Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House is a community based non-profit organization that offers comprehensive services to the youth, adults, seniors and families in the Western Queens community.  The resources, opportunities and support we provide serve as a catalyst for community members to reach their greatest potential and achieve social and economic self-sufficiency.

Riis Settlement works to support individuals who reside in the Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses and the overall Western Queens community as they build productive and self-sufficient lives.  Through the five centers whose activities are described inside, we provide vital services to over 450 people a day and approximately 10,000 during the course of the year.

RIIS NEWS AND EVENTS

        Fifth Year of Danish Cultural Exchange Program Returns to New York City

From June 28th through July 5th, six high school students from the small Danish town of Ribe, birthplace of Jacob Riis, spent a week taking in the sights, sounds and rhythms of New York as part of the fifth year of Riis Settlement’s Danish Cultural Exchange Program.   The selective school, led by Rector Bent Karsdal, prepares young people for entrance into universities in Denmark and around the world... read more

        Con Edison's Power of Green Initiative Comes to Riis

Wait a minute, where’s the soil?   That might be the first question you ask when you see the plants growing at the Jacob A. Riis Ravenswood Cornerstone Community Center. The young people at Ravenswood would quickly answer that these plants don’t need soil because they are being grown through hydroponics-in a water-based nutrient solution rather than in soil... read more

        Adult Literacy Programs Threatened

Nearly fifteen hundred adult students and community leaders from across the City gathered today at City Hall Park to urge Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council to restore $11.68 million in vital funding that helps over 14,000 New Yorkers improve their literacy skills, learn English, and obtain a GED... read more

        Honoring Community Leaders

On May 27th Riis Settlement celebrated 10 phenomenal community leaders who led the organization’s campaign to increase our neighborhood’s participation rate in the 2010 nationwide census.  Their hard work during the past three months paid off... read more

        Celebrate Queens' Participation in the 2010 Census

Join us to celebrate Queens' Participation in the 2010 Census. Share food and drink, and receive a big thank you for everyone who has completed their Census forms!... read more

        12th Annual Spring Arts Festival Highlights

Join Jacob Riis for the 2010 Spring Arts Festival! Celebrate 60 years of growth and community involvement with art exihibits featuring participant work, local artists and a special Queensbridge historical tribute. Enjoy the live music, performances, and hor d'oeuvres... read more

        City Year’s LICence To Serve Makes A Difference In LIC

Riis Settlement’s Queensbridge and Ravenswood sites got a splash of color and a touch of green in the spirit of community service on Saturday, May 1st as part of LICence to Serve, a day of community improvement and collaboration in Long Island City sponsored by City Year... read more