2nd Annual No Excuses Young Men's Symposium,

Cory Johnson

A little about Cory: Cory Johnson is a Rochester Native and prides himself on giving back to the community of which he was raised. This includes being certified in Gang Intervention and Prevention as well as being certified in Project Safe Neighborhoods; and other evidenced base programs that enhance the wellbeing of not only youth but their families. Cory’s belief is that in order to restore the community (the village), you must first start with the family. His work with family engagement is what assisted in the success of the New Beginnings School, where he was Program Manager from its inception through Year 4. This school was program collaboration between the Center for Youth Services and the Rochester City School District for young men who had interactions with the criminal justice system and in need of support and transitional services. While in the Program Manager role, Cory was able to provide key strategies to these young men which helped to support their academic success and for many of the young men enrolled, they reached honor roll status as well as over 85% attendance, a first for many in their high school careers. The recidivism and incarceration rate for his program participants decreased significantly as he served in this role. He created opportunities for jobs, career training and higher education opportunities while solidifying stable and consistent relationships with these young men and making community connections to support his efforts. His involvement in the community greatly increased several years ago, upon serving on the Urban League Board of Directors. He was further called to action after tragically losing his younger brother to violence and after living through the tragic deaths of several former students, close friends and relatives. Mr. Johnson believed that God’s calling on his life was to make a difference in the lives of young men in order to create a stronger community, and to lessen the loss of young lives to violence and incarceration. He began working under Pathways to Peace and The Black Male Achievement Initiative while facilitating young men groups in the Rochester City School District as well as various programs and agencies throughout the City of Rochester. In addition to this he began individually mentoring young men helping them focus on life skills as well as working with their families with regard to health and wellness, making linkages to community agencies and organizations. Upon the opening of Vertus Charter School in 2014, a charter high school for young men, Mr. Johnson assisted in the recruitment and placement of the young men in Years 1 through 3 of this new charter. He has served as Recruitment Manager, formerly serving in the role of Dean of Student Culture and as Preceptor. Cory is currently the Crisis Intervention Specialist for The Center for Youth Services overseeing mentorship and life skills for youth at The Leadership Academy for Young Men. Always believing that an Educator's work goes beyond the school walls and the school bell, he makes himself available to students and families 24/7. Cory is also founder of ROC City 48 where he is recruiting mentors to work with young men from 9th grade through high school graduation (a 48 month commitment) He is also profiled as part of the feature story for the Spring 2017 edition of BreakThru Magazine’s: Men on The Move! In January 2018 he was awarded the Rochester Black Men Achieve Award for 2017 Distinguished Educator of the Year. He believes that while charity begins at home, one must always remember to teach our children the importance of giving back to their home-their community, in other words, "the village"-while teaching them about who they are and the importance of knowing their history as a compass of leading lives of purpose. He is an active member of Glory House International and His greatest pride and joy to date is his 17-year marriage to wife, Tanishia and father to their 5 children.