Tucked inside Cardozo near the student cafeteria is a room known to many as “Common Ground.” The lounge-like space provides students with an alternative place to go when they have a free period or a lunch period and do not wish to go to the library or the lunch room. While several students frequent Common Ground, not everyone knows about what it is or how it became part of Cardozo’s community.
Common Ground is part of a larger program called “Commonpoint,” a community center with locations all over Queens and Long Island. What began as the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck, quickly turned into a program that reaches all over New York. Commonpoint has several programs specific for young kids and young adults such as education like nursery and pre-school, summer camps, teen programs, and even volunteer opportunities. They offer workshops, social events, holiday gatherings, and programs that create diverse and communal experiences for people.
At Cardozo, Common Ground is a space that gives students a break. “Students can participate in activities based on college-career readiness and also learn more about money and really just adult life topics,” Ms. Puja, who works for Common Ground, explained. “As well, we help with mental health and managing their emotions, while also they look at the academic portion of it and look at how students can improve within their classes.”
Common Ground began in 2020, as a way to provide mental health services to students in New York City Public Schools.
“ The main goal of Commonground is to work with students to academically succeed in school and come to school more often, in terms of improving attendance,” Ms. Puja added. “Another goal is to increase college and career readiness. I’d say that their goal is to connect students with job opportunities.”
Some of the skills that the people who work for Commonground help with are homework help, mental health resources, job opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and even helping students find their path after high school. Navigating these things can be very confusing for teens and having a place where they can go and work through these issues or these stresses can be beneficial.
Ms. Puja went on to explain that Commonground is really here at Cardozo to help students become “better at managing things like their mental health” and everyday pressure of being a teenager and a student. This includes helping them manage their emotions and also making good decisions while they are in high school and even after.
Another thing that the program does is help students connect to scholarship opportunities for college. Commonpoint, the program that helps sponsor Commonground, is a place where teens can volunteer and even work, and some of this helps bridge the gap for many opportunities for teens.
The program is open to all students, but does require them to sign up at the start of the year when their recruitment program is open. “Students who sign up for the program are allowed to come during their lunch period or after school,” Ms. Puja said. They also are then qualified for field trip opportunities, as well, for being part of the program, which is another benefit for students.
If students are interested in joining the program, they can ask their guidance counselor at the beginning of the school year for the enrollment form so that they can get more involved in the program for that year.
