In a city of nearly 9 million people, New York can feel daunting. Isolation as well as job and language barriers make it challenging for residents to adapt to the larger community, raise a family, and achieve their goals. For over 130 years, Educational Alliance has remained a constant for the residents of Lower Manhattan in the ever-evolving city of New York.
We are a network of community centers that integrates education, health and wellness, arts and culture, and civic engagement programs to enhance the lives of residents as multifaceted as the city in which they live. We partner with individuals and families to maximize their potential through education, engagement, and community, and we improve New York City by helping New Yorkers improve themselves. The people we serve are building blocks of this city; when they are strong our city is strong.
At Educational Alliance, we unleash the creativity of everyone. We provide best-in-class arts and cultural programming for people of all ages and abilities, and we are proud to be a part of New York City’s rich history as a cultural capital of the world.
Since 1917, Educational Alliance has fostered the creative spirit. Our current portfolio includes over 100 art classes a year, serving an average of 400 students. Our theater and galleries reach an average of 5,500 people yearly. We have art instruction at the Manny Cantor Center, 14th Street Y, and Sirovich Center as well as a robust arts and ideas program at the 14th Street Y’s theater.
At Educational Alliance, we harness the power of community engagement. Civic participation allows New Yorkers to improve their own communities. We strive to empower Educational Alliance constituents by providing opportunities to increase civic knowledge and organize around issues that are important to the communities we serve.
We support the civic engagement of our community through direct instruction and by providing space for discussions around civic issues that are important to the people we serve.
Education is foundational to our mission and core to each of the programs we offer. We provide New York families access to high-quality educational experiences—whether they be early childhood programs, job training, or college prep classes—and we fight to eliminate the root cause of opportunity gaps in our community.
At Educational Alliance, we provide and bolster comprehensive educational opportunities that reflect the emphasis that Jewish culture has placed on ensuring that every person receives an education, job preparation, and skills for wellness and self-preservation.
From our roots as the first night school in the US to the first Kindergarten and Head Start programs in New York City, our education programming has continuously sought to provide progressive learning environments and now serves 2,000 children ages 0-18 every day.
At Educational Alliance, we nourish the mind, body, and soul. We support the health and wellness of our community through a range of programming, from mindfulness classes to addiction recovery and prevention services, state-of-the art fitness centers to meals for seniors—and much more.
Healthy living, wellness, and fitness are core components of all Educational Alliance programs, including preschools, camps, afterschool programs, older adult programs, and recovery programs. We offer top-notch fitness facilities and classes for everyone from children to older adults.
We serve clients spanning 107 years in age, and our institutional history means we’ve provided services to families for generations. A proud member of the Lower East Side, we meaningfully engage in the lives of over 25,000 people a year.
Our adult programs provide numerous educational and social services and emphasize community, support, and respect. Throughout all of our programs, we have many intergenerational events and activities so that people in all stages of life can learn from each other.
The Sirovich Center for Balanced Living, one of Educational Alliance’s four, free-standing community center, provides older adults with a hot lunch five days a week and offers a wide variety of programs, classes, and activities that engage both the mind and the body. Project ORE, located within the Sirovich Center, has served emergency kosher meals and provided counseling, case management, and other support services to isolated, poor, and/or homeless Jews since 1987. It is the only program of its kind in New York City.
At the Weinberg Center for Balanced Living (WCBL) at the Manny Cantor Center, older adults can participate in group exercise, arts and education, and social events. A fresh kosher breakfast and lunch is also available to Weinberg members five days a week, from Monday through Friday.
Educational Alliance’s Co-op Village Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) is a social service program for adults over 60 who reside in the co-ops located along Grand Street. The NORC, in conjunction with our partners, assists senior residents in successfully aging in place by providing opportunities to engage in the community and by offering vital support services. Educational Alliance also has two federally subsidized older adult residences: the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Apartments on Avenue A and the David L. Podell House on Henry Street.
At Educational Alliance’s Center for Recovery and Wellness, we are committed to serving whole individuals, whole families, and whole communities. Our dedicated staff takes a holistic, strengths-based approach to addiction recovery and wellness that responds to the distinct needs of each individual in our programs. Our services include residential and outpatient treatment programs as well as proactive community programming and prevention education. We believe integrated, inclusive approaches that connect individuals with their families and communities lead to more effective interventions and long-term success. We offer culturally-competent, evidence-based programs and services that empower individuals, enhance resiliency and foster lasting recovery.
Our suite of services features multiple points of entry and lasting support to empower every individual in our community to live a healthy and fulfilling life.