Say Yes Buffalo

Congratulations to our latest cohort of Leadership 201 graduates: Shara Armprester, Jamil Crews, Levi Galbreath, Keira Grant, Andrea Guzman, Sarah Hanley, Ericka Heary, Michael Palazza, and Icheiry Rivera. We are a better and stronger organization with your experience and leadership!

Yesterday, our School-based Services team hosted a day of fun and community at Johnnie B. Wiley stadium for the families we serve and support. We had a great turnout as we offered free haircuts, hair care, manicures, and gave out hundreds of Pancho's Packs (back-to-school supplies) courtesy of The Teacher's Desk.

Now Enrolling!

Is your child three or turning three? Do you live in the City of Buffalo and have an active daycare subsidy?

Say Yes Little Scholars is now enrolling for the 2026–2027 school year! Our free three-year-old Pre-K readiness program helps prepare your little scholar for a successful start to school.

Fill out the screener today to see if your child is eligible!

We're excited to announce that Gannon University in Erie, PA has joined the Say Yes compact, meaning that they will offer full tuition scholarships to an unlimited number of students with a household income under $75,000! We welcome Gannon to the compact of over 200 participating public and private institutions offering support to Say Yes students from Buffalo, Syracuse, and Cleveland!

Outtakes from a glorious Saturday celebrating Puerto Rican and Hispanic Heritage in Buffalo 🇵🇷🇲🇽🇻🇪🇨🇴🇩🇴

Say Yes Buffalo is proud to celebrate the apprentices who have completed Say Yes Buffalo’s Modern Youth Apprenticeship Program! These young professionals have successfully completed the requirements of the multi-year earn-and-learn program and are taking exciting next steps along their career and college pathways. We are proud to recognize the accomplishments of:

• Kayden Evans, Culinary Apprentice, Delaware North, Cohort 2
• Abdorrahim Fadel, Human Resources Apprentice, Say Yes Buffalo, Cohort 2
• Paw Gay Kler Thaw, Business Operations Apprentice, Wegmans, Cohort 2
• Antonio Hatch Jr., Emergency Roadside Assistance Technician Apprentice, AAA of Western and Central New York, Cohort 2
• Dasani Simmons, Data Entry Apprentice, Say Yes Buffalo, Cohort 2
• Ronique Johnson, Teller Apprentice, NBT Bank, Cohort 3

We also celebrate the accomplishments of the following apprentices from our newest cohort who completed Apprenticeship University, 4 weeks of paid foundational professional skills development:

• Ki’Niyah Brown, Culinary Apprentice, Delaware North
• Jalina Griggs, Culinarian Apprentice, Rich Products
• Vuvu Genovie Malundama, Program Coordinator Apprentice, M&T Bank
• Rehema Nakongaba, Customer Service Apprentice, M&T Bank

We look forward to watching all of our apprentices continue to grow and contribute on their pathways!

Click here to learn more about our workforce development programs: sayyesbuffalo.org/workforce

Ready to Level Up Your Future? Join Say Yes Buffalo’s 5-week Skill up for Success soft skills development program for 18–24-year-olds!

The program runs on the following dates from 9AM-12PM: 8/25, 8/31, 9/14, 9/22, 9/29

Workshops are held in person at Say Yes Buffalo (1166 Jefferson Ave. Suite A, Buffalo) and will cover:
• Resume and cover letter building
• Career Exploration (learn more about in-demand careers)
• Foundational professional skills (like time management, communication, problem-solving, and more!)
• Networking

Eligibility:
• Ages 18-24
• Graduate of a Buffalo public or charter school
• City of Buffalo Resident

Click the link to apply today!
https://www.cognitoforms.com/SayYesToEducationBuffalo/SkillUpForSuccessProgram

A huge thank you to our friends from Buffalo Prep for leading a motivating workshop on Teamwork, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking for Cohort 5 apprentices during Apprenticeship University (AU). David Johnson and Kenneth Vargas guided the apprentices on principles of problem solving and collaboration which culminated in a timed activity where apprentices worked together to plan a stable structure out of spaghetti sticks, marshmallows, and tape. Each team member demonstrated their unique leadership strengths as they planned, communicated, and executed their story telling and design. We are looking forward to watching Cohort 5 put their developing skills to use in their new roles!

We extend gratitude to the supervisors of the new cohort of apprentices in Say Yes Buffalo’s Modern Youth Apprenticeship (MYA) program for taking time to visit the apprentices during Apprenticeship University last week. Through guided ice breaking activities, apprentice/ supervisor teams learned more about their counterpart’s communication, collaboration, listening, leadership, and learning styles while also getting to know more about each other on a personal level.

Apprentices and supervisors also engage in defining the ‘Why?’ of their participation in the Modern Youth Apprenticeship program. This is a declaration they will refer to in challenging times and to help create goals for development.

We extend a special thank you to cohort 4 apprentice Xavier Reed for attending on behalf of Rich Products.

We are excited to watch these relationships continue to blossom in the coming months!

# earnandlearn