. If only school budgets didn’t have to be so tight, and teachers weren’t under so much pressure to prep students for standardized tests…

In any case, CofU is still a young organization just beginning to spread its wings and widen its sphere of influence. I anticipate hearing more about its growth and achievements in the future.

Photo courtesy of ZedZap(Nick)’s photostream/Creative Commons