July 8, 2016

DDC Middle School Summer Enrichment Program Visits the Metropolitan Musem of Art

On July 8th, 2016, 50 public middle school students from District 9 in the South Bronx visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to study relationships between architecture, design and visual art in ancient construction. Over the course of the summer they will learn about the built environment from ancient time to the present. The students are part of the NYC Department of Design and Construction’s Middle School Summer Enrichment Program which aims to establish a diverse and inclusive pipeline for NYC’s youth to engage in the architecture, construction and engineering industries.

“DDC’s summer curriculum introduces fun, engaging hands-on activities related to the built environment, taking students on a journey from ancient time to the 21st century history of building structures,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “Our goal is to expose students to the world of the built environment and provide them with the tools and framework to not only understands how things work, but also how best to make them work to the benefit of our city and the larger society.”

The tour was based on a curriculum developed by DDC STEAM that was customized by the Met's educators to focus on the relationships between architecture, design, and visual art. Students visited the Met’s Ancient Assyrian Palace and Ming Dynasty Chinese Courtyard. The students studied and sketched the structures as examples of what can be included in the “Future City” projects they will complete over the course of the summer. “The DDC summer middle school curriculum introduces new vocabulary, conducts various experiments, and applies critical problem-solving skills while promoting collaborative work,” said DDC Community Partnerships & STEAM Initiatives Deputy Commissioner Lee Llambelis. “It enhances understanding of science, technology, engineering, architecture and math in an entertaining way, helping to keep kids engaged in learning in the months when they’re out of school.”