Personalized Paths Forward
For many young people, traditional education models don’t meet their needs. Not because they don’t care or aren’t capable of the work, but because what they need to succeed is something entirely different. At Vibrant’s Adolescent Skills Centers (ASC) that difference is not just acknowledged, it’s the foundation of the program.
Launched in the Bronx in 1999, with additional centers now in Manhattan and Queens, the ASC are not your average GED programs. They are safe havens—full of care, encouragement, and opportunity—for young people ages 16 to 22 navigating serious challenges. Our uniquely personalized, strengths-based approach equips each participant with the tools they need for economic self-sufficiency, emotional growth, and real-life success. It is not about fitting into a system. It is about creating a system that fits them.
Take Stiven for example, a 2025 graduate from ASC Bronx. When he first arrived, Stiven faced significant challenges that made it difficult to engage in school. As a trilingual student and the most fluent English speaker in his family, he often had to take on the role of translator and appointment manager when navigating English-only services. To Stiven, school felt like just another obligation.
“In many ways, that curtailed his adolescence,” explained Miss Jones, a NYC Department of Education teacher who worked closely with him. “He wasn’t allowed to have the kind of childhood he felt that he needed and deserved.”
Traditional classroom environments didn’t support the way Stiven learns best. He had trouble focusing, and reading-heavy instruction didn’t resonate with him. But once he joined ASC, our team worked to understand the ways he connected with material. With support from his case manager and Miss Jones, Stiven identified audio and visual learning methods that worked better for him. He also found something he hadn’t had before: an entire team ready to listen, encourage, and tailor support to his strengths.
“It was very hard to focus and be able to do the work most of the time. With Miss Jones, I was able to do that.”
What made the difference for Stiven was not just content delivery style, but connection. The ASC Bronx offered a flexible, welcoming environment designed to reduce stress and distraction. Miss Jones met with him in one-on-one settings where he could focus. There was no pressure to follow a preset path. Instead, his goals shaped the journey.
“[Miss Jones] supported me by me being able to feel open talking to her about these types of things and being able for her to find a way to teach me and move me forward.”
This past June, Stiven earned his GED. He is the first person in his family to get a diploma. He works full-time and has even helped his best friend to enroll at ASC, telling him, “they help you with whatever you need—jobs, education, everything.”
That’s what makes the Adolescent Skills Centers so extraordinary: our deep, unwavering commitment to the whole person and their individual goals. Whether a student completes a diploma, starts a job, enrolls in trade school, or needs support with emotional well-being, the ASC are there. No judgment. Just care.
“We don’t give up on people,” Miss Jones emphasized.
If you’re a young person in New York City looking for a personalized path forward—one that meets you where you are and assists you towards goals that you define—the Adolescent Skills Centers are here for you.
Services Include:
- Vocational Support: Career exploration, resume writing, job search assistance, interview skills, paid internships
- Educational Support: GED prep, tutoring, college/trade school guidance, application assistance
- Socio-Emotional Support: Short-term counseling, psychoeducational groups, neurofeedback, life skills training
Enrollment is open for next year. Reach out today, and take that first step toward the future you want to create.
For more information and access to our intake form, see our Adolescent Skills Center page.
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