June 7, 2018
Educators from the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the NYC Department of Education (DOE) came together at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan this week for a three-day professional development program in which 29 public middle school teachers were introduced to the DDC’s “Building the Future” curriculum’s hands-on engineering- and architecture-related activities.
The training program was organized under the DOE’s STEM Institute. DDC educational programs are conducted through its STEAM initiative, which partners with DOE and the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) to bring initiatives such as the Young Engineers Program to students citywide. Overall, DDC STEAM has engaged 2,289 students in various programs since its inception in 2015, working exclusively with Title I schools.
“By teaching the teachers we are able to greatly increase the number of young people we can engage with our STEAM programming, introducing them to career opportunities they may not have imagined for themselves before,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio. “DDC STEAM has opened many doors to young people throughout the City as they continue their personal development.”
“Our STEM educators are doing great work across the City, and it was so exciting to meet with – and have to opportunity to speak to – some of the them on Tuesday at the STEM Institute,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “I thank DDC for its support for NYC educators and students, including the ‘Building the Future’ workshop at the STEM Institute. The partnership we’re building is opening doors for our students, the next generation of architects, engineers and innovators.”
“Our goal with DDC STEAM professional development is to bring math and science concepts to life and to bring engineering and problem solving to NYC students. In our Train the Trainer sessions, we give educators, in this case, New York City Public School teachers enrolled in the DOE STEM Institute, the opportunity to explore the concepts and methodologies in a fun environment so they are confident implementing the program. It was wonderful to see how excited the teachers were as they performed the very same experiments their students will be implementing in the classroom,” said DDC Deputy Commissioner for Community Partnerships & STEAM Initiatives Lee Llambelis.