Education & GED
Union Settlement - Adult Education
Manhattan
Free HSE exam prep, ESOL, digital literacy and career training (age minimums vary: most programs 21+, GED and digital literacy 18+); referrals to other services.
Education & GED in Manhattan
Education programs cover high school equivalency (GED) prep and testing, adult literacy, English classes, college access and programs that continue college work started in prison. Most adult education here is free.
Tip: if you earned credits, a certificate or a diploma while incarcerated, request your transcript from the facility or the college that ran the program, so you get credit for that work instead of repeating it.
Many citywide organizations also have their main offices in Manhattan, so a short subway ride can widen your options.
56 services based in Manhattan, plus 70 citywide
Based in Manhattan
Housing & Shelter
Covenant House New York
Manhattan
24-hour walk-in center and shelter for young adults: crisis care, shelter, transitional living, healthcare, job readiness, education support, legal services, outreach. Health and Wellness Center 212.613.0315.
Education & GED
Chinese-American Planning Council - Adult Literacy Program
Manhattan
Free ESOL classes plus job development workshops and support for students, part of CPC's broader services for immigrants and low-income New Yorkers.
Education & GED
Literacy Partners
Manhattan
Offers free English-for-parents classes and Spanish-language parenting programs for people with children ages 0-7, basic reading classes for all adults, and HSE prep for Bronx Community College students, both online and in person.
Benefits & Financial Help
The New York Public Library (NYPL) - Financial Literacy Services
Manhattan
Offers webinars and one-on-one help on budgeting, saving, investing, avoiding scams, and college financial planning. Its Budget and Credit Coaching program gives ongoing help with debt problems, and its Medicare Counseling covers enrollment, coverage, and drug plan costs.
Education & GED
Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) - Bard Microcolleges
Manhattan · Brooklyn
Full tuition-scholarship, accredited college program where students earn a Bard College Associate in Arts degree attending classes at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library or a location on 125th Street in Harlem, with faculty, tutors and academic advisors.
Family & Reunification
Children's Aid
Manhattan
Provides adoption and foster care, education, school- and community-based health clinics, Head Start classes, after-school/summer programs, and parenting and substance-use/teen-pregnancy prevention programs in high-need NYC neighborhoods. Also offers high school equivalency prep, job readiness, and housing assistance for youth in the Bronx and Manhattan.
Education & GED
Columbia Law School - Paralegal Pathways Initiative
Manhattan
A 12-week evening training program providing skills-based legal training and professional mentorship to formerly incarcerated people preparing for legal careers, covering legal research and writing, ethics, client interviewing, and civil litigation basics.
Substance Use Recovery
Exponents
Manhattan
Provides treatment and recovery services, education, and professional development for people affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use disorder, incarceration, and behavioral health challenges, through programs including drug treatment services, reentry services, and the Judith Loeb Chiara Recovery and Wellness Center. Letters of reasonable assurance are provided, and a crisis line runs 24 hours daily except Thursday.
Employment & Job Training
Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO)
Manhattan
A reentry program for young men ages 16-24 focused on education, employment, and emotional well-being; offers supportive counseling, educational support, vocational training, workforce development, technology like phones, and referrals to mental health, substance use, anger management, and emergency housing services.
Education & GED
Goddard Riverside - Options Center
Manhattan
College and post-secondary planning help: financial aid, scholarships, essays, campus visits, supplies, transportation, transfers and re-enrollment.
Family & Reunification
New York Foundling
Manhattan
Provides foster care, educational programs, mental health services, and community-based services for children, families, and adults; services for court-involved youth include intervention, alternatives-to-incarceration, and reentry services, plus a mental health clinic for youth and families and support such as counseling, case planning, and emergency food/supply assistance.
Employment & Job Training
Strive International
Manhattan
A work-readiness and job-placement program for people 18+, offering a job readiness workshop followed by hard-skills training in construction/maintenance or health/office operations, industry-recognized certifications, employer internships, and lifetime alumni support.
Education & GED
College & Community Fellowship (CCF)
Manhattan
Supports women with criminal legal system involvement in pursuing higher education or certification programs, offering a sisterhood community, resources, advocacy opportunities, financial assistance, and career guidance.
Education & GED
John Jay College - Pathways to GED Program
Manhattan
HSE classes for people with criminal legal system involvement; students receive daily meals, milestone incentives, a rented laptop and WiFi card.
Employment & Job Training
Justice Through Code at Columbia University
Manhattan
Free coding and career skills program for formerly incarcerated people with two AI career paths (Builder and Implementer).
Employment & Job Training
Streetwise Partners
Manhattan
Connects underemployed and unemployed New Yorkers with professional mentors, helping with resume writing, office and computer skills, interview prep, AI literacy, and personalized career roadmaps over a 13-week commitment.
Education & GED
SUNY - Student Success Initiative Program
Manhattan
Academic counseling and support for college enrollment and retention for formerly incarcerated and court-involved individuals, across SUNY's 64 campuses; first-year students are paired with a peer mentor and an academic counselor.
Housing & Shelter
WIN NYC
Manhattan
Provides shelter and supportive services for women with children in NYC, including job-readiness training, HSE classes, childcare, and college preparedness.
Family & Reunification
Social Justice Network (SJN)
Manhattan
Runs three programs for people impacted by incarceration: the Reentry Assessment Program connects currently incarcerated or transitional-housing residents to service providers; the Reentry Educational Program supports access to higher education; and the Family Assistance Program connects families of impacted individuals to clothing, food, mental health, and healthcare providers. Also runs a Comic Books for Justice literacy initiative in correctional facilities and NYC public schools.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Advocates for Children (AFC)
Manhattan
Advocates and works on behalf of children who are at risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English language learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile court systems.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Avenues for Justice
Manhattan
Alternative-to-incarceration program for court-involved youth with court advocacy, tutoring and mentoring.
Education & GED
Black & Pink NYC
Manhattan
Works toward prison abolition in solidarity with LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are incarcerated, on parole, or recently released in NY/NJ/CT. Services for incarcerated members include letter-writing, pen-pal matching, birthday and holiday cards; prison visits; quarterly chapter newsletters...
Education & GED
Columbia Center for Justice - Justice-in-Education Initiative
Manhattan
Free college courses at Columbia University for formerly incarcerated people.
Education & GED
Dorot
Manhattan
Provides cultural and educational enrichment services for adults ages 60 and over. Visit the website or email info@dorotusa.org for a list of ongoing programs.
Education & GED
Exalt Youth
Brooklyn · Manhattan
Education and paid internships for court-involved youth.
Employment & Job Training
Fedcap Rehabilitation Services
Manhattan
Offers comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities who are ages 18 and over and referred by ACCES-VR, the Commission for the Blind, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Provides business solutions and educational services.
Education & GED
Friends of Island Academy
Manhattan
Youth development, mentoring, education and job readiness for young people released from Rikers and other facilities.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS)
Manhattan
Provides counseling, therapeutic and recreational groups, referrals to housing, legal and educational resources, transitional housing, court advocacy, and peer mentoring for girls and women ages 12–29 who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and/ or domestic trafficking.
Employment & Job Training
Grace Institute
Manhattan
Tuition-free administrative and professional job training for women.
Education & GED
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) - NYC Chapter
Manhattan
Provides information, education, support, and advocacy for people with hearing loss. Visit the website for chapter meeting information.
Employment & Job Training
Henry Street Settlement - Workforce Development Center
Manhattan
Career counseling, job training and placement on the Lower East Side.
Mental Health & Counseling
Hetrick-Martin Institute
Manhattan
Youth center offering meals, counseling, education and job readiness for LGBTQ+ young people.
Housing & Shelter
Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI)
Manhattan
Provides free year-round programs and services for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 13–24 and their families.
Education & GED
How Our Lives Link Altogether (H.O.L.L.A!)
Manhattan
Conducts youth organizing training programs designed to build capacity for critical social analysis, community organizing, and healing. Programming includes an LGBTQI+ retreat center, political education, intersectional healing, and community organizing skillbuilding.
Education & GED
Institute for Justice and Opportunity (John Jay College)
Manhattan
Runs college-in-prison, Prison-to-College Pipeline, and reentry education and employment programs.
Education & GED
JBI Library
Manhattan
Provides Jewish-interest and other reading materials for people who are blind, visually impaired, or have a reading disability or a physical disability that makes it difficult to read a book or standard print. Audio books are available in multiple languages, including English, Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
Education & GED
John Jay College - Institute for Justice and Opportunity
Manhattan
College Initiative (college enrollment counseling and peer mentors), Career Pathways into human services, Tech 101 and Navigator Certificate.
Employment & Job Training
JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA)
Manhattan
Leadership training and advocacy organization run by people directly impacted by incarceration.
Employment & Job Training
New Pride Agenda (NPA)
Manhattan
An advocacy organization for LGBTQIA+ people.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR)
Manhattan
Immigration legal services and education in Washington Heights.
Housing & Shelter
NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)
Manhattan
Offers a wide range of programs for NYC youth including afterschool, community development, family support, literary services, youth services, youth workshop development, internships, and job placement. Services include vocational training, HSE preparation, and assistance with finding jobs and shelter.
Housing & Shelter
NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
Manhattan
Offers information and referrals in the areas of housing, transportation, discrimination, education, employment, health, Social Security, and services to the homebound. Multiple languages spoken.
Education & GED
NYU Prison Education Program
Manhattan
College courses in prison and a reentry program supporting students continuing their degrees after release.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Possibility Project - Youth Justice Program
Manhattan
A performing arts program open to NYC youth ages 15–21 who are or who have been involved in the legal system. Participants meet Mondays and Wednesdays during after-school hours from August through December.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Safe Passage Project
Manhattan
Offers help with the legal needs of indigent immigrant youth living in NYC. Provides representation for unaccompanied minors in immigration court and resources for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum, as well as other possible immigration alternatives for children.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Team TLC NYC
Manhattan
The Kindness Center provides resources and services for Asylum Seekers who have been in NYC five years or less, including legal assistance, enrollment in English classes, stress management, job readiness, Know Your Rights, reduced fare OMNY cards, health insurance information, school assistance, and free...
Education & GED
The Brotherhood/Sister Sol
Manhattan
Rites-of-passage, education and leadership programs for Black and Latinx youth in Harlem.
Healthcare
The Door
Manhattan
One-stop youth center with health care, legal help, education, job training and meals.
Education & GED
The New York Historical - The Citizenship Project
Manhattan
Offers citizenship courses to prepare permanent residents for the civics test portion of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization interview. Citizenship classes are taught in English and are accessible to English Language Learners.
Education & GED
The New York Public Library (NYPL) - Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
Manhattan
Provides reading materials for people who are blind, visually impaired, or have a reading disability or a physical disability that makes it difficult to read a book or standard print.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Unlocal
Manhattan
A community-centered non-profit organization that provides direct immigration legal representation and community education to NYC’s undocumented immigrant communities.
Education & GED
US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Manhattan
Provides near-comprehensive healthcare services to eligible military veterans at VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country, along with several non-healthcare benefits including disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance.
Employment & Job Training
Visions
Manhattan
Provides rehabilitation and social services to blind and visually impaired people of all ages to adjust to blindness and vision loss, lead independent lives, and obtain work.
Employment & Job Training
Year Up Greater New York
Manhattan
Tuition-free tech and business job training with paid internships for young adults.
Employment & Job Training
Year Up New York
Manhattan
Paid job training and corporate internships in tech and business.
Citywide services
These serve people from every borough, often by phone, online or at more than one office.
Education & GED
NYPL Free English Classes
Citywide
Free ESOL, ABE and English-for-Work classes in 10-week cycles.
Education & GED
NYC Public Libraries - Neighborhood Tech Help
Citywide
A joint program of NYC's three public library systems offering free, one-on-one tech support to help New Yorkers use devices, connect to the internet, set up online accounts, and build tech skills.
Education & GED
NYPL TechConnect
Citywide
Free computer-training workshops: internet basics, Microsoft Office, video chat, coding, online job searching.
Education & GED
NYS Department of Education - High School Equivalency (HSE)
Citywide
State office providing information on all pathways to a High School Equivalency diploma: application forms, eligibility, required documents and test sites. The call center gives recorded information Tue-Thu 10am-12pm.
Family & Reunification
SCO Family of Services
Citywide
Provides services to children, families, and adults, including therapeutic, educational, vocational, and supportive services for young adults on Rikers Island before and after release, Multi-Systemic Therapy for court-involved youth, foster care, early childhood education, and family/community services such as counseling, employment, and substance use treatment.
Education & GED
CUNY Adult Literacy Program
Citywide
Free ESOL, Basic Education and HSE/GED preparation classes at CUNY campuses.
Education & GED
NYC Department of Education - Adult Education
Citywide
Free basic education, ESOL and HSE test preparation for adults 21+ without a US high school diploma or equivalency, plus tuition-free career and technical education classes; some classes may have material/exam fees.
Family & Reunification
NYC Department of Education (DOE) - Infant and Toddler Programs
Citywide
Offers free or low-cost early childhood education for children ages six weeks to three years old who are not yet eligible for 3-K, including education, health, nutrition, and social services.
Family & Reunification
The Child Center of NY
Citywide
Offers counseling, substance use treatment, early childhood mental health and education programs (including Head Start and Early Head Start), and after-school and enrichment programs for youth in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The Jamaica Family Wellness Center serves court-involved youth, and the Benefits Access program helps families enroll in entitlement benefits and health insurance and get referrals for financial and legal assistance.
Education & GED
City University of New York (CUNY)
Citywide
26 colleges plus adult education (ESOL, HSE, college transition). Support page for students with conviction records.
Housing & Shelter
Thrive for Life Prison Project
Citywide
A faith-based organization offering housing, continuity-of-care support, and education for formerly incarcerated individuals at Abraham House and Ignacio House. Residents can access scholarships to partnering colleges and job-readiness and career-development support, plus help finding permanent affordable housing; a food pantry operates Saturdays at its Bronx location (340 Willis Avenue).
Education & GED
American Indian College Fund
Citywide
Scholarships for Native students at accredited nonprofit colleges.