BK Reader
  • Neighborhoods
    • Bedford Stuyvesant
    • Brownsville
    • Bushwick
    • Crown Heights
    • East New York
    • Flatbush
    • Fort Greene / Clinton Hill
    • Prospect Heights
  • News
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Innovation
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle & Culture
    • Non-Profit & Community
    • Policy & Government
  • Features
    • Black History Month
    • Community Health
    • Gentrification in Brooklyn
    • Local Voices
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Advertise with Us
    • Write For Us
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign up for our daily newsletter!

BK Reader
  • Neighborhoods
    • Bedford Stuyvesant
    • Brownsville
    • Bushwick
    • Crown Heights
    • East New York
    • Flatbush
    • Fort Greene / Clinton Hill
    • Prospect Heights
  • News
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Innovation
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle & Culture
    • Non-Profit & Community
    • Policy & Government
  • Features
    • Black History Month
    • Community Health
    • Gentrification in Brooklyn
    • Local Voices
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Advertise with Us
    • Write For Us
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
BK Reader
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign up for our daily newsletter!

‘The Campus’ Launches in Brownsville, Will Prepare Youth to Compete Globally

Kindra Cooper by Kindra Cooper
October 24, 2016
in Brownsville, East New York, Featured News
Jesse Hamilton, Brownsville, The Campus

State Senator Jesse Hamilton stand with Brownsville youth for the ribbon-cutting of his pilot project, The Campus.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Brownsville’s underserved youth just got a major leg-up: Senator Jesse Hamilton hosted a ribbon cutting-ceremony Friday at P.S. 298 Dr. Betty Shabaz School to inaugurate The Campus, a technology and wellness center providing career readiness and public health programs targeting teens ages 12-18.

The program is part of an effort to do away with the cycle of poverty and incarceration in Brownsville, and it is the first center of its kind in the United States headquartered at a public housing site.

The Campus comprises a partnership with 50 community organizations to provide a series of after-school courses teaching the in-demand skills for today’s generation to be “globally competitive” in tomorrow’s labor force, explained Sen. Hamilton, who presides over the 20th district of Crown Heights, Brownsville, Park Slope, Sunset Park, Gowanus, Prospect Heights and Flatbush.

The courses are aligned along five tracks: technology; coding and app development; career development and entrepreneurship; health and wellness; violence prevention; and cultural, media and performing arts.

Programming will be held at a number of satellite sites as well as sites designated as part of The Campus – namely, the community center at NYCHA’s affordable housing complex Howard Houses, the Brownsville Library and P.S. 298 Dr. Betty Shabazz & The Brooklyn Collaborative Middle School.

robotics
The remote-controlled airplane is the flagship project students complete in the technology track after learning how to make a remote-controlled car and boat.

“What we are trying to do is to make sure that our kids do not get into the criminal justice system,” said Hamilton. “We’ve been spending so much money on the back end. Let’s start spending money on the front end.” Brooklyn’s poorest neighborhood, Brownsville logs the second-highest incarceration rate in New York City (96 per 100,000 adults, according to city figures). Latchkey kids with nothing to do after school are more likely to drift into delinquent lifestyles of drugs and crime.

“I hope I never see you in my offices, ever,” quipped NYC Department of Probation Commissioner Ana M. Bermudez to the P.S. 298 students, adding that the department will take a parallel approach to The Campus by focusing on rehabilitative education for juveniles under probation. “We need to be able to have people not be defined by the worst moment of their life,” she said.

100_2342
Senator Jesse Hamilton mingles with the students and staff of P.S. 298

Hamilton’s cause has garnered copious backing from elected officials: Brooklyn BP Eric Adams committed $500,000 to purchase educational tools and equipment like 3D printers and robotics kits to support science, technology arts, engineering and math education; Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins also committed funds to hire a full-time director to run The Campus.

rafael-espinal
Councilman Rafael L. Espinal, who went to school in Brownsville, said that the classrooms often lacked resources.

Assemblywoman Latrice Walker pooled $125,000 to upgrade the Howard Houses Community Center with new flooring and cubicles. At one point, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office flagged P.S. 298 as one of 178 underperforming institutions in New York State. In 2011, the Department of Education threatened to shutter the school, along with six others.

“But today – and not just today – we are showing the governor’s office and all of the individuals at the state education department that we are number one,” Walker told the students. “And we will remain number one no matter what type of labels they try to put on us.”

