Zone 126 is a place-based, youth development organization working in the Astoria and Long Island City neighborhoods of Northwestern Queens—specifically a “Zone” encompassing zip codes 11101, 11102, and 11106, communities marked by concentrated pockets of poverty. It is the only organization in NYC squarely dedicated to reducing chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is a persistent challenge for students in public education, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. Every day of school attendance matters. Students who attend school regularly perform better academically, feel more connected, and are far more likely to graduate on time.
Zone 126’s mission is to combat chronic absenteeism by connecting underserved students to youth development programming that builds pathways to college, the workforce, and promising futures. It envisions a community in which all students have the support needed to participate in their education and pursue successful futures that break generational cycles of poverty.
The organization was founded in 2011 in response to a major community study called The Project 126 Report. Over 3,000 NYCHA public housing residents called for long-term, education-based solutions for their children. Over 15 years, Zone 126 has developed a program model that centers the whole student and addresses multiple school attendance barriers. This model is implemented in partnership with 5 local schools, 3 public housing developments, and 15+ community organizations. Annually, Zone 126 impacts 7,750 community members, including 4,250 students.
Zone 126 operates through three main program areas that work together to holistically support students by promoting their attendance and participation in school:
• Academic Success: After-school, arts & culture, leadership, college and career readiness, and mentorship programs.
• Student Wellness: Mental health and creative arts therapy offerings as well as physical health supports such as free vision and dental screenings.
• Community Action for Responsive Engagement (CARE): Food pantries, laundry services, and other basic-needs supports that set families and students up for success.
All programs are powered by partnership. While the Astoria/Long Island City neighborhoods enjoy an economic boom, the specific community that Zone 126 serves faces generational poverty. Each zip code within Zone 126’s catchment area is anchored by a NYCHA development, with whom it partners: Queensbridge Houses (11101), Astoria Houses (11102), and Ravenswood Houses (11106). Notably, Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in the USA.
Zone 126 partners with five NYC public schools in School District 30, all within walking distance of these NYCHA developments. School partners include PS 76Q, PS 112Q, PS 171Q, IS 126Q, and Long Island City High School (LICHS). 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 90% are students of color, 27% live in public or temporary housing, and 23% receive special education services. Chronic absenteeism affects over 60% of these students, which exceeds NYC’s already concerning 33% average—a rate that has risen significantly since pre-pandemic levels.
To complement its direct-service programs, Zone 126 collaborates with 15+ community organizations that deliver specialized and culturally responsive programs. Partners include: Camp Wilbur Herrlich, The Child Center of New York, Community-Word Project, Drone Cadets, Healthy Smiles, King of Kings Foundation, Little Flower Yoga, Optical Academy, and Repertorio Español, among others.
Annually, Zone 126 tracks clear benchmarks: improving year-to-date attendance for participating students (a 6% gain for at least 75% of students), reducing school-wide chronic absenteeism (3% target), maintaining strong graduation rates among participating seniors (75% minimum), achieving positive student survey outcomes (70% goal), and ensuring service to students living in public/temporary housing (85% goal). Data from an independent evaluator, Owen Consulting, shows that Zone 126 participants attend an average of 10 more school days per year than their peers, with the majority moving out of the chronically absent category. At Long Island City High School, graduation rates have risen from 66% in 2011 (prior to Zone 126 infusing services) to 81% today, a testament to the compounding impact of this work.
Zone 126’s model has earned broad recognition. The organization has been sought out by the Variety Boys & Girls Club, a cohort of 30 NYC Public School and U.S. DOE leaders, 2025 mayoral candidates, and peer organizations for its expertise in whole-student, attendance-centered strategies. Executive Director Dr. Anju J. Rupchandani—herself a formerly chronically absent student from the same school district who went on to earn 3 degrees—has personally presented on the matter for the Hispanic Federation, Governor Hochul, Promise Neighborhoods, and the SOMOS Puerto Rico Conference, among others.
For donors and funders, investing in Zone 126 means backing a community-driven, proven, and replicable model for solving one of the nation’s most persistent and consequential challenges in education.
