LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Robert J. DeSena upon the occasion of
his designation by District 21 of the United Federation of Teachers as
the recipient of a District 21 UFT Community Service Award at its Annual
UFT Scholarship Fund Dinner Dance on April 30, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those illustrious individuals of distinguished purpose whose
lives have been committed to the pursuit of excellence in the education
and quality of life of the youth of the Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to
commend Robert J. DeSena upon the occasion of his designation by
District 21 of the United Federation of Teachers as the recipient of a
2009 District 21 UFT Community Service Award; and
WHEREAS, Robert J. DeSena, Founder and President of the Council for
Unity, will be honored at District 21's Annual UFT Scholarship Fund
Dinner Dance, to be held at El Caribe Country Club in Brooklyn on April
30, 2009; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Brooklyn, Robert DeSena was, during his
youth, involved with several street gangs, experiences which proved
invaluable in his later work with at-risk teenagers; despite many obsta-
cles, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John's University and
two master's degrees, one from New York University and the other from
Queens College of The City University of New York; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, he became an English teacher; his skill in bringing
contending ethnic and racial groups together led to the formation of the
Council for Unity, which he founded at John Dewey High School in 1975;
the Council's customized curriculum and program ideology created by
Robert DeSena have earned the program a national reputation for its
success in promoting unity, safety and achievement in schools and commu-
nities; and
WHEREAS, The Council for Unity has, for more than 30 years, worked
under Robert DeSena's leadership and skillful guidance to replace a
culture of despair in our children's lives with a culture of hope; it
now extends beyond Brooklyn to New York City's five boroughs, throughout
New York State, across State lines and, increasingly, overseas as well;
and
WHEREAS, Robert DeSena has, in addition, continuously expanded the
Council's programs and services, which today serve youngsters from the
third grade, through intermediate and high school and beyond, into
college and adulthood; and
WHEREAS, He has also added an Adult and Family Partnership which
engages entire families in the Council's mission, an innovative curric-
ulum which involves law enforcement agencies in the Council's school and
community based safety strategies and, in order to complete the circle
necessary to break criminal and gang activity in schools and communi-
ties, Robert DeSena has designed and implemented a correctional facility
model currently being employed in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility
and the Suffolk County Jail with considerable success; and
WHEREAS, Under Robert DeSena's extraordinary stewardship, the Council
for Unity has grown from a community-based organization in Brooklyn to
one which now spans the country and extends all the way to Europe and
Africa; he has fittingly been honored many times and has been featured
in numerous publications and on a wide variety of radio and television
programs; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention

it is appropriate to publicly proclaim and commend them for the edifica-
tion and emulation of others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Robert J. DeSena upon the occasion of his designation by District
21 as the recipient of a District 21 UFT Community Service Award at its
Annual UFT Scholarship Fund Dinner Dance on April 30, 2009; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Robert J. DeSena.