Dream Project at the Brownsville Learning Lab

The Dream Project
For the last few months the Learning Lab has been heavily focused on Dreams and what it takes to make them a reality. During the month of February, participants were able to listen to and discuss Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech. We even created a blackboard that displayed the entire speech and posted photos of MLK and other influential civil rights leaders. In March, Learning lab interns were able to put together a book reading of Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by Susan V. Bosak for Youth Court members. After the reading, Peer Mentors and Youth Court Members wrote their dreams and goals on a long piece of origami paper and with little instruction constructed Dream Stars. These stars are being displayed proudly in the Learning Lab.

The Learning Lab has produced it's second newsletter based on the Dream Project. Check it out HERE

Learning Lab participant working on her contribution the newsletter

Dream Bulletin Board

Youth take the lead at the Belmont Service Day!

On Thursday, April 17, 2014, the Belmont Ave business corridor buzzed with renewed energy and excitement. Over 100 volunteers came to lend a hand at the launch of the Brownsville Community Justice Center's latest initiative through the "Brownsville: Stronger Together" campaign: the Belmont Revitalization Project. The largest demographic of volunteers to lend a hand were Brownsville youth under 24 years old! Leave a comment to show your support of their hard work! Read more below!

The completed mural that a group of young people worked on alongside artists from Xmental during the Belmont Service Day! You can find this mural on the side of C-Town on Belmont Ave and Thatford Ave! 

The launch of the Belmont Revitalization Project was a large service day that included street cleaning, graffiti removal, a church clean-up, greening of a vacant lot and the removal of dumping from side streets. The Justice Center and our volunteers were hosted by Pastor Derrick Harvey at the Total Recovery Worship Center!

Over 100 volunteers were signed in and assigned to a clean-up project! 

The service day was a huge success that would not have been possible without great partners, which included: the New York City Housing Authority's greening crew, the Department of Transportation's Plaza Program, the Belmont C-Town Supermarket, Community Board 16, Mark Morris Dance Group, Sound Vaderz Entertainment, the Pitkin Ave BID, the NYC Dept. of Sanitation, the 73rd Precinct Community Affairs, the Brownsville Partnership, Made in Brownsville, the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Neighborhood Improvement Association, Xmental, Inc., and the Langston Hughes Senior Center.

GRAAFICs youth crew helped out with the Belmont service day along with Monique Minter, a BAVP campaign advisory board member! 

We were extremely happy to see youth take the lead on taking back their community. Of the 100 volunteers, more than half were youth and young adults under the age of 24 years old. We want to thank several volunteer groups that lent their staff and/or Brownsville youth to the service day. Shout out to: the CUNY Corps, John Jay College Office of Community Outreach, GRAAFICS, A Rose is Still A Rose, The "Do You" youth group, the NYPD Explorers, and the New York Restoration Project.

The NYCHA greening crew came to help out! They did an amazing job in a vacant lot on Thatford Ave and Belmont Ave!

Officer Cruz brought out her Brownsville young women's youth group "A Rose is Still a Rose" to join us in service! 

With out a doubt, youth enrolled in all of our Justice Center programs showed up and showed out by taking the lead on several of the clean-up projects.What a job well done! Youth also worked closely with the Justice Center's long time teaching artists Patty and Ralph of Xmental, Inc to complete another amazing community mural the day of the event!

We are also in great gratitude to the all of our sister projects at the Center for Court Innovation. Service crews came all the way from Midtown, Red Hook, Newark and the Bronx to supervise service activities and got down and dirty with the rest of us! Team work makes the dream work!

Our sister projects from the Center for Court Innovation came by to show us some love and lend a hand!



Cleaning crews filled the Belmont  Ave business corridor! 

A few of the crew worked on green tree pits with Rebecca, a volunteer from the New York Restoration Project!

Youth set-up and began cleaning the "One Day Plaza" for music and fun activities at the Belmont Service Day!

John Jay College service corps came to lend a hand!

BEFORE: the lot on the corner of Thatford was an overgrown dumping ground.

