About Us

Our Mission, History, Leadership and Board of Directors.

Our Mission

Directions for Our Youth, Inc. (DFOY) is a non-profit youth development organization that provides programming in underserved areas of New York City for over 2,000 young people enrolled in grades K-12. Our mission is to engage participants as active partners in their own development as they seek to become thriving, self-sufficient adults and agents of change within their local and global communities. DFOY believes in the abilities of young people, and provides its participants with high quality, engaging programs that encourage, among other things, educational enrichment, career awareness, civic engagement, and personal development.

Our History

DFOY was founded in 1991 by a group of concerned and dedicated neighborhood residents who wanted to address the lack of economic and educational opportunities for local youth.

Today, Directions For Our Youth operates youth development programs throughout the Bronx and Manhattan. DFOY provides after-school services, summer programs, high school counseling and job readiness services, and community services at a NYCHA community center.

Staff are very welcoming and very concerned about not only academic but social and individual needs of children. They are part of the team that helps children succeed and achieve their goals.

Executive Leadership

Elisa joined Directions For Our Youth in 2019 as the organization’s Executive Director. She currently oversees all strategic and programmatic initiatives for the organization, as well as the execution of DFOY’s mission. For more than 25 years, Elisa has successfully managed and developed non-profit organizations in New York City, with an emphasis on youth programming and education for vulnerable communities. Prior to joining DFOY she held various executive and management positions where she strengthened organizational capacity and led the development of new programs, expanding each organization’s impact. Elisa received her B.A. from Wesleyan University and her M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University Teachers College.

Elisa Istueta, Executive Director

Nana Apenteng is the Chief Operating Officer at DFOY where he oversees organization-wide operations, and works closely with the Executive Director as well as senior program leadership. He has been with DFOY since 2012, and since he originally started as a Program Director, he has been recognized by the Board of Directors for his ability to wear many hats in progressive leadership roles. Nana has been instrumental in DFOY’s recent growth and under his leadership, developed systems for improved program implementation. Prior to joining DFOY, Nana worked at New York Life where he worked with financial models to assess risk. He developed a passion for education and working with youth during his time as a volunteer Math tutor to struggling students in his community. Nana received his B.S. in Mathematics from University of Science and Technology in Ghana. In his spare time, Nana enjoys chess, swimming, and traveling. Nana has visited 6 continents, and hopes to finish his world tour in Antarctica one day.

Nana Apenteng, Chief Operating Officer