Through IHDF, the De Hostos-Wise Dreamers (14 and 15 year olds) all receive long-term support such as tutoring, extracurricular activities, summer programs, and tuition assistance for their college education. This summer, the teens have partnered with LW! to examine the immediate neighborhood around where they live and go to school. Embodying the roles of preservation architects and urban planners, the Dreamers started with a thorough survey of buildings on 93rd and 92nd Streets, looking at each building’s function, condition, materials, windows, alterations, etc.
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With a new sense of the spaces and structures that they pass by every day, the students began to question, “What makes a great neighborhood?” They considered the places that they particularly love in their community–from the corner deli to the basketball courts–and wondered what else they need. What could they add to the neighborhood that would truly enhance it for its residents? Working in groups of three, the students created “idea boards” for their designs.
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| The first group created an inspired 3-D model of a multi-level shopping complex, with brand-name stores, an adjoining hotel, and a public green space with sitting area. |
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| The next group designed a community recreation center, with an indoor pool, multiple basketball courts, and a food court on the main level. |
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| The final group envisioned a “green” movie theatre, surrounded by a park, with a café, and a community green roof. |
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Thanks so much to Marvin Cabrera at “I Have a Dream” Foundation for his help in coordinating this summer program as well as to Fran Rosenfeld, a member of the LW! Education Committee, for her support with the program and for coordinating our visit to Perkins Eastman.
Keeping the Past for the Future is supported, in part, by public funds from New York City Council Member Gale Brewer via the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the NYC Department of Education.