Brooklyn Boatworks Participant Kayla Bynum Shares Her Experience With The Program

Published: June 18, 2018  ~   0

Featured below is a speech written by Brooklyn Boatworks participant Kayla Bynum for their 2018 Boat Launch. Kayla is a student at JHS292 located in East New York, Brooklyn and along with her classmates, helped built a boat during the school semester and successfully sailed it this past Tuesday, June 12. Continue reading to gain insight on her experience with the program.

Kayla Bynum

JHS292 – East New York, Brooklyn

Hello everybody.  My name is Kayla Bynum and I’m from JHS 292. Brooklyn Boatworks is where kids can work with wood and build boats. It’s also a great activity to relieve stress. We go on trips and learn about boats. On June 6th we sailed aboard the Pioneer, which was created in 1896 and was made to carry sand. Every day in Boatworks we learn and do things other kids wish they could do or don’t even know about – like lofting, sawing and gluing (we use a special glue that holds wood together). Boatworks is an amazing activity and the best experience for kids. Boatworks was a great experience for me, especially when I was Captain of the Day.  In Boatworks we met new people, who later became friends – and we can put all our problems to the side and have the best time. Everybody should experience the happiness that Boatworks brings. Give happiness to them and share the message of Boatworks.

Brooklyn Boatworks 2018 Boat Launch

Published: June 15, 2018  ~   0

Most of the middle school students who join Brooklyn Boatworks have never been on a boat. But they enroll in the program where they work in a team for a year, implementing science and math skills, teamwork and perseverance to build a boat from scratch using hand tools! On June 12th, they held an awards ceremony and a combined celebration for the launch party, demonstrating that the boats would truly sail! The kids all got a turn in their crafts, aided by the instructors, and many were so excited that they signed up for the summer program where they will learn to sail. Mike, the Dean of IS 1125, told us the program has proven so popular, he has convinced the school to add a second class next year enabling twice as many students to participate. On hand for the celebration were Catalog board members Ed Adler, Steve Kohn, Jeff Schwartz, Cindy Silverman and Flo Wiener, pictured below with BWB Co-founder Jeremy Wurmfeld.

Catalog Member Program EDs honored at Manhattan Country School

Published: May 10, 2018  ~   0

Lyle and Harris Friess, co-Executive Directors of Catalog 8th Cohort member program Brooklyn Youth Sports Club (BKYSC), were awarded the Living the Dream Award from the Manhattan Country School on April 28. The Living the Dream Award is annually given to those who show exemplary leadership in social justice efforts that reflect the Civil Rights principals the Manhattan Country School was founded on. For more details on the amazing work BKYSC does, check out our page on them here. Congratulations to Lyle and Harris on the amazing work they’ve done to deserve this honor!

Catalog Member Program ED, Dr. Robert Gore, is a CNN Hero!

Published: May 2, 2018  ~   0

Dr. Robert Gore, the Executive Director of Catalog member program Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI) has been selected as a CNN Hero.  As a Brooklyn native and emergency room doctor Dr. Gore recognized the need to create a hospital-based violence intervention program at Kings County Hospital and launched KAVI.  This January we were delighted to welcome KAVI and Dr. Gore to The Catalog.  We couldn’t be more delighted that their work is being honored by CNN! Watch the video below to find out more.

Alumni Member Program ED To Be Honored at Gloria Awards

Published: April 28, 2018  ~   0

Joanne Smith, the founder and Executive Director of Catalog alumni member program Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) will be honored on May 3rd at Ms. Foundation for Women’s Gloria Awards.  Joanne will be recognized for her work with GGE and her efforts to address gender-based violence. We are excited and proud that Joanne’s hard work is being recognized in this way and we look forward to following her work and the work of GGE for years to come.  Congratulations Joanne!

Exalt’s documentary theater piece!

