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Press Releases

December 17, 2015

New York City Department of Design and Construction’s STEAM Initiative, in partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, Finishes 2015 Education Programs

Contact:
Shavone Williams
Public Information Officer
718-391-1583

Dan Leibel
Junior Public Information Officer
718-391-1251


New York—
New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) capped off the 2015 school year with sixth grade students from I.S. 127 in East Elmhurst, as the students conducted experiments and recorded data in front of their teachers, parents and Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora of the NYC DDC on Tuesday night. It was the final installment of their engagement with the DDC’s STEAM initiative, an afterschool program that teaches NYC students about future opportunities for them to work with science and engineering.

DDC’s STEAM initiative showcased the students’ work in collaboration with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services. DDC’s Young Engineers Program exposes underrepresented youth to fields and professions related to Science, Technology, Architecture and Mathematics (STEAM). The students were introduced to the “Engineering is Elementary: Engineering Insulated Homes” curriculum, written by the Museum of Science in Boston. Students participated in an environmental engineering design challenge to explore real-world solutions. The curriculum introduced students to green energy and energy efficiency in home construction.

The pilot program was launched in March of 2014 through the LeAp afterschool program at MS 22 Jordan L. Mott, a renewal school where 100% of students qualify for free lunch, 21% are special education students and 21% are English language learners. The Department for Youth and Community Development identified schools with high needs for recruitment. In 2015 the DDC directly impacted 130 students through the program, reaching seven schools across Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx – each having a month long engagement with DDC’s STEAM initiative.

“In support of Mayor de Blasio’s vision for a strong and just city, we are proud of the ability of our STEAM education program to present students with a knowledge base outside of what they might learn in the typical school day,” noted Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction. “There is tremendous opportunity to launch a career in the fields of engineering and architecture and it pleases me to be able to give this perspective to the students that participate in our classes.”

“This semester was a huge success for the STEAM Young Engineers program,” said Lee Llambelis, Deputy Commissioner of Community Partnerships and STEAM initiatives. “We look forward to educating more students next year and delivering messages of positivity and opportunity regarding the fields of science, technology, education, architecture and math.”

The DDC Young Engineers Program begins again in February 2016 and will be held at schools in East Harlem and Chinatown among others.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $10 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit