February 2025 Positive Change Recipient – Village at Ithaca

A Note from GreenStar:  Village at Ithaca was selected by GreenStar members to be among our twelve 2025 Partners for Change. Village at Ithaca is the February Positive Change recipient. Round Up your purchase at the Co-op to support their work! Village at Ithaca is a Cooperators in the Community Partner, too! Volunteer with Village and earn a discount on your purchases at GreenStar. Learn more here.

Village at Ithace
Village at Ithaca

Welcome to The Village at Ithaca: Building Equity and Community Together

With The Village at Ithaca, we are more than just an organization; we are a community dedicated to creating a fair and inclusive environment for youth and families in Tompkins County. If you’re hearing about us for the first time, we’re excited to share our mission, values, and programs with you.

Our Mission

The Village at Ithaca is a youth and family-centered organization in Tompkins County that addresses systemic injustice through responsive anti-racist programming and services to build an equitable and inclusive community.

We believe in the old saying: It takes a Village to raise, educate, affirm, and inspire a child. To achieve this, families need access to a wide range of resources and services. That’s where we come in—listening to the community, identifying needs, and creating programs that make a real difference.

Why Our Work Matters

Throughout 2024, The Village at Ithaca has felt the profound impact of racial injustice in Tompkins County. Systemic inequities continue to create oppressive learning environments, deny homeless youth and families access to adequate housing, and present significant barriers in transportation, among other challenges.

While 2020 saw a peak in focus on addressing systemic racism, 2025 has reminded us that the fight for racial justice is far from over. Black Lives still matter in 2025. The need for action remains as critical as ever, and our commitment to this work is unwavering.

Reclaiming and restoring racial equity involves a collective effort to dismantle the systems that perpetuate injustice. By addressing systemic inequities across education, housing, food justice, transportation, and more, we can build a future where racial equity is not just an aspiration but a reality.

We cannot sustain our Village without you. Join us today to reclaim and restore racial justice in Tompkins County.

Our Work: Programs That Matter

Here’s how we support and empower youth and families in Tompkins County:

Youth & Family Advocacy

Our advocacy programs address the unique needs of families in our community, providing support that ranges from navigating education systems to ensuring access to basic necessities. Programs include:

  • Individual Youth and Family Advocacy
  • Food and Household Good Delivery
  • Restoring Joy & Stolen Joy Project
  • Village Youth Board
  • Village Market
  • Youth Employment

Academic Support & Mentoring

We provide innovative, student-centered solutions to educational challenges. Highlights include:

  • Alternative Instruction
  • Youth-Driven Identity Groups
  • Our Seats for the Table
  • Breaking Ground Steppers
  • Village Circus
  • Brown Babes Braiding

Equity Report Cards: A Tool for Change

Equity is a measure of educational outcomes. Equity is a measure of educational outcomes.  Equity extends beyond the “level playing field” analogy and becomes the yardstick by which we measure the results of our educational system.  When our system is truly equitable, it will be impossible to predict the academic success of our children based on race, class, or disability.

Expanding Equity Across Tompkins County
In 2024, Cornell University scholars collaborated with The Village to expand Equity Report Cards to all six school districts in Tompkins County. This work combines publicly available data with qualitative research from Village youth to shine a light on inequities across the county.

The Equity Report Cards are more than just a tool—they are a call to action. We use these insights to advocate for systemic change, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.

System Change

We recognize that injustice is built into all major systems, from education to housing. Our programs aim to dismantle these injustices while empowering young people to lead the way.

  • Professional Development and Consulting on DEI
  • Public School Collaborative Equity Work
  • Village House Transitional Housing Program

Join the Village

Every child deserves a supportive environment to reach their potential, and every family deserves access to the tools they need to thrive. Whether you’re a parent, student, educator, or community member, we invite you to become part of our Village. Together, we can ensure every child in Tompkins County has the opportunity to thrive.

Stay Connected

To learn more about our programs or find ways to get involved, visit our website or follow us on social media @villageatithaca. Let’s build a brighter, more inclusive future—together.