Concrete Safaris

What Concrete Safaris does

Concrete Safaris is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 by Mac Levine, MPH, that delivers outdoor education, gardening, photography, and placemaking programming to children and youth ages 7–24 in East Harlem, NYC. Core offerings include the Outdoor Leadership Academy (OLA) for Kids (ages 7–11, after-school) and Youth (ages 14–24, internship/cohort model); PlacemakingCorps AmeriCorps service (300/450/675-hour terms, ages 17+); Saturday Garden Volunteer Sessions; Green Exercise Days school field trips; the youth-led JungleGym street event series; and Youth Photo Expos. Programs are anchored on physical garden sites inside NYCHA's Jefferson and Washington Houses public housing developments, with the head office located at the East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center (158 E 115th St, Ste 144, New York, NY 10029).

The organization's "technology" is a methodological stack — cohort-based curriculum across eight tracks (gardening, landscaping, outdoor play, placemaking, photography, evaluation, health promotion, and nonprofit management), age-graded pathways that move participants from mentee to peer-leader to OLA intern, and a PlacemakingCorps AmeriCorps infrastructure that supplies staffing and education awards. Distribution is community-mediated: 14–15-year-olds are recruited through the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) lottery; 7–11-year-olds are enrolled via partnerships with ~15 NYC public and charter schools; and corporate/school groups access programs through direct scheduling. The JungleGym event series, held on East Harlem streets with city and NYPD approvals, functions as both programming and high-visibility recruitment.

Concrete Safaris generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit mix: federal AmeriCorps grant funding (most recent disclosed award of $639,956 from AmeriCorps Public Allies on 2024-07-09), NYC DYCD SYEP pass-through funding, corporate teambuilding donations (e.g., $3,500 for a 35-volunteer garden session), individual donor contributions via online portal, a new College Scholarship donation product, and foundation grants from The Pinkerton Foundation, Clif Family Foundation, and City Gardens Club of NYC. Multi-sector corporate partners (Morrison & Foerster, Abacus Federal Savings Bank, Ares Management, Davis Brody Bond, Mount Sinai, NYC College of Technology) co-deliver career-readiness workshops. Staff footprint is small — roughly five named full-time professionals (Founding Executive Director Mac Levine, Programs Director Christopher Hartsfield, Administrative Coordinator Nafis Khan, SYEP Education Coordinator Savannah Nicholas, Project Developer Joycelyn Umar) plus FY25 AmeriCorps members — operating against a participant base of 19,000+ children, youth, and families since 2008 and ~8,000 families served annually.

Name

Concrete Safaris

Legal name

Concrete Safaris, Inc.

Website

https://concretesafaris.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Concrete Safaris is a nonprofit founded in 2008 that delivers outdoor education, gardening, and placemaking programming to children and youth ages 7–24 in East Harlem, operating community gardens inside NYCHA's Jefferson and Washington Houses and serving over 19,000 participants cumulatively.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Outdoor Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB), Corporate Outdoor Training & Team-Building Programs (Experiential Learning) (THAAAOAE), Outdoor / Nature-Based Before/After Care Programs (EDACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Youth outdoor education
• Community gardening programs
• AmeriCorps service programs
• Youth leadership development
• Urban agriculture education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. AmeriCorps Funding (PlacemakingCorps): Living allowances, Segal Education Awards (federal), and Concrete Safaris scholarships provided to AmeriCorps volunteers serving 300-675 hours. 675-hour term: up to $8,087 living allowance + $2,817.14 Segal Award + $3,375 scholarship. 450-hour term: up to $5,393 + $1,956.35 + $2,250. 300-hour term: up to $3,595 + $1,565.08 + $1,500.
2. Corporate Teambuilding Donations: Companies sponsor garden volunteer sessions for teams of up to 35 volunteers at $3,500 donation. Includes supplies, materials, event planning, staffing, and service. Rates increase for up to 150 volunteers. Proceeds support free youth programs.
3. Individual Donations: Public donations through online portal supporting youth outdoor programs. Donors can give once or on recurring basis.
4. College Scholarships: NEW college scholarships offered to youth participants, paid directly to institutions by Concrete Safaris from donor funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Concrete Safaris runs a portfolio of outdoor education and youth development programs in East Harlem, including the Outdoor Leadership Academy for children (ages 7-11) and youth (ages 14-24), the AmeriCorps-funded PlacemakingCorps service program (300-675 hours), JungleGym youth-led street events, Saturday Garden Volunteer Sessions at NYCHA gardens, Green Exercise Days for schools, and Youth Photo Expos. Programs are delivered on-site at Jefferson Gardens and Mad Fun Farm (Washington Houses) and on East Harlem streets, combining gardening, outdoor play, photography, placemaking, and career readiness workshops with paid stipends and scholarships.