100_2349
A coding class led by Digital Girl Inc. founded by two women to increase the number of women in STEM fields

After the ribbon-cutting, Sen. Hamilton organized a guided tour of the campus for parents, press, and the public to crash the first “pop-up” classes as the first official day of programming for The Campus. In an upstairs computer lab, Digital Girl Inc. founders Michelle Gall and Toni Robinson demonstrated how to write “looped” code (repeating a certain function until a desired outcome is reached) using the sandbox video game, Minecraft.

100_2346
A storytelling class in full swing

Meanwhile, a storytelling class by literacy-promoting non-profit Green Earth Poets Cafe tasked students with creating a personal narrative by drawing mind maps of the things and people in their lives they hold most dear.

In a meditation workshop titled ‘I Am Enough’, founder of Social Work Diva, La Shawn M. Paul, instructed students in her lilting voice to close their eyes and picture themselves as a rosebush, imagining its leaves, flowers, and other features, such as whether the plant was well-tended or unkempt.

100_2354
Social worker La Shawn M. Paul advises a student during a meditation class

“I then ask them to draw the rosebush they’ve envisioned. It can reveal a lot about how a child feels about themselves and what’s going on in their lives,” she explained. A drawing by one little boy whose rosebush was under siege by an evil Cyclops eventually revealed to Paul that he was being bullied by some of the older students at his school. 

The Campus opened exactly one month after the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Rysheen Ervin, just steps away from the Howard Houses Community Center.

The crime, which took place just minutes before a Campus stakeholders meeting, strengthened the resolve of those involved to fulfill on the mission of The Campus. “When I look at these young people behind me I see myself growing up,” said Sen. Hamilton. “So I want to make sure that they all have the opportunity to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Tags: Brownsville.Jesse Hamilton
ShareTweetSend

Did you enjoy this story? Please help us continue to bring you Brooklyn's latest local news for free by donating $1 here!

Related Posts

Video: Cops Blast Gang Song Outside Brownsville Housing

Video: Cops Blast Gang Song Outside Brownsville Housing

February 22, 2019
Bed-Stuy Parish Fights Street Naming for Controversial Figure

Bed-Stuy Parish Fights Street Naming for Controversial Figure

February 15, 2019
After completing the 16-week program, the residents at Marcus Garvey Apts. have developed new skills and built a new community clubhouse

New Brownsville Training Program Preps Residents for Construction Careers

February 12, 2019
The $500-million-Brownsville Plan promises to bring many developments and improvements to the neighborhood, but residents want a fair share as community stakeholders

Residents Call for Equity, Transparency in Brownsville Plan at Semi-Annual Meeting

February 8, 2019
Load More
Next Post

Brooklyn D.A.'s Office Charges 19 People in Gun Trafficking Sting

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Result
View All Result
BHM Healthfirst 03 - Article
ADVERTISEMENT
Black History Month
February is Black History Month, celebrating the rich history of the African Diaspora in Brooklyn.
Feb 23: Black History Maker, Eddie Murphy

Feb 23: Black History Maker, Eddie Murphy

February 23, 2019
Explore Black History Month

Recent Stories

Feb 23: Black History Maker, Eddie Murphy
Black History Month

Feb 23: Black History Maker, Eddie Murphy

February 23, 2019
Yasss! Drag Queen Gives Flatbush Kids A Glamorous Tutorial
Flatbush

Yasss! Drag Queen Gives Flatbush Kids A Glamorous Tutorial

February 22, 2019
Feb 22: Black History Maker, MC Lyte
Black History Month

Feb 22: Black History Maker, MC Lyte

February 22, 2019
Object & Thing eliminates up-front costs for exhibitors to showcase both higher-priced and affordable pieces for every art lovers's budget.
Bushwick

New Art Fair Concept to Launch in Bushwick

February 22, 2019
ADVERTISEMENT

Popular Stories

The Brooklyn STEAM Center will provide 300 students from eight local high schools with hands-on training in culinary arts, computer science, design and engineering
Fort Greene / Clinton Hill

Brooklyn Navy Yard Opens State-of-the-Art STEAM High School

February 13, 2019
The $500-million-Brownsville Plan promises to bring many developments and improvements to the neighborhood, but residents want a fair share as community stakeholders
Brownsville

Residents Call for Equity, Transparency in Brownsville Plan at Semi-Annual Meeting

February 8, 2019
The bakery was recognized with 2019 American Classic award which is given to locally-owned restaurants that are cherished for quality food reflecting the character of their community.
Bedford Stuyvesant

Bed-Stuy Trinidadian Bakery and Roti Shop Wins Prestigious James Beard Award

February 6, 2019
Bushwick Generator, Emerick Patterson, blockchain, decentralized communities
Business & Innovation

The Bushwick Generator is Creating a Blueprint for the Future of Urban Tech

February 1, 2019
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest from Instagram!

