About The Boys’ Club of New York
The Boys’ Club of New York (BCNY) is the nation’s oldest
boys-only youth development organization serving nearly 3500
boys a year in clubhouses in East Harlem; Flushing, Queens;
and the Lower East Side.
Throughout its 138-year history, BCNY has combined a
determined focus on the empowerment of boys and young men
with a unique, multi-disciplinary approach that prepares its
members for a fulfilling and meaningful adulthood. The Boys’
Club of New York accomplishes this through programming that
includes music and arts, social and recreational activities,
academic support, and athletics.
BCNY’s open-door policy and $5 annual membership fee
attracts boys ages 6 to 20 from historically marginalized
communities. BCNY’s membership is 44 percent Latino, 38
percent Black, 14 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 4
percent White. Over 75 percent of the Boys’ Club’s members
live in households at or below the poverty level, 50 percent in
single-parent households.
THREE LOCATIONS
Elbridge T. Gerry, Jr. Clubhouse
EAST HARLEM
Harriman Clubhouse
LOWER EAST SIDE
Marion McMahon Abbe Clubhouse
FLUSHING, QUEENS
Our Programs
STAND TALL: Character Development & Life Skills
These programs instill strong character attributes, teach positive decision-making, encourage leadership, and support the transition
of our members into adulthood. Programs include mentoring opportunities, youth council, community service, career readiness, and
financial literacy.
HIT A HOME RUN: Sports & Recreation
Members learn the fundamentals of games and sports, and progress to playing competitively or coaching. BCNY’s Aquatics program
teaches members to be safe in and around the water through our American Red Cross certified Learn to Swim and Lifeguarding
programs, and is the home of our championship swim teams.
EXERCISE YOUR MIND: Academic Support
BCNY helps boys reach their full academic potential through homework help, tutoring, early literacy support, STEM, and fun
academic competitions. Members are also assisted in their pursuit of secondary and post-secondary education through SSAT and
SAT prep, admissions counseling, financial aid workshops, and our Independent School Placement services.
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Visual & Performing Arts
BCNY offers music instruction in 12 instruments and chorus with professional musicians in state of the art studios. Boys can also
explore drama and dance, as well as studio art, photography, filmmaking, animation, graphic design, and more.
FEEL GREAT: Mental and Physical Health
These programs concentrate on the overall wellness of members in the areas of nutrition, safety, physical fitness, and self-discipline.
Members can study martial arts and yoga, learn to cook, and have access to our full-time mental health team that provides counseling
and clinical evaluation services to members with special needs and challenging life circumstances.
Executive Staff
Executive Director/CEO STEPHEN TOSH
Stephen Tosh’s tenure at BCNY has been marked by innovative program development and
evaluation initiatives. Under his leadership, BCNY has reinstated a full slate of services for
high school age boys, created a comprehensive academic support program, provided
accessible mental health care for members, redesigned the Gardiner School and READ
curriculums, and increased clubhouse attendance by over 20%.
Stephen came to BCNY in April 2010, after ten years as the Executive Director of Phipps
Community Development Corporation where he developed a wide range of early
childhood, youth development, and teen programs. Stephen was Vice President of the
Justice Resource Institute in Boston, where he managed prevention and treatment
programs for delinquent and mentally ill adolescents. He has also served as Executive
Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany, Director of Staff-Secure Detention for the
New York City Department of Juvenile Justice, and Director of Community Care at the
New York City Youth Bureau. He has a MA/ABD in Sociology from New York
University and received his B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Chief Program Officer RASHIDA ABUWALA
Abuwala is responsible for developing and managing BCNY’s comprehensive array of
services and programs, and provides oversight of program implementation, evaluation, and
operations. She ensures that BCNY’s programs and services meet the organization’s high
standards, while also meeting the expectations of funders, stakeholders, and, most
importantly, the needs of its members.
Prior to BCNY, Abuwala was the Director of Research and Evaluation at Phipps
Community Development Corporation where she led the assessment and maintenance of
quality for over 40 programs serving 8000 children and adults. Abuwala has worked in
social service, court innovation, political intelligence, grass-roots policy reform, and has
authored several articles and papers. Abuwala has an MSc from The London School of
Economics and a BA with Honors from Wesleyan University.
Chief Operating Officer NANA ANNAN
Chief Operating Officer Annan manages a wide range of operational areas including
Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities Management, Security, Central
Purchasing, and Risk Management.
Ms. Annan has an extensive professional experience, including ten years at Morgan Stanley
in project management and IT positions. Prior to joining BCNY, she worked with nonprofit organizations focused on education, development, and advocacy; such as Brooklyn
Generation School, United Nations Development Programme, Kids in Need of Defense,
and Greater Boston Legal Services. Ms. Annan has a JD from Boston University School of
Law and a BSc. in Computer Science from Spelman College.
Executive Staff Continued
Chief Development Officer MARY F. HASTINGS
Hastings is responsible for creating and advancing a diversified fundraising and
communications plan with a focus on major gifts. She oversees the Special Events
department and all major fundraising campaigns.
Before joining BCNY, Hastings served as Executive Director of the American London
Symphony Orchestra Foundation. Hastings has held previous positions as Director of
Development for The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and The New School
for Drama, Director of Special Events for The Foundation for Jewish Culture, and
Director of Education and Community Outreach at the Bloomingdale School of Music.
Hastings is an award-winning trumpeter with a Masters of Music from The Juilliard School.
She remains an active performer and is currently on the faculty of Queens College at the
Aaron Copland School of Music.
Chief Financial Officer BART SAMSON
Samson brings extensive experience in public and not-for-profit accounting and real estate
operations to the position. Prior to his appointment in April 2000, Mr. Samson served as
the Real Estate and Investment Controller at Trinity Church for 5 years. He also worked
as a senior public accountant for a large public accounting firm for 10 years. Today Mr.
Samson continues to work with The Boys' Club of New York Investment and Audit and
Risk Committees to be best in class.
The Crisis for Young Men Today
THE CRISIS
Today, boys of color face a structural inequality that can result in poor education, low graduation rates, and lack college and
employment preparedness; directly correlating with startling incarceration, unemployment, teen pregnancy, and quality of life
statistics when these boys grow into men.

