Program News 2007
Community Building at the Red Hook Beacon
On a recent Saturday, volunteers from the Architects Union and Tudor Investment Corporation, as well as staff from the Robin Hood Foundation came out to our Red Hook Community Center Beacon program at PS 15 to assist our youth in constructing large-scale models of buildings they would like to see in Red Hook. Using LEGO® blocks, pipe cleaners, paint, dried beans, glitter and other materials, teams of youth and volunteers built some truly impressive structures including a stadium, library, museum, bridge, and seaport. At the end of the day, all of the models were joined together to form the neighborhood envisioned by our young people.
This was our third LEGO®-building ‘A Common Bond’ event with the Architects Union (see A Common Bond 2006 and GSS Youth and the Architects Union Develop “A Common Bond”), whose members have also shared their professional expertise with our youth at sandcastle-building events every summer since 2003 (Not Just Another Day at the Beach, Castles in the Sand, A Busy Summer for the Beacon Summer Camps and Castles and Creatures). Robin Hood and Tudor became a part of ‘A Common Bond’ last year, and their involvement brought the event to new heights, allowing us to attempt more ambitious projects due to the organizational assistance from Robin Hood, and the underwriting of materials by Tudor, as well as the assistance of their volunteers, many of whom brought their own children to share in the fun. ‘A Common Bond’ has given our young people an invaluable look into the fields of architecture, design, and construction, exposure to the world of finance and investments professionals, opportunities to plan and execute projects working as a group, and, of course, a wonderful time that they will always remember.
April 2, 2007