Published: February 15, 2018  ~   0

On Tuesday, February 13th The Catalog had the opportunity to attend 16 Bars: Youth (Off)Ending Justice, a documentary theater piece, written, produced and performed by the teens of exalt, all of whom have been deeply impacted by their involvement with the criminal justice system in New York City.  exalt is an alumni member program that re-engages court-involved young people in their love for learning and in helping them understand the urgency of taking action to reverse their journey along the school-to-prison pipeline. All of us at The Catalog are proud to be involved in exalt’s growth and trajectory. 

Watch The Catalog on Fox 5!

Published: December 14, 2017  ~   0

On Friday, December 15th at 10:30pm The Catalog for Giving’s Executive Director, Flo Wiener, will appear on Fox 5’s Street Soliders with Lisa Evers to discuss, philanthropy and possible pitfalls during the holiday season.  Please tune in!

Atlas DIY Increases Community Efforts Post DACA Announcement

Published: October 3, 2017  ~   0

Pictured above: Atlas member and Peer Educator, Victor V. (center), Atlas member, Luis Q (l), and Atlas community organizer, David A (r) leading a KYR (Know Your Rights) workshop for immigrant community members at Mixteca in Sunset Park Brooklyn.

The recent cancellation of the DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) has directly affected thousands of immigrant youth in New York City, putting them at risk of deportation and denying them opportunities to work and pursue higher education.

Catalog cohort member Atlas DIY has been one of many NYC organizations working tirelessly to make sure that young people, regardless of their immigration status, know their rights, have access to accurate information, and free and honest legal services. Atlas has prioritized all calls and inquiries coming in about DACA and quickly organized two major community events to help respond: 1) a legal clinic for DACAmented youth on September 15th and 2) an Immigrant Resource Fair in collaboration with Mixteca and the Jamie Lucero Mexican Studies Institute.

At their immigrant resource fair, a team of Atlas youth, trained and supervised by their legal team, conducted immigration consultations for community members of all ages. Sadly​,​ they often had to correct inaccurate and fraudulent information people had received from private attorneys. Atlas’s youth peer educators also led a Know-Your-Rights presentation and an update about the DACA cancellation. 

We are proud to support Atlas’s work developing NYC’s young immigrant leaders.

Cantor Fitzgerald Charity Day 2017

Published: September 11, 2017  ~   0

On September 11th, 2017 The Catalog and its alumni member program Opening Act joined Cantor Fitzgerald and its affiliate BGC Partners for their annual Charity Day which commemorates the 648 employees Cantor Fitzgerald lost on 9/11.  Cantor donates 100% of the day’s global revenues to dozens of charities like the Catalog for Giving and its own Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, turning a tragic day in America’s history into one of positivity and hope. This year’s celebrity supporters, Uzo Aduba and Christopher Jackson, of Opening Act took to the trading floor and made dozens of trades to help support this great cause.

Meet Jocelyn from ScriptEd

Published: May 22, 2017  ~   0

As she prepares to graduate high school, Jocelyn looks forward to the next stage of her life with confidence and excitement. She will be attending Dickinson College as a POSSE Scholar, and she plans to study computer science. “I now know what it’s like to work at a company as a software developer, and I know that’s what I want.”

Jocelyn was exposed to careers in technology through Catalog member program ScriptEd. She took a coding course offered by ScriptEd at her school, the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of East Harlem. After her first year in the course, Jocelyn signed up for the ScriptEd internship program and spent the summer as an intern at ThoughtWorks, a technology consulting firm. “I got to network with people and get a glimpse of what my future could be like.”

Jocelyn’s second year with ScriptEd exposed her to even more opportunities in the field of software development. She attended advanced classes after-school at a company called Teachers Pay Teachers, where she expanded her coding skills and her network of professional contacts. She also signed up for another summer internship, and is excited to build more transferable skills. “I am really proud of the app I developed [in my internship], because it was the first time I built an app in that language. My managers told me that if I can do what ScriptEd taught me, I can build an app in any new language and use the same concepts and skills.”