Black and Hispanic males are 3.5 times as likely to be suspended from school than their white counterparts.

On average, Black male twelfth grade students read at the same level of white eighth grade students.

Only 14% of Black eighth graders score at or above the proficient reading level.

Over 70% of students involved in school related arrests were Hispanic or Black.

Compared to their white counterparts, Black boys are three times as likely to be placed in remedial or “problem” classes as o pposed to receiving
counselling or a diagnosis. After placement, these students rarely catch up to the education level of the rest of their class mates.

Hispanic males drop out of high school 70% more than their white counterparts. Only 34% of graduating Black males are college or career ready.

40% of Black males between the ages of 16-24 are unemployed.

The majority of males with felony convictions are minorities. There are 9.81 times as many Black males between the ages of 16 and 24 with a
felony conviction than their white counterparts.

Hispanic teens between the ages of 15 and 17 are 9 times as likely to become parents. Black teens are 5.6 times as likely to become parents.
*statistics are gathered from the following sources:
The NYC Young Men’s Initiative Overview: http://www.nyc.gov/html/ymi/downloads/pdf/overview_of_the_young_mens_initiative.pdf
The New York Times: Lewin, Tamar. "Black Students Face More Discipline, Data Suggests." The New York Times, 05 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
The Daily Beast: Bouie, Jamelle. “Are Black Students Unruly? Or is America Just Racist?” The Daily Beast, 21 March, 2014. Web. 25 Oct. 2014 . http://
www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/21/are-black-kids-unruly-or-is-america-just-racist.html
New York Afterschool Youth Development
OUR 2013 IMPACT

We offered 20 hours of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programming a week, enriching 814 boys
with a myriad of STEM activities. As a part of this expansion, BCNY’s Nature in the City exposed 253 boys to New York City’s
flora and fauna. 200 boys also experienced wildlife in its natural habitat during overnight trips to Camp Cromwell, led by
BCNY’s Naturalist.

BCNY’s art program tripled: in addition to already existing arts programming, which included drawing, painting, photography,
animation, graphic art, sculpture, and mixed media, each Clubhouse introduced drama and dance. With the expanded
opportunities, 1597 members participated in at least one arts activity, which is 655 more boys than last year.

