Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza earlier today unveiled plans for the Brooklyn STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Center, a first-of-its-kind facility in New York City that will support students with real-world work experience in emerging professions based at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
This new state-of-the-art educational hub will be located on the third floor of Building 77 at the Navy Yard and will serve hundreds of juniors and seniors from eight of the borough’s public high schools as part of their pursuit of high-quality career and technical education (CTE) programs.
“The vision we shared for pipeline education back at the start of our journey at Brooklyn Borough Hall has now truly come to life. The Brooklyn STEAM Center will be a marquee educational institution that exemplifies the best of our borough’s academic and economic potential,” said Adams.
The Brooklyn STEAM Center is a partnership between the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC), with instruction that focuses on five career pathways, selected for their presence within the Brooklyn Navy Yard and for their job potential in the larger labor market. The pathways are computer science, construction technology, culinary arts and business, design and engineering, and film and media.
Additionally, the educational center will provide students who complete the program with a portfolio of work that meets industry expectations, a network of professional contacts, proficiency across a set of technical and professional competencies, as well as a clear next step to college and/or career advancement.
“High-quality Career and Technical Education is a critical part of our Equity & Excellence for All agenda to put every student on the path to college and careers. The new, first-of-its-kind Brooklyn STEAM Center is an invaluable investment and will give Brooklyn students a new access point for active, real-world learning experiences,” said Carranza.
The center will play as a public school program co-located within a business environment, enhancing the academic development of local high school students competing for the high-quality STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics)-based jobs in the borough and beyond. The program will also further BNYDC mission to provide access to high-quality, sustainable manufacturing and technology jobs.
Students enrolled in the Brooklyn STEAM Center are introduced to the program as freshmen and sophomores, getting familiarized with Brooklyn Navy Yard, CTE foundational skills, and program options as well as completing work for core requirements. While juniors and seniors engage in a shared instruction, half-day model, split between work at their academic high schools and CTE study at the center.
The first cohort of students for the Brooklyn STEAM Center was selected in the 2015-16 school year as freshmen. Currently, approximately 150 students enroll each year, for a total of 300 juniors and seniors; at capacity, the Brooklyn STEAM Center will serve 350-400 students each year.
Adams’ allocated $5 million toward the Brooklyn STEAM Center which is the highlight of more than $25 million in Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) funds from Brooklyn Borough Hall to advance STEAM education across more than 175 schools in the borough.
“This STEAM-powered hub, along with the Brooklyn Pipeline at Medgar Evers College and the many branches of the One Brooklyn Engineering Pipeline, are shattering the traditional education paradigm that was stuck in 20th century thinking. My administration is investing in connecting school experiences and curriculum from elementary to college and breaking students out of siloed classroom realities,” added Adams.
