The Pinkerton Foundation

10/16/2025

This week, Vinny Schiraldi joined The Imprint Weekly’s Senior Editor John Kelly for a conversation on how his early years shaped his journey to becoming a leading voice for justice reform. In part one, Vinny reflects on his Brooklyn adolescence, his first job working with youth in a New York group home, and the mentors and moments in the field that challenged and changed him.

Don’t miss part two of Vinny’s story next week — and learn more about the newest member of the Pinkerton team in the podcast episode here: https://safecampaudio.org/episode/the-life-and-times-of-vinny-schiraldi-part-one/

10/07/2025

It’s called “Summer Melt.” The phrase describes what happens when high school graduates who’ve been admitted to college simply fail to show up in the fall. What can be done to reverse the trend? One New York City program has produced promising results: ensuring that more students start college and, even better, persist once they are there. We’re proud to publish Reimagining the Summer after High School through Career-Connected Learning. Written by our colleagues at CARA and CUNY’s School of Professional Studies, the report introduces the Summer College and Career Intensive, an innovative program that turns the summer after high school graduation into a launchpad for college success. By combining paid summer employment, college coursework, career-connected learning, and orientation to college life, Summer CCI prepares students to step more confidently into college.

Read the report here:

The summer between high school graduation and the start of college is a significant but often overlooked moment, especially for students from low-income households and those who are the first in their…

09/30/2025

Last night, Pinkerton president and CEO Rick Smith received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the American Museum of Natural History, honoring his leadership of the foundation and its role in launching the NYC Science Research Mentoring Consortium. To date, 5,500 high school students have completed a program that includes rigorous academic training and work on an authentic research project. Smith was joined in celebration by AMNH President Sean Decatur and Pinkerton's Laurie Dien and Jennifer Negron, both key players in the consortium's success.

Congratulations to all the 2025 graduates of the Richard Gilder Graduate School!

Photo credit: A. Keding/© AMNH

09/24/2025

Pinkerton grantee UpBeat NYC was recently featured on the TODAY show for its inspiring work providing free after-school music education to young people in the South Bronx. Founders Liza and Rich Miller are joined by former student Krystal Ortiz to discuss the program's impact with TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager and Tom Llamas.

Watch the segment here:

UpBeat NYC is an after-school program located in the South Bronx which offers free music education and mentoring to students in the community. The founders of the non-profit, Liza and Rich Miller along with one of their former students Krystal Ortiz join TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and guest co-host ...

09/03/2025

Vincent Schiraldi, the former head of Probation and Corrections in NYC and a leading advocate for criminal justice reform, has joined the Pinkerton Foundation as a Visiting Fellow. “Vinny is a dedicated, innovative, outspoken, and sometimes controversial advocate for young people involved in the justice system,” said CEO Rick Smith. “We are delighted to welcome his strong voice and good heart to Pinkerton.”

Read the full press release here: https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/news/vincent-schiraldi-joins-pinkerton-foundation

06/02/2021

In an interview with Adam Bryant of the Exco Leadership Group, Pinkerton trustee Roy Weathers shared insights on the power of mentoring, the importance of cultural dexterity, the danger of being paralyzed by trying to be perfect, and his "8-second clock" for gauging relationships.

Roy Weathers, vice chair of PwC and chief executive of CEO Action for Racial Equity, shared powerful lessons for our interview series with prominent Black leaders.

12/16/2019

Calling Sister Paulette LoMonaco a "New York treasure," the Pinkerton Foundation has announced a $2 million grant to Good Shepherd Services in honor of her fifty years of leadership of the social service organization that, as Pinkerton CEO Rick Smith put it, "goes where the needs are the greatest" to serve youth and families in need.

12/06/2019

NY Times’ Sports section recently lead with a piece on Row New York, a wonderful Pinkerton-supported program that combines the discipline and teamwork of rowing with strong academic support to help city teenagers prepare for college and life. No phony rowers here!

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/sports/she-wants-to-row-to-get-from-nyc-into-college.html

12/20/2018

Earlier this year Visiting Fellow Steven Dawson authored a series of articles that outlined a new strategy for workforce development. Those Pinkerton Papers prompted a vigorous discussion and were highlighted in a Washington Post column by E.J. Dionne Jr. Reflecting on the debate, Steven finds something important is missing: a recognition of the field’s own class biases. Read “Class Dismissed”at www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/paper_type/job-quality-series

It’s a matter of social and political decision-making — and choices by employers to see their workers as assets, not just costs.

11/27/2018

NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering is one of the sites for Pinkerton’s science research mentoring program for talented high school students from under-resourced neighborhoods. Rick Smith recently toured the Tandon “Maker Space” where NYU students demonstrated the use of 3-D printers to create prosthetics for children and another team described their work on a light, fast and durable off-road vehicle.

11/20/2018

The Pinkerton Foundation is the proud sponsor of an internship program that pairs young people in foster care with mentors from the non-social-service parts of their agencies. The interns learn valuable lessons about work and life, and the mentors contribute in a very personal way to their agency’s mission. Eight of New York’s leading foster care agencies have joined the program. We’re eager to spread the word to other cities.

11/14/2018

The “credible messenger mentoring” movement is spreading far and wide. Pinkerton’s Julie Peterson, a pioneer in recognizing the value of mentors who come from similar backgrounds to the young people they serve, just returned from a Credible Messenger Summit in Washington, D.C., where over 150 people from across the country shared how the movement is building. Here’s a link to Julie’s work on the subject, https://lnkd.in/dRmhixF.