Product overview

Concrete Safaris is a nonprofit youth development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected outdoor education and community engagement programs. The core offerings include the Outdoor Leadership Academy (OLA) for kids ages 7-11 and youth ages 14-24, which provides experiential education through cohorts in gardening, outdoor play, placemaking, photography, and health promotion. Supporting programs include PlacemakingCorps (AmeriCorps service program), Saturday Garden Volunteer Sessions, Green Exercise Days for schools, JungleGym youth-led street events, and Youth Photo Expos. The programs are designed around a theory of change where youth develop leadership skills through outdoor experiences and then transform public spaces into healthier environments for their communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Leadership Academy – Kids (City Surfers) After-school and summer outdoor leadership program for children ages 7-11 (2nd-5th grade) covering gardening, outdoor play, photography, and field trips at NYCHA gardens in East Harlem.
• Outdoor Leadership Academy – Youth 6-12-week school-year or summer internship program for youth ages 14-24 divided into cohorts covering gardening, landscaping, outdoor play, placemaking, photography, evaluation, health promotion, and nonprofit management, with career readiness and professional development workshops.
• PlacemakingCorps AmeriCorps Service Program AmeriCorps national service program offering 300, 450, or 675-hour service terms for individuals age 17+ to explore careers in public and environmental health through youth development and community building, with living allowance, Segal Education Award, and Concrete Safaris Scholarship upon completion.
• JungleGym Youth-led obstacle challenge and active living fair held on East Harlem streets during summer months, designed by children and led by Outdoor Leadership Academy interns, attracting thousands of community participants.
• Saturday Garden Volunteer Sessions Free twice-monthly community volunteer sessions at Jefferson and Washington Houses for planting, weeding, raking, shoveling, and trash cleanup, held April-June and September-December, open to ages 5+.
• Green Exercise Days Outdoor educational field trips and community service experiences at Concrete Safaris gardens for 2nd-5th grade classes, teaching neighborhood health, urban agriculture, and environmental science.
• Corporate Teambuilding Volunteer Sessions Outdoor corporate volunteer experiences for employee teambuilding including tree planting, organic gardening, and garden construction at East Harlem locations, priced at $3,500 donation for up to 35 volunteers and scalable to 150 volunteers.
• Youth Photo Expos Annual photography exhibitions showcasing youth work from the Outdoor Leadership Academy Photography Cohort, featuring themes such as 'Nature in Harlem' and 'Living Harlem'.
• Community Group Volunteerism

