Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: The Circle Keepers
Legal Name (if Different): Circle Up! Youth Restorative Justice Arts Inc.
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 80 Winthrop Street V6
City: Brooklyn
State: New York
Postal Code: 11225
Main Phone: 646-207-3996
Main Fax:
Organization Website: https://www.thecirclekeepers.com/
Employer ID Number: 99-1296105
Organization Tax Status: 501c3

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: 4/28/2025
Requested Amount: $10,000

Project Title: The Circle Keepers Youth Fellowship
Project Description:

Funds will support the 2026 cohort of the The Circle Keepers Fellowship for New York City public school youth. Like all The Circle Keepers’ work, this fellowship is aimed at dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline using restorative justice teachings. “Restorative justice” is a paradigm shift away from school disciplinary policies and towards tenets of accountability, engagement, dignity, voice, agency and restoration when addressing interpersonal harm in schools.

Our staff of educators, youth mentors and teaching artists will train 15 youth from grades 6-12 as peer mediators and community organizers, teaching them to facilitate community-building circles and cultural events about restorative justice. Youth will also be trained in conflict resolution mediation protocols and intervention stemming from day-to-day interactions among peers and school staff. Finally, we will train youth as educators, helping them to create videos, podcast episodes, and social media posts about restorative justice and issues that affect them in school. In the second half of the fellowship, youth also co-facilitate 5-8 restorative justice training sessions for approximately 500 other students and 100 educators in local public schools.

The fellowship will be offered twice-weekly over the 2026 academic year (September-June) and include economic stipends for participating students. These stipends help to ensure that our students (who are majority low-income) do not face a barrier to access due to missing work or requiring additional transportation.

Though The Circle Keepers incorporated as a nonprofit in 2024, our leadership team has offered these fellowships since 2017. Through post-fellowship surveys, students overwhelmingly report that our programming makes their school experience more meaningful, helps them become school leaders, and provides them with meaningful opportunities to act on social justice issues. Furthermore, our programming helped reduce suspensions by 95% when implemented in one Manhattan school.

This grant would support stipends for ten participating fellows in the 2026 academic year.

Total Project Budget: $45,650

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Brooklyn Borough President- $5,000 (committed) Rose & Wagner Foundation – $15,000 (committed) Council Member Shahana Hanif – $5,000 (committed) Hasnen Family Foundation – $10,000 (potential)

Project Duration: 10 months
Geographical Area Served: New York City
Age Group To Be Served: 12-18

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mr.
Contact First Name: Martin
Contact Last Name: Urbach
Contact Title: Executive Director
Contact Phone: 646-207-3996
Contact Email: hello@thecirclekeepers.com