Accelerate NYC Leadership Summit ? March 1, 2025 Highlights

Leaders from twelve community and faith-based organizations gathered at St. John's University for the Accelerate Leadership Summit hosted by the Office of Equity and Inclusion.  

Their goal: catalyzing transformational partnerships that make New York City public schools better schools and students better students.

ACCELERATE: OAKLAND ❤️ 25/01/25

WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME WE HAD IN OAKLAND at the ONE-DAY ACCELERATE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT!

The room was filled with community leaders, youth advocates, pastors, youth workers, and educators — along with individuals eager to learn how to get started.

A huge thank you to Jeremy Del Rio, Tara Bollinger-Oksuzler, Demorea Evans, Benita Hopkins, and all the volunteers and facilitators for sharing your invaluable leadership and insight. Thank you 23rd Avenue Church of God for hosting so graciously!

We are so grateful!

Video by @itsimani

With assistance from our arts education programs at Thrive Collective, School Partners USA has catalyzed and supported nearly thirty public art murals (and counting) in California, Maryland, Texas, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, along with 600 in New York City. Enjoy our growing Murals Portfolio here. Preview SPUSA projects below.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at School Partners USA and Thrive Collective.

* Art by Kekoa

The current issue of “On the Level” magazine features Thrive Collective’s launch of School Partners USA as a case study in multicity collaboration. Here’s a fun excerpt, from their interview with Jeremy Del Rio:

The success of the multicity collaboration also meant that resource networking would necessarily take on a new dimension. Jeremy finds it helpful to think of that in two parts. He explains, “Networking starts by asking, ‘Who do you know?’ As you cultivate those relationships, build your tribe with those whose passions align with your own.” Jeremy also cautions against spending too much time commiserating. “At some point, people get tired of just talking about problems or dreaming about solutions. Translating that shared commitment into a project, event, or initiative gives the relationship fuel. People want to know that their time investment adds value.”

To be able to resource well, leaders must clearly define what they feel compelled to do, break that down into its component parts, and then ask, “Where do I get that stuff?” Jeremy has often found that within his network, he was a lot closer to what he needed than he realized. As the organizations grew and he began to seek funding beyond grassroots donors, he found it helpful to diversify funding sources to include local institutions, businesses, churches, civic associations, and government.

We took the inaugural Accelerate One Day Leadership Summit to San Diego on September 14. Special thanks to Vision Church San Diego for hosting the event. After the summit, we dedicated Concrete and Canvas' tenth mural in San Diego at Little Lambs Day Care Center. The mural was designed and led by artist Diana Orozco of Mexico.

On September 12, 2024, the inaugural Accelerate One Day Leadership Summit gathered in Dallas. Thirty leaders representing fifteen organizations serving fifty Dallas area schools explored why school partnerships matter and how they thrive. Inspired by stories from Jeremy Del Rio, Tara Bollinger, Fred Lynch, and others, participants gained insights on how to add value to schools and envision hope and opportunity in our communities. Collaboration, conversation and lunch from Cowboy Chicken made this an impactful day. Special thanks to our panel guests who shared their experiences in local schools.

Thrive Collective’s 600th mural came “RIGHT ON TIME” to celebrate Hoda Kotb’s 60th birthday with the Today show.

• Mural by Marissa Molina
• Project Management by Pelumi Ayeni
• Student Artists: Eli, Chris, Josh, Charlize, Aaliyah, John, Aaron, Henry, and CJ
• Mural painted at Loisaida Center.

One of Hoda’s favorite phrases was immortalized in a mural above the windows at Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center.

“It’s so perfect because whether it’s about becoming a parent, whether it’s about finding love, whether it’s about starting a second career, you’ve taught us all that life’s blessings truly happen right on time,” Craig Melvin told Hoda.

The mural depicts the phrase next to a drawing of tiny hands, representing Haley and Hope holding onto Hoda’s hand. …

The artwork was done by children from the Thrive Collective, a nonprofit responsible for murals throughout New York City with the goal of spreading hope and opportunity for their communities.

“That is so incredibly beautiful,” Hoda said. “Y’all are amazing.”

People magazine reported on the Today Show’s celebration of Hoda Kotb’s 60th birthday celebration. Of the “Right on Time” mural by Marissa Molina and Thrive students, reporter Dave Quinn wrote: “It was  a mural hung outside the Plaza that might mean the most.” He continued:

"Illustrated by Thrive Collective, a New York City nonprofit that connects artists with public schools students, the image features Kotb’s hand being held by two young hands, each wearing bracelets with the names of her two daughters, Haley and Hope.

"Next to it is the phrase “Right on Time,” which Kotb has adopted as a personal mantra over the years."

Full article here.

Catalyze thriving school partnerships at Accelerate. This one day leadership summit explores why school partnerships matter and how they thrive. Through inspiring stories, practical panels, and engaging peer learning, leaders will discover shared vision, values, and assets to build high trust partnerships. Actionable tools and strategic next steps will empower meaningful collaboration and real wins for students and schools.

• Learn the FACTS.
  F – Foundations | A – Assets | C – Case Studies | T – Tools | S – Supports
• Envision a “High Trust” TEAM.
  Fuel your partnership team by establishing a Resume of Trust.
• Create a PLAN.
  Customize a one-page Action Plan specific to your school.

STILL WE RISE ⇑ Thrive Collective’s first School Partners USA school mural project was completed on November 12, 2021, at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas. Local ABC Affiliate WFAA 8 featured the ribbon cutting on their newscast.

Art Direction by Michael McPheeters

Special Thanks to South Oak Cliff High School, Inspire School Programs, Tara Bollinger, Fred Lynch.

We are proud to officially welcome Mister Mural himself to the School Partners USA team as our first artist in Dallas!

Of the collaboration, artist Michael McPheeters says:

"I am so excited and humbled to be a part of @inspire_programs and @nycthrive after school mentoring program this fall semester!

"I will be working with students at SOC (South Oak cliff High-school) to design and produce a mural with them at the school. Meeting the students (my team) last week has got me really inspired and thinking about people that have motivated & influenced me in my life.

"People always ask me, 'When did you know you would be an artist?' I was in first grade probably eating some Elmers glue or something and I remember the teachers telling me to draw this shark that was on the cover of National Geographic, so I copied the picture. The drawing was entered into a competition that went up to 12th grade and … I won! Something clicked inside me mainly from the positive affirmation of those teachers. And I’ve never put a pencil down since."

Are you a Youth Worker in Dallas, Oakland, or San Diego looking to develop your leadership craft? Carlos Nicasio invites you to consider School Partners USA. Apply today.

Thrive Collective is bringing School Partners USA to Dallas, Oakland, and San Diego this year. Follow our adventures on Instagram and on Facebook @SchoolPartnersUSA.