In 2018, Ben Chasin founded a tutoring program called Lightning Academy for middle and high school students who do not have access to tutors or extra help outside the classroom. Lightning Academy’s mission statement is that basketball is a privilege, and that student-athletes must first work hard in the classroom before they play basketball. New York Lightning’s new Junior Board -- consisting of its founder, Milo Boublik, and the founding members, Alex Halpern, Ben Chasin, and Max Schrader -- has set the goal to expand Lightning Academy by partnering with Long Island University, and to make it available not only to Lightning players, but also to the community of all New York City student-athletes seeking extra academic help.