The Circle Keepers inherit “Integrate NYC”
After a decade of championing youth-led initiatives to desegregate New York City schools, IntegrateNYC’s operations as an independent non-profit organization will conclude by the end of this year. We are excited to share that IntegrateNYC, has entered into discussions to merge into our rising ally, The Circle Keepers.
If the merger is completed, Circle Up, will continue to serve as an organizational plaintiff in our active lawsuits, and maintain an archive website. In 2021, IntegrateNYC sued the state of New York for perpetuating segregation and violating the New York State Constitution and Human Rights Laws. To learn more about the lawsuit, contact co-counsel at hello@peerdefense.org.
“Over the last ten years, Integrate's efforts have evolved into many forms — a high school school advisory in the South Bronx, a citywide Youth Council, a nonprofit organization, and now an ecosystem of organizations working together for education justice. We will continue to nurture an emergent strategy that centers youth leaders to build a more equitable education system both in and outside of the courts."
- Sarah Medina Camiscoli, IntegrateNYC founder, and co-counsel with Peer Defense Project
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the hundreds of incredible young people who, over the last decade, who have lent their voices, time, and hearts to reinvigorate the city’s school desegregation movement. Their contributions will never be forgotten, and we remain proud of the social justice advocates they have become.
We offer our humble thanks to the many adult allies who lent their time and talent to supporting the young people of IntegrateNYC, and the hundreds of individual donors whose financial gifts helped make our work possible. We also recognize key institutional partners and funders without whom our work would not have been possible. Our generous funders have included: Brooklyn Org, New York Foundation, New York Community Trust, North Star Fund, William T. Grant Foundation, Rocking Moon Foundation, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Echoing Green, Annenberg Foundation, and the Edward W. Hazen Foundation.
Our awesome organizational partners include: Peer Defense Project, New York Appleseed, Teens Take Charge, YVote, Bro/Sis Sol, Urban Youth Collaborative, YA-YA Network, Restorative Justice Initiative, Alliance for Quality Education, National Coalition on School Diversity, Brown’s Promise, Youth Power Coalition, Racially Just Public Schools, Dignity in Schools, and our hosts for the past several years, the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative at the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools at NYU. These organizations all do incredible work, and we are honored to have partnered with them over the past decade.