  • Happy Friday  BK Readers   tgif
  • Longtime Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Jack Roosevelt Robinson attended UCLA where he became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports  baseball  basketball  football and track  Check out this and all of our Black Historymakers in Brooklyn by clicking the link in bio        bkreader  blackhistorymonth  bhm  blackhistorymaker  blackhistory
  • Winter Saucy  ow  Think you re saucy  Take a picture and tag your location    Brooklyn    with a Brooklyn background or streetscape and you may be featured as our next  BrooklynSauce  as we showcase the diverse and unique flavors of BK   BrooklynSauce  SaucyBK  brooklyn  BKReader  MyBklyn        goglamorgohome
  • The next Movement 101 class is this Saturday  February 23rd 10am to 12pm   This intro class is for anyone interested in a movement practice   All levels are welcome   Go to  movementbrooklyn and click link in bio to sign up   movementbrooklyn  bkreader  mybklyn  4usbyus
  • Discrimination based on natural hairstyles  which disproportionately impacts Black people  is now punishable under New York City law   The NYC Commission on Human Rights released on Monday new guidelines that define discrimination on the basis of natural hair and hairstyles at work  school or in public spaces like fitness clubs  nightclubs and youth clubs  as racial discrimination  To read story  click our link in the bio       bkreader  naturalhair  newlaw  nyc
  • It   s the Impossible Burger Bao  Yes  It   s vegan and it   s Impossibly delicious  You can get it from  maosbao during the winter  smorgasburg  Repost from  popcity vegan  bkreader  brooklyneats                              maciek eats
  • You got tagged         Brooklyn Style  grafflife   Repost from  dressedtothej9s   bkreader  yougottagged  williamsburgbrooklyn  tagging  tagged  graffititag  graffititags  tagstyle  brooklyngraffiti  whatsyourtag  windowtagging  graffitiwindows  windowgraffiti  brooklynstreetstyle  streetart  urbanart  urbanarts  brooklynstyle  bk  bknyc  tothewindowtothewall  tagsandthrows  throwups  spraypaint  throwitup
  • Actress Gabourey    Gabby    Sidibe was born in Bedford Stuyvesant  May 6  1983   Though she was cast in school plays as a child  Sidibe initially had no interest in acting  She witnessed her mother   s financial struggles as a street singer and wanted the security that an education and a desk job would give her  To read more  click link in bio       Gabby3shabby  bkreader  blackhistorymonth  bhm  blackhistorymaker  blackhistory  bedstuy  brooklyn
  • The NYC Conundrum  Me  Brooklyn has gotten way too expensive  I   m outta here       Also me  Awww  Brooklyn is so special  I   m never leaving         r p  danceinthebigapple
  • You are more in control than you think    exercise your power to say    no     It   s a slow but effective process of elimination  Happy Monday  BK Readers   bkreader  motivationmonday

Newsletter

Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing stories from around Brooklyn, delivered to your inbox each day.

Neighborhoods

  • Bedford Stuyvesant
  • Brownsville
  • Bushwick
  • Crown Heights
  • East New York
  • Flatbush
  • Fort Greene / Clinton Hill
  • Prospect Heights

News

  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Business & Innovation
  • Health & Wellness
  • Lifestyle & Culture
  • Non-Profit & Community
  • Policy & Government

Letter from the Editor

Dear Brooklyn Readers,

Americans and their allies forced Germany to deal with its ugly past. The irony is, now, Americans struggle to do the same.

Read More
See Past Letters

Launched in 2013, BK Reader (formerly The Brooklyn Reader) is an online hyperlocal daily news source reflecting the art, culture, business and lifestyle of the fastest-developing areas of Central and East Brooklyn.

No Result
View All Result

2013 – 2018 © The Original Media Group LLC

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise

Privacy Policy  /  Cookie Policy

No Result
View All Result
  • Neighborhoods
    • Bedford Stuyvesant
    • Brownsville
    • Bushwick
    • Crown Heights
    • East New York
    • Flatbush
    • Fort Greene / Clinton Hill
    • Prospect Heights
  • News
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Innovation
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle & Culture
    • Non-Profit & Community
    • Policy & Government
  • Features
    • Black History Month
    • Community Health
    • Gentrification in Brooklyn
    • Local Voices
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Advertise with Us
    • Write For Us
    • Contact

2013 - 2018 © The Original Media Group LLC

Logo

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Local News for Brooklyn, by Brooklyn.
Arts, Culture, Health and Innovation.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.