Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
Dec. 19, 2024 By Ethan Marshall and Ramy Mahmoud
Twenty-two middle school students from Astoria NYCHA Houses and 14 more from Stanley Avenue Preservation (Linden and Penn-Wortman Houses) in Brooklyn’s East New York neighborhood. along with family and community members, marked the opening of new community rooms at the HANAC Astoria Cornerstone program, located at 30-97 31st St., and Stanley Avenue Preservation CAMBA Cornerstone, located at 726 Stanley Ave., with ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Monday, Dec. 16 and Tuesday, Dec. 10, respectively.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
The students developed the rooms last summer through the NYCHA STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) Innovators program. During the program, the students worked with Salvadori STEAM educators and professional designers from WSP and L+M Development Partners to learn about careers in design. The learning process for developing the community rooms involved creating 3D models, technical floor plans and vision boards. The students’ plans were technically sound and had input from community residents before the rooms were built.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
(Left to right) Salvadori Center Executive Director Trenton Price, NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt and New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
“We are thrilled to see the young people’s visions become reality in these new community rooms,” Salvadori Center Executive Director Trenton Price said. “The students worked hard this summer to learn how architects, engineers and designers work, and they used that knowledge to bring their own visions to their community. Now, to see those visions come to life for all youth in their community centers to use is exciting. The students’ thoughtful design work produced change and investment in their community.”
Salvadori Center Executive Director Trenton Price examines the planned layout the students made for the HANAC Astoria community room. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
“At L+M, we believe that affordable housing and social responsibility go hand in hand, so helping deliver resources and deepen opportunities for young people in the Stanley Avenue Preservation community is a fitting addition to L+M’s work at this property,” L+M Development CEO Lisa Gomez said. “Our partnership with Salvadori Center and the Public Housing Community Fund is a powerful demonstration of bringing youth voices to the community design process and amplifying them to create a space for the students to enjoy now and into the future. We were thrilled to hear that the students took inspiration from their visit to our office this summer and meeting with our design and development teams. Congratulations to the Stanley Avenue Preservation youth on this exciting accomplishment.”
NYCHA created the new STEAM Innovators pilot program to support design justice for its youths. The program is designed to illustrate the relevance of STEAM while also connecting younger residents with skills and resources that can help them create positive structural change in their communities. The New York Building Foundation, the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress, and L+M Development Partners were some of the first organizations to sponsor the program. Their support was integral to the success of the program. NYCHA hopes to replicate the success of these projects by having it serve as a model for future NYCHA developments.
New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., addresses the students. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
“Congratulations to these amazing young people on their design work this summer,” New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., said. “At the New York Building Foundation, we are proud to support pathways for youth to explore our great building industry here in New York City. We see our next generation of designers, engineers and builders in this room, and we are so excited for the future they will design and create.”
New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., addresses the students. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
“We are so excited to see talented youth from NYCHA communities creating such unique spaces within their community centers, and to be connecting them to career opportunities in New York’s building industry,” NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt said. “NYCHA is home to so many outstanding young people, and we can’t wait to see what the NYCHA STEAM Innovators design next. We send our sincere gratitude to all of our partners for their support in this exciting venture, including the Public Housing Community Fund, Salvadori Center, New York Building Foundation, L+M Development Partners, WSP, Turner Construction and Janovic Paint.”
NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt addresses the students. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
Volunteers from Turner Construction, L+M Development Partners, the Public Housing Community Fund and Salvadori Center helped the students make their visions a reality last fall. The community rooms feature new furniture, new paint and new room layouts. Resources like this provide needed investment in the spaces and helps create an area capable of serving the unique needs of the middle school youth who use the community centers after school. Grants from the New York Building Foundation and L+M Development Partners, as well as support from the Public Housing Community Fund, helped make these transformations possible.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
“The Public Housing Community Fund is all about bringing resources to NYCHA residents. We are very excited about the NYCHA STEAM Innovators program because not only do these community rooms receive much-needed resources, the young people learned valuable STEAM skills this summer,” Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki said. “Young people have great perspectives and power to change their communities through programs like this. Congratulations to our student designers.”
Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki addresses the students. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.
