Community Partners | SEL Programming | Community Resources | Continued Education
The district is a central hub of activity in the Cohoes community, particularly as it relates to educational and recreational opportunities available to children. We have a number of programs offered in collaboration with community agencies throughout the city.
Community Partners
Capital Roots
Capital Roots units bring fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables to local stores to make it easy and affordable to purchase fresh fruits and veggies for your family. More information is coming soon on where to obtain produce in Cohoes.
Capital Roots also travels around the Greater Capital Region in their famous Veggie Mobile! They park at the Cohoes Senior Center (100 Cayuga Plaza) every Wednesday from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
The veggie mobile accepts cash, check, EBT, Veggie Rx, WIC fruit and vegetable checks, Capital Roots sponsored certificates, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program Checks.
Cohoes Holiday Hope
Since 2014, the district has collaborated with the city and other community partners to offer ‘Cohoes Holiday Hope’ for families in need during the holiday season. The program offers families the opportunity to earn “holiday bucks” which they can use at the Holiday Hope store to purchase gifts.
Parents and guardians can earn “holiday bucks” by attending community events, workshops, and/or volunteering.
Families must first apply to be a part of the program and then can begin tracking their Holiday Bucks using the QR code inside the Info Sheet .
Parents and guardians are encouraged to get started by filling out an application for the “holiday bucks” program at their child’s open house in September. The Cohoes Holiday Hope store opens on Dec. 13, 1pm-4pm and Dec. 14, 9am-12pm and is located at the Vineyard Church – 121 Remsen Street, Cohoes NY.
Applications can be found at your child’s school, or at any of the participating agencies listed below.
- Albany Community Action Partnership – Cohoes outreach office
- Albany Community Action Partnership – Head Start: Ogden Mills
- Church of the Holy Trinity
- City of Cohoes – Dept. of Human Services/Youth Bureau
- Cohoes Bridges Out of Poverty
- Cohoes City School District
- Cohoes Housing Authority
- Connect Center
- Healthy Families/Parsons
- Mary’s Corner
- St. Ambrose Church
- United Church of Cohoes
- Vineyard Community Church
Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA & Exploring
Scouting provides youth with an opportunity to try new things, provide service to others, build self-confidence, and reinforce ethical standards. These opportunities not only help them when they are young, but carry forward into their adult lives. The skills they learn in Scouting help them overcome obstacles and challenges with courage and character throughout their lives.
- Cub Scout Packs are open to all boys and girls in grades K-5.
- Scouts BSA Troops are open to all boys and girls ages 11 through 17.
- Venturing Crews and Sea Ships is a co-ed program available to all youth ages 14 through 20.
- Exploring Posts is a co-ed program that focuses on career development, available to all youth ages 14 through 20.
For more information on finding a Pack, Troop or Crew near you, please visit BeAScout.org. Questions on Exploring Posts or other questions, contact the Twin Rivers Council, BSA at (518) 869-6436.
Future-Ready Pathways (Mentor Program)
The Future-Ready Pathways career mentors are encouraged to make a four-year commitment to working with students in the program for a few hours each month. Professionals from industries represented in one of the four pathways: Computers, Engineering and Technology; Health Science and Human Services; Early Childhood and Adolescent Education; and Business and Communications are needed. In-person, e-mail and phone conversations are expected in the contact time requirements.
Northern Rivers School-Based Behavioral Health Center
Since 2017, Cohoes Central School District has partnered with Northern Rivers to effectively support our students with behavioral health challenges. A fee-for-service licensed clinician provides counseling to students and families at our school-based behavioral health center, located at Cohoes Middle School.
Who is the clinic for?
The clinic is for any student K-12 in need of behavioral health counseling. Students must be referred by their doctor, and the clinic accepts insurance and Medicare. A clinical psychologist licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health will be available to see students during and after the school day, during school vacations and over the summer. Please call (518) 431-1650 to speak with an intake specialist.
What are “behavioral health disorders”?
Some examples of behavioral health disorders are: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, mood disorders, addiction, problems with controlling impulses, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and thoughts of suicide, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
How do I sign my child up to see the counselor?
First, talk to your child’s doctor and ask for a referral. If you’re having trouble or don’t know where to start, please reach out to your child’s school social worker. Please call (518) 426-2687 to speak with an intake specialist.
Michelle Donnelly at Abram Lansing
Kristie Calderon at Van Schaick
Amanda Regis at Harmony Hill
Elaine Flatow at Cohoes Middle School
Leni Ferner at Cohoes Middle School
Dana Del Genio at Cohoes High School
Angela Tommasini at Cohoes High School
Why is the clinic at Cohoes Middle School?
Research proves that students with access to behavioral health services in school-based health centers are 10 times more likely to seek care for mental health or substance abuse than those who do not.
The middle school provides a central location for students and their families within Cohoes to access supports much more easily than traveling to Troy or Albany, preventing them from missing more school time.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Programming
Children benefit from social-emotional learning (SEL) at any time, but today it’s especially important to help them develop the skills they need to connect and thrive.
K-8 Second Step®
Elementary (K-5)
The elementary years are the ideal time to nurture social-emotional competence and develop foundational learning skills.
Second Step® Elementary offers an evidence-based approach to social-emotional learning (SEL), with age-appropriate lessons that are easy to teach and fun to learn.
Middle School (6-8)
Middle school is a time of change, growth, and life lessons.
Second Step® Middle School helps students communicate and collaborate, solve problems, make good decisions, set and meet goals, and process their emotions —skills they’ll use in the classroom and in the future.
9-12 Positivity Project
Empower your students to build positive relationships and become their best selves in just 15-minutes a day. The Positivity Project empowers Partner Schools with the resources, strategy, and training to successfully teach students about positive relationships and character strengths.
About Us Links
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
Director of MTSS: Raychel Marcil
Phone: (518) 237-0100 ext. 2320
Community Resources
Attendance Works Website
Attendance Works is a national and state initiative that promotes equal opportunities to learn and advances student success by reducing chronic absence.
View the Attendance Works website.
Common Sense media
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
View the Common Sense Media website.
Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS)
Developing healthy coping strategies is not an innate ability and as children continue to grow, there are some ways parents and caregivers can assist in helping them obtain good mental health habits.
Learn about supporting mental health at home on the MHANYS website.
Resource Guide
This guide was created for families to have a listing of community resources at their fingertips. It includes the contact information for support staff in each school and an array of resources in our community and the surrounding areas.
View the Cohoes 2024-25 Community Resource Guide.
Stomp Out Bullying
Stomp Out Bullying is the leading national non-profit dedicated to changing the culture for all students.
Continued Education
High School Equivalency (formerly known as GED) classes are open to students 17 years or older who lack a high school diploma and have left school. Instruction is done by a certified teacher who works with students to overcome their challenges so they can successfully pass the exam.
Learn more about Continued Education on the Capital Region BOCES Adult Education page.