Robots & Rockets for Harlem’s Youth
The Teachers College at Columbia University has received a $3.2 million grant to work with New York 
City community-based organizations to create after-school programs at public schools in Central Harlem, Morningside Heights, Washington Heights and Inwood.
The grant, issued by the the New York State Department of Education, will fund after-school programs focused on the so-called “STEM” disciplines, science, technology, engineering and math that are often overlooked as a result of the pressures of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation.
The Harlem Ivy project is a partnership with The After-School Corporation (TASC), Children’s Art and Science Workshops, Harlem Children’s Zone, Harlem Dowling, and the New York City Mission Society. The after-school programs will run at Public Schools 161, 115 and 92, and Middle School 344. Students who participate will get the chance to operate and program a robot and do other types of hands-on projects intended to spark their interest in technology and the sciences.
Stephanie Palmer, executive director of the New York Mission Society: “Never before has there been a time when these services are so important to residents in Central Harlem. We often hear that the neighborhood is changing, but despite evidence that poverty is decreasing, there are disturbing statistics that show child poverty in this area is increasing.”
“After-school is a movement,” Palmer said at the program launch. “It is a right for kids across the nation and especially in communities where parents are struggling.”
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