Quantifiable outcome

• 44% of OLA-Kids demonstrate improvement in social-emotional skills compared to non-participants
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025City agency providing SYEP funding and lottery system. DYCD enables recruitment of 14-15 year olds through citywide lottery. Concrete Safaris is an official SYEP Provider offering Outdoor Leadership Academy summer programs.
• NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to operate community gardens within Jefferson and Washington Houses public housing developments. Gardens serve as primary programming sites for youth and community programs.
• NYC Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with PS 7, 38, 50, 57, 72, 83, 96, 101, 102, 115M, 155, 182, 198 and charter schools (Amber, Mosaic, Trevor Day) for OLA-Kids after school, Green Exercise Days field trips, and youth recruitment.
• Columbia University / Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaimajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partners providing health promotion workshops and AI introduction sessions for OLA-SYEP interns. Mount Sinai hosted AI workshop; Columbia faculty guest lectures referenced.
• Morrison & FoerstermajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate partner providing career readiness workshops including consent/social media and negotiation/trading sessions for OLA-SYEP interns. Staff attorney time donated for youth professional development.
• Abacus Federal Savings BankmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Financial institution hosting financial literacy workshop for youth interns covering practical money management, savings, budgeting, and financial independence.
• Ares ManagementmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Investment firm hosting interview readiness workshop at Mad Fun Farm, equipping interns with confidence and professional communication skills.
• Davis Brody BondmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Architecture firm providing workshop on architecture and interior design with focus on creating youth spaces that encourage creativity, leadership, and play.
• NYC Department of Design & ConstructionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025City agency hosting workshop on how real-world projects from public art to city infrastructure are planned and brought to life, expanding youth perspective on city shaping careers.
• NYC College of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025College hosting nursing pathways workshop for Outdoor Play interns, exploring nursing field requirements and practicing heart rate and blood pressure monitoring.
• Somat Culture ConsultingmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Consulting firm leading workshops on emotional intelligence, mental health, and healthy relationships as part of Bold and Safe Series, providing youth with social-emotional skill development.
• City Gardens Club of NYCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Foundation supporter providing grant funding for garden programs and community green space initiatives.
• New York CaresminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community organization partner providing volunteer coordination and community service opportunities for New Yorkers.
• Harlem RBIminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025East Harlem youth development organization sharing best practices and potentially referring participants to outdoor programming.
• Union Settlement AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community-based organization in East Harlem providing social services and youth programming with potential referral relationships.
• NYC ParksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025City agency supporting outdoor programming through park access and potentially permits for street closure events.
• FDNYminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Fire department providing smoke house safety demonstrations at JungleGym events for community education.
• NYPDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Police department learning about youth programming role and providing support for street closure events and community relations.
• SCOR ReinsurancemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Insurance company providing mock interview workshops and professional skills training for 20 Jefferson Gardens cohort youth during SYEP 2019. Honored as 2020 Insurance Insider Community Initiative of the Year finalist.
• AmeriCorpscoreOthers · 1 January 2008Federal national service program providing funding and service members for PlacemakingCorps. AmeriCorps Volunteers serve 300-675 hours receiving living allowances, Segal Education Awards, and scholarships. AmeriCorps affiliation enables program delivery across environmental health literacy, placemaking, and youth development.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harlem RBI: East Harlem youth development nonprofit serving similar low-income NYCHA-area youth through sports, education, and college-access programming. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, similar age cohort, and overlapping funder base.
• Union Settlement Association: East Harlem community-based organization providing youth programming, social services, and education. Comparable because it serves the same NYCHA-adjacent population with youth development and after-school programs at similar scale.
• GrowNYC: NYC environmental nonprofit operating community gardens, school gardens, and youth education programming across the city. Closest peer on the urban-agriculture and youth-environmental-education dimension of Concrete Safaris' work.
• New York Cares: NYC volunteer-coordination nonprofit that partners with schools, nonprofits, and corporate groups to run volunteer projects. Comparable because it sits at the intersection of community volunteer programming and corporate group engagement in NYC.
• DreamYard Project: Bronx-based arts and education nonprofit serving youth of color through in-school and after-school programming including environmental and placemaking components. Comparable on the youth-development + community-placemaking intersection in NYC public-housing communities.

Broad incumbents

• City Parks Foundation: NYC-wide nonprofit delivering environmental education, youth sports, and park-based programming citywide. Comparable because it operates in the same outdoor-education and NYC Parks space but at materially larger scale.
• The Trust for Public Land: National conservation nonprofit focused on creating parks and protecting land in cities, including NYC NYCHA-adjacent green space. Comparable on the urban-green-space and community-access mission though at much larger scale and scope.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): National wilderness-education organization offering outdoor skill-building and leadership courses. Comparable on the outdoor-education pedagogy and wilderness-first-aid training model, though operating at national scale and in wilderness rather than urban settings.

Emerging players

• Big Green: National nonprofit building learning gardens in schools with youth-led programming. Comparable on the school-garden + youth-education intersection though more focused on K-12 schools rather than NYCHA community sites.
• FoodCorps: National AmeriCorps service program placing members in schools to teach garden-based nutrition and food education. Comparable on the AmeriCorps-funded youth-environmental-education model, though operates through schools rather than community gardens.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concrete-safaris-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Concrete Safaris