77 members participated in BCNY’s new College Access program. This program provides in-house SAT preparation, individual
college counselling for high school upperclassmen, and early college awareness for 8th, 9th, and 10th graders, preparing younger
students for the rigors of high school and ultimately priming them to be successful college students.

420 boys learned to swim and 83% of members taking swimming lessons advanced by at least one swimming level. BCNY
swimming lessons are available to all members and come at no extra charge. According to the USA Swimming Foundation,
about 70% of African-American children and 60% of Latino children are non-swimmers, creating a safety issue that we are
effectively addressing.

524 boys took a combined 11,775 music lessons at BCNY. Studies suggest that music education facilitates learning other subject
areas and enhances general life skills. With many NYC public schools cutting their arts programming, BCNY’s music program
stands out as an accessible and empowering outlet for boys.

We established a Psychotherapy Program, an important service few of our members would otherwise be able to access. Our
psychotherapist and mental health counselors provided 1214 hours of therapy to individual members, in addition to leading
regular mental health programs in the Clubhouses.
BCNY Success Stories
BCNY offered him a community of support,
respect, and, perhaps most importantly, high
expectations.
JOHNATHAN LOPEZ
Jonathan Lopez joined The Boys’
Club of New York in 1989 as a 6
-year old. Coming from a home
of drug abuse in a neighborhood
fraught with violence and crime,
Encouraged by the staff of BCNY’s
Department of Educational Services (DES),
Jonathan resisted the ubiquitous negative
influences around him on the Lower East
Side, and decided to focus energy on
academics. Says Jonathan, “[DES] gave me
a tangible perspective on the benefits of
working hard in the classroom . . . There
are all sorts of statistics that demonstrate
improved quality of living for people with
more education. BCNY helped me to
appreciate this invaluable lesson, which has
substantially shaped my lifestyle.”
With the support of BCNY, Jonathan
attended the prestigious Millbrook School,
But his intimate relationship with the
organization began over 60 years ago, when
Ed walked into the Harriman Clubhouse as
a seven year old, slapped down a nickel, and
joined The Boys’ Club of New York.
EDWARD J. RAPPA
As President of the Board of
Trustees, Edward J. Rappa has a
profound understanding of the
mission and vision of BCNY.
Growing up on the Lower East Side, like
all kids, Ed was faced with challenges and
choices. As Ed puts it, “there [was] a thin
line between joining a gang and joining the
Boys’ Club. Both offered security and
community and kept you busy. [In both,
you were] part of a group.” But, he added,
“you might end up in a very different place
depending on which path you choose.” Ed
chose BCNY.
Today, Ed is Chairman and CEO at R.W.
Pressprich & Co., Inc., one of New York’s
where he earned major awards for his
leadership and community involvement.
After Millbrook, he was accepted to Colgate
University, and graduated on the Dean’s list.
In his own words, “without The Boys' Club, I
may have never considered going to college.
More specifically, I probably would have
been consumed by the streets I grew up on—
possibly selling drugs or… incarcerated.”
Today, Jonathan continues to give back,
working at Millbrook as Assistant Director
of Communications. He stays in touch with
the BCNY staff, and can often be seen around
the clubhouses sharing his story with other
boys. “BCNY was the impetus that changed
the trajectory of my life,” he says. Jonathan is
destined for success, and we at BCNY are
proud to have been a part of his journey.
most respected institutional investment
firms. Reflecting on his path from the Boys’
Club to his corner office, he credits BCNY
with teaching him the determination and
persistence necessary to get through years
of night school.
At the Boys’ Club, says Ed, boys learn
essential skills such as ethics, character, and
leadership. “The social skills I learned at the
Boys’ Club were just as important as the
academics I learned in college.” More so, he
adds, BCNY “reinforces who you are,” and
helps boys be the best, most confident, most
successful versions of themselves. Ed is
certainly a testament to that philosophy.
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Contact Us
www.bcny.org
212.677.1102
info@bcny.org
fb.com/BoysClubNewYork
@BoysClubNY
Press Inquiries:
Helen Frank, Director of Communications
347.505.5416
helen.frank@bcny.org