Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. At United Way of Long Island, we help children get off to a good start and empower youth to reach their full potential by breaking down barriers to success. We advance what works, including early childhood education, literacy development, access to a high-quality K-12 education, enrichment opportunities like after-school and summer programs, college and career readiness, and family engagement, fostering a future where every young person can realize their dreams.
YouthBuild
YouthBuild Long Island is a signature program of United Way of Long Island, dedicated to changing the path of Long Island's youth by addressing the core issues facing low-income communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development.
At YouthBuild, men and women ages 16-24 work toward their GED High School Equivalency Diploma while learning essential job skills. The program currently serves the Village of Hempstead, and Wyandanch communities.
Stuff-A-Bus
United Way of Long Island’s “Stuff-A-Bus” program provides vital school supplies for kindergarten through 5th grade students across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Education is an essential building block to unlocking a student’s potential and achieving financial success. For many Long Island families, the cost of buying school supplies can be a significant burden. By providing backpacks and school supplies, United Way sets students up with the proper tools for academic success while increasing the economic opportunity of students’ families.
Scholarships & Memorial Funds
Since its inception in 2002, United Way of Long Island has awarded scholarships and/or grants, in the areas of Academics & Enrichment, totaling more than $1,000,000.
Summer Youth Employment Program
United Way of Long Island is proud to run the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) funded by Bank of America, which provides high school and college students from diverse Long Island communities, with paid internships and hands-on career training. Students, ages 14-23, are employed with various non-profit host agencies in communities throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties during summer months.