The AFJ Team Kicked Off 2025 With A Two-Day Training

‍Avenues for Justice (AFJ) kicked off 2025 with momentum after a year of transformative growth. In 2024, we celebrated 45 years of Second Chances, served 674 Participants, and received record-breaking support from our funders, corporate partners, donors, and allies. We also celebrated the appointment of longtime COO Elizabeth (Liz) Frederick as Executive Director. AFJ is embracing this new chapter as a time of reinvigoration and renewal; centered on remaining steadfast in our mission to create a more just future for our Participants, team, and community.  

With a growing team of new leadership, new staff members, and current staff members assuming new roles, Liz decided it was the opportune time for an all-agency training. Last week, we dedicated two days to team building, professional empowerment and development —strengthening our interpersonal connections, deepening our shared commitment to the work, and shaping our vision for AFJ’s future and the broader landscape of criminal justice reform. Led by AFJ’s consultant partner Village Non-Profit Solutions, the priority was to unify and align the team around the organization’s values, mission, and vision.

In addition to our main courthouse offices, AFJ operates two community centers in Harlem and the Lower East Side, and has a coworking space. On any given day, the team is spread across our locations or in various court parts citywide. As the staff team consists of several new team members who were onboarded in 2024, Liz wanted the AFJ team to get to know each other and share space. Each day of the training began with an icebreaker where staff shared something unique about themselves that many of their colleagues might not know.  

“I wanted to use the new year to bring together the team, share my organizational vision with them, and reaffirm their importance in our work. It is so rare for organizations to have an opportunity to pause, reflect and realign----all of which I believe is imperative if we want to successfully move forward. With so many new faces joining last year, along with many key staff who have been with the organization over decades, I knew it was time to regroup to remind the team that we do not work in silos.” Liz Frederick, AFJ’s Executive Director

On Day One, the team unpacked answers to a pre-training survey that asked about their understanding of AFJ’s mission, vision, and culture. Notably, there was strong team alignment on the AFJ’s mission and its implementation in our work. The team was also aligned with the need for a shared organized culture and there was discussion on how organizational culture is living, breathing and is informed by the entire team.

Day Two was where the rubber met the road as we finalized and integrated all our ideas into key definitions for the organization's culture and values. We finished our training by identifying critical next steps about how we as an organization embody and celebrate these values internally and externally to our Participants and partners.

“Attending our all-staff training was a powerful and uplifting experience. I enjoyed being involved in defining our core values which made me feel truly seen and appreciated, reminding us that every voice is vital in shaping our collective vision.” ~Jessica Bachman, AFJ Program and Activities Coordinator

“It felt great to see everyone expressing themselves and to get to know my colleagues better. I cannot wait for the next one!” ~Shantel Brooks, AFJ Job Developer

“I liked how the answers weren’t predetermined or prescribed. The facilitators were open to all of our ideas and definitions and that helped lead us to group consensus.” ~Julia Price, AFJ Harlem Court Advocate

The staff retreat deepened our commitment to one another, to the young people we serve, and to you, our community. It was the first of its kind at AFJ and we look forward to celebrating our shared values with you throughout the year and bringing them to life through the stories of our Participants. We entered into February more united, focused, and determined than ever to create a more just future for young people in New York City and beyond!