About 

Justin Cook is known as a man with a tremendous gift for driving societal change. He is the Founder and Owner of UpliftingNY, a life-changing youth program that helps students from underserved communities. Magna cum laude graduate of Nyack College, Justin over the years has continually shown concern for such communities and focuses on preserving the present generation for the future. Justin is on a life-changing journey of raising a generation of purposeful individuals. In 2015, he was wrongfully convicted, leading to a twelve-year prison sentence, becoming a victim of systemic racism and the school-to-prison pipeline. He has the leading criminal case in the State of New York Supreme Court regarding Credibility vs. Reliability (PEOPLE V. COOK). In 2022, his conviction was dismissed. Before his dismissal, he published an essay on his experience with mass incarceration and prison education in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities Advance Magazine in the fall of 2022. He lectures on Recidivism at Columbia University and Hunter College.

Currently, NYC public schools are still using a teaching technique called Rote Learning, also known as “Drill and Kill”, a teaching process based on repetition and memorization. Though Rote learning alone was effective for students anticipating factory jobs decades ago, today’s job market demands more diversity and critical thinking skills, skills that allow students to creatively problem-solve. This is a national issue, especially in low-socioeconomic communities. Our YOUTH program and services focus on youth development in students, ages 10-19, and provide a creative approach to teaching. Consistent participation in youth programs is proven to reduce self-doubt, poor academic achievement, gang participation, violence, and drug use in participants. P.A.L., Police Athletic League is a testament to youth program effectiveness. However, communities that are targeted by police brutality or share a negative perception of authority, are hesitant to take advantage of their services. UPLIFTING NY is by the people, for the people, creative, and innovative!

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The Solution

We have found a solution to effectively teach the curriculum to students by incorporating the global phenomenon of escape rooms into our youth program. An Escape room involves being “voluntarily” placed in a room, solving a series of riddles, unlocking locks, and finding hidden clues to escape. They have become a much sought-after experience. Escape room puzzles include word games, numbers, pattern arrangements such as substitution ciphers, riddles, crosswords, Sudoku, word search, and mathematics; puzzles with physical objects include jigsaw puzzles, matchstick puzzles, and chess; and physical activities include searching for hidden physical objects, assembling an object, navigating mazes, or undoing a rope knot. Using several scenarios and challenges, the escape room creates an experience that is engaging, motivational, and educational for the participants. This experience can help students solve problems, communicate, adapt, and learn healthy behavioral qualities within a playful environment. 

 

Highlights

Numerous studies show escape rooms assist students in learning and retaining information more effectively than traditional teaching. Escape room games help students with critical and lateral thinking by creatively evaluating thoughts, and making sense of ideas to make logical decisions. These concepts are explored in a team environment and playful manner, creating friendly competition with classmates, highlighting individual skills, adaption, and healthy collaboration. Each escape room poses different challenges and tasks that make students question and evaluate their ideas to solve problems.