SAYA

In 1996, a youth organization named SAYA was formed to help students and create a safe space for everyone. Now in 2024, they started one of their programs here in Hillcrest to help students with their college decision making and after school “career and college discovery” club which is open and encouraged to all students. Because of their programming during school hours, I, the Crest journalist, got the opportunity to directly interview the staff. 

SAYA is a Youth Development Organization. They offer College Access & Leadership Programming to High School students across the boroughs. You can find SAYA here at Hillcrest High School, High School for CTEA, Thomas Edison High School, and Richmond Hill High School. They also have a Center in Elmhurst where we serve both High School and College aged youth. 

This school year, they supported the 12th grade class during college application season. This spring, they are doing advisory drop ins to 9th and 10th grade, giving early post-secondary (early college access) workshops. In their workshops, they cover email etiquette, the importance of maintaining your GPA, time management, and college and career discovery. They also discuss the importance of knowing all of your options after high school (college, trade school, gap year, etc.). They want to stress that all of these options are equal, and one is not favored over the other. They want students to have all of the information so that they can choose the path that best fits their lives, and understand that they have the freedom of choice.

SAYA’s main goal is to foster a sense of community for each and every youth. Here at Hillcrest, SAYA’s main goal is to provide students with postsecondary education (which means education about all of your options after high school) so that they can utilize all the information given to them in order to make an informed decision for themselves when the time comes. 

On Tuesdays, they are available for you to drop in anytime, from 8am-4pm in 280F. On Wednesdays SAYA hosts a College & Career Discovery Club afterschool from 2:20 pm-4:00 pm.

Their message upon asking if they have anything to say to readers was “We welcome all students and teachers to drop by and say hi sometime!”

There was an overnight college trip hosted by SAYA where Hillcrest students were given the opportunity to attend and experience firsthand what it would feel like to be a college student. 

The closest Saya center for the students who live in Queens 

54-05 Seabury Street Elmhurst, NY 11373.