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Last updated on August 27, 2007

The DOME, an acronym for Developing Opportunities through Meaningful Education was founded in 1973 to challenge the myriad threats to youngsters who had fallen through the cracks of the traditional school system by creating an alternative school program. Since it’s beginning, The DOME Project has dedicated itself to meeting the complex needs of young people in trouble with the law, their schools, and themselves. For over thirty years, The DOME has built a staff and service network that has successfully helped thousands of young people to succeed and develop the necessary skills to regain a sense of self-worth and prepare for success in their education and beyond.

Description:
The mission of The DOME Project is to assist young people who are economically, socially, and academically challenged to focus on their education as a means to success. Our overall goal is to provide youngsters with alternatives to the negative pressures they face every day in their communities and to help them develop a healthy, positive sense of themselves as individuals who can thrive in society.

In order to meet these goals, The DOME has evolved since 1973 into a multi-faceted youth organization operating the following programs that are free and available to at-risk and disadvantaged youths from New York City.

The Juvenile Justice Program, an extraordinarily successful and cost-effective effort that provides young people with counseling, court advocacy, job preparation and guidance toward educational and vocational opportunities to both prevent at-risk youth from involvement with criminal activity and keep young offenders from repeat deviant behavior. The Academic Tutoring Program continues to serve our traditional population of disadvantaged youth with distinct educational needs by pairing youths with a volunteer tutor for supervised subject specific academic sessions. Program participants receive highly individualized educational support from their volunteer tutor often more rigorous and challenging than the work the student receives in school. The College Prep Program successfully assists many students in gaining entry to colleges and prep schools through intensive academic support services.

History:
It began in 1973 with a phone call from a truant teen in trouble. From this plea for help, youth center volunteer John Simon started an alternative classroom where school drop-outs like Lee could go for educational support and guidance to re-focus their lives. That first year, one of the tasks the youngsters completed was a unique science project, the construction of a geodesic dome. It became a fitting symbol for the multi-faceted youth organization that emerged. Since then, The DOME Project has grown into a diverse agency, which has rescued more than 15,000 young at-risk New Yorkers over the past three decades.

Contact people:

Jay Lewis, Executive Director, (212) 724-1780, (email) Elizabeth O'Connor, Director, Juvenile Justice Program, (212) 724-1780, (email)

Office fax number: (212) 724-6982

Address:

486 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10024 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.domeproject.org

Directions:

By subway, you can take the 1/9 trains to 86th Street, walk south 2 blocks and 1 avenue east. Or take the B/C trains to 86 Street, walk 2 avenues west and 2 blocks south.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 1 train at 86th Street and Broadway,   Walk distance (in minutes): 5   Nearest Bus Stop: M11 at Amsterdam and 83rd Street, 0 minute walk

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