liberty partnerships program

December 16, 2019

The Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) launched its new website and brand on November 18, 2019, with an intentional focus on the deep and positive impact their work has on supporting NYS students who are at risk of dropping out of school.

The website heavily features the success stories of LPP alumni who have benefitted from its social-emotional, academic, family, and professional development services and gone on to either complete higher education or find meaningful employment. Additionally, the site highlights the enormous growth of the program as it has developed over the past 30 years of service to New York State. Now with 46 sites in partner schools across 10 regions of the State, LPP supports more than 15,000 students per year.

“As we embarked on the website rebranding project,” says Amy Humphrey, LPP Marketing Committee Co-Chair “we knew we wanted the attention to be on our students and alumni. Their hard work and continued engagement in LPP is what drives us forward and inspires the work we do every day.”

Founded in 1988 with the first cohort starting in 1989, LPP supports students through a broad range of programming and one-on-one sessions focused on social-emotional, academic, and personal/professional development to encourage retention. It aims to engage students holistically, giving them the tools they need to succeed and supporting them in all aspects of life, including family dynamics. With the ultimate goal of helping them graduate from high school and either pursue higher education or join the workforce, LPP is using its new website to focus on program outcomes, highlight select alumni accomplishments, and focus on the strengths of its current participants.

Along with the new web presence, Liberty Partnerships Program is proud to announce the 30 for 30 campaign that encourages alumni to share their stories with the public and inspire investments in the future of students. The organization is asking potential donors to contribute in increments of $30 in recognition of 30 years of service to students throughout New York State. LPP seeks to demonstrate the significant impact their services have, not only on individual students, but on the NYS educational landscape and society as a whole. All funds donated will go to Friends of Liberty, a 501c3 dedicated to supporting NYS LPP’s mission.

“We continue to see an increased number of students in need of these services to help make it to graduation,” says Lisa Kulka, President of the Friends of Liberty “By raising both funding and awareness of the need, we are investing in the next 30 years of students’ social-emotional, academic, and professional growth.”

The Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) was established in 1988 under Section 612, Subdivision 6 of the Education Law to address the significantly elevated, high school dropout rate among New York’s youth. The authorizing legislation stated, “the failure of many young New Yorkers to complete their secondary education limited their opportunity for a life of fulfillment, prevents them from advancing into postsecondary education and hinders the State’s efforts to provide a well-trained workforce for business and industry in New York.”
The Program is included in the New York State Education Department’s Statewide Plan for Higher Education as part of its strategy to maximize the successful transition of middle and high school students who are at risk of dropping out of school into graduates who are fully prepared for the rigors of higher education and the competitive demands of the workplace.

For more information on Liberty Partnerships Programs, contact Lisa Kulka at lkulka@buffalo.edu or visit their new website at https://libertypartnerships.com/.