Christy Olsen Honored at the 2026 PASEsetter Awards Benefit
Christy Olsen PASEsetter Award Winner (Center)
On February 25, 2026, NIDC’s Director of Youth Services, Christy Olsen, was honored as a 2026 PASEsetter Award Winner at the PASEsetter Awards Benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street.
Presented annually by the Partnership for Afterschool Education, the PASEsetter Awards recognize five outstanding leaders who make afterschool programs transformative for children across New York City. This year’s honorees represented the strength, innovation, and dedication that define the afterschool field.
For more than 25 years, Christy has been at the heart of NIDC’s youth programming. She began her journey leading the afterschool program at PS 96 and went on to build what is now NIDC’s Youth and Family Department. Under her leadership, the program expanded to serve five local schools and a community center, reaching hundreds of children and families throughout the Bronx.
Christy’s work has centered on literacy, social-emotional learning, civic engagement, and life skills, which became NIDC’s Four Pillars of Youth Programming. Through this framework, youth are prepared not only for academic achievement but also for confident leadership and long-term success.
Those who work alongside Christy often describe her as compassionate, dedicated, and creative. Above all, she remains deeply committed to the children and families of the Bronx.
NIDC proudly congratulates Christy and all of the 2026 PASEsetter honorees on this well-deserved recognition.
