My Nonprofit Reviews

Launched with good intentions and scant resources, I had realistic (low) goals for Uptown Stories when I first heard about it five years ago. I signed up my then-10-yr old for a poetry class hoping he'd make a new friend, encounter a poem passed over in his public school, or simply enjoy the small-group lessons.

Happily, the experience has far exceeded my (and his!) expectations. Over the last five years, Uptown is the one independent extra-curricular organization I have returned to again and again for my son. He has bonded with a dozen kids from both his school and the neighborhood (they communicate outside the Uptown class on a regular basis), found a supportive platform for self-expression before and during the pandemic, and has been inspired by a dynamic, creative teacher who upended his cynicism toward formal education. Now 14, he assumes meeting with a diverse group of girls and boys outside of school to discuss, deconstruct, and write poetry is a part of his weekly schedule and life.

Uptown has also worked hard to become an asset to our NYC neighborhood, standing firm in its mission to be inclusive and maintain a "pay what you can" tuition model that is a financial burden but keeps its doors open to all. I couldn't be happier about the quality of the program for my son and our community.