In 2009 The Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation embarked on an intensive community assessment initiative named Project 126 in Long Island City/Astoria where the founder, Thomas Elmezzi grew up. The Board of Directors sought to deepen the Foundation’s investments in this community but wanted information that would help them and other funders target resources more effectively. Project 126 focused on zip codes 11101, 11102 and 11106 in Long Island City/Astoria; areas with the greatest social and economic needs.
Project 126 entailed working closely with the community residents, nonprofit leaders and other LIC/Astoria stakeholders and involved focus groups, asset mapping, and data analysis to complete over 3,000 surveys in order to identify leading needs, priorities and assets. The survey effort resulted in a report published in 2010 by The Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation entitled, “Project 126: A Focus on the Future.” This report is the first comprehensive survey of residents and needs in this community.
Zone 126
As a response to Project 126′s findings and education being identified at the community’s number one priority and concern, The Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation established Zone 126. Using a Collective Impact approach within the community schools framework and acting as a backbone organization, Zone 126 works with three schools (PS 171, IS 126 and Long Island City HS) to build out K through 12 supports and transforming schools to be better integrated with student families and within the community. In 2012, the Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation received a Federal Promise Neighborhood planning grant to develop the Zone 126 promise neighborhood which catalyzed the initial iteration of the organization.
Since its initial inception, Zone 126 has continued working actively to connect the community, schools, and local service providers under a shared vision of addressing education issues within schools and ending generational poverty. Zone 126 is guided by its mission to ensure that every child living in public housing has access to the education needed to graduate from high school prepared for college or the workforce, equipped to thrive in the 21st century. Based on research, Zone 126 has chosen to focus its cradle to college to career efforts on promoting student school attendance, therefore combating chronic absenteeism. As reported by the Public School Review in July 2023, “For each week of absence, students have a 20% reduced likelihood of graduating high school.” Research also shows that school attendance has a profound and measurable impact on young people’s lives by directly influencing their engagement, academic success, and ability to graduate high school. High school graduation is critical for students to successfully transition to college or the workforce, which can positively impact their future earning potential by upwards of $800K. A successful path from cradle to college to career makes a powerful difference for each and every student.
Zone 126 has been successful in its efforts to date by embodying and upholding the Elmezzi Foundation’s long-standing belief that all people—regardless of their environment or circumstance—are entitled to pursue their dreams and be contributing members of society. This success is evident through the following: improved graduation rates at Long Island City High School (LICHS). In 2010 (prior to Zone 126’s formation in 2011), LICHS’s graduation rate was 56.2%. Over 12 years of partnership, the school’s graduation rate has risen to 82% (2022), a testament to Zone 126’s efficacy in working collaboratively to increase student attendance and graduation rates. In addition, LICHS, long considered a “dropout factory,” was designated a School in Good Standing in 2019.
To learn more about Zone 126, you can visit their website at www.zone126.org.