AFTER: it transformed to a beautiful garden to finally due justice to the Langston Hughes monument it houses!

 

 
BEFORE: the side of the building and grate were marred with graffiti
AFTER: brightened with a fresh coat of paint, all we left behind was a mountain of trash bags for Sanitation! Evidence of a hard days work!

   

NY1 shines a spotlight on the Brownsville Learning Lab

http://www.ny1.com/content/news/207546/nypd--learning-lab-team-up-to-put-kids-on-right-path

 

If you are not a Time Warner subscriber you may view the new clip through 4/30/14 using the following information:

link: http://www.ny1.com/employeelogin.aspx
username: twcaccess
password: templogin0134

 

Dante Kearse, Peer Mentor at the Justice Center speaks about what the Learning Lab offers youth in Brownsville.

David Echols speaks about how tutoring he got at the the Learning Lab helped him to finallly get his GED and make positive changes in his life.

 

 

Fight AIDS. Love LIFE.

The Brownsville Youth Court is fundraising for the 

NYC AIDS WALK 

on May 18, 2014

Members are selling red wristbands embossed with "Fight AIDS. Love LIFE."

Each wristband is $1 and can be purchased inside of the Youth Programs office in Suite 106.

The Youth Programs office is located inside of the Brownsville Community Justice Center  at 444 Thomas S Boyland Street, Room 106 Brooklyn, NY 11212 

(Between East New York  and Pitkin Aves)

Brownsville Youth Court: Recent Highlights

Youth Court members  preparing for a case.

                                 Overview 

Since opening in May 2011, the Brownsville Youth Court has heard 327 cases and has a compliance rate of 90%. Additionally, 107 young people have participated in the court. Civic Engagement is major component of the Youth Court. Since 2011, Youth Court members have conducted over 1400 hours of community service throughout the Brownsville community and spent more than 5000 hours hearing cases.

                                                                       

Youth Court members with the Honorable Judge Jeanette Ruiz

                 NYC Law Department Visit

On February 20, 2014, the New York City Law Department hosted a wonderful visit for our Youth Court members. The members met with major stakeholders in the juvenile justice system and received a detailed overview of how the juvenile justice system works. The presentations engaged the members in a informative discussion about how young people can reduce crime rates and be productive in their communities. The members were able to observe court proceedings and met with several judges.

Members at the Bake Sale

Fundraising 

On February 19, 2014, the Brownsville Youth Court hosted a successful bake sale. Community members and partners came out to support the fundraiser. The members offered homemade treats, which included cupcakes, cookies, and cake.  Seventy-five percent of the proceeds will go the member enrichment opportunities and 25 percent will kick start the member's NYC AIDS Walk fundraising initiative. 

MLK DAY painting project at the Brownsville Recreation Center

                          Civic Engagement

On January 20, 2014, the Youth Court members volunteered at the Brownsville Recreation Center for MLK Day of Service. The members transformed a once unusable room into a bright and inviting space for the young people who utilize the recreational center.  

Brownsville Learning Lab

Brownsville Learning Lab

Open and ready for business! The Brownsville Learning Lab is a place where learners between the ages of 12 – 24 can receive additional assistance with their educational or work related needs. The Brownsville Community Justice Center (BCJC) along with the Juvenile Robbery Intervention Program (JRIP) has provided a comfortable “home-like” computer lab, where learners can do homework, type up a paper, look for a job or just browse the web.  All of our free programming are geared to strengthen each student's ability to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice.

What makes our lab unique is that we are not a traditional computer lab with strict rules and limited social engagement. We want to be able to keep our learners engaged by allowing them to be themselves and not limiting their greatness. Our Peer Mentors also sets us apart from the rest. Our Peer Mentors, who are well experienced with working with the BCJC and the JRIP, are Brownsville residents and have experience with many issues they face growing up in the community. They are able to keep participants focused and are always able to “bring it back” when discussions go off topic.

We offer drop-in hours on Mondays through Thursdays from 3:30-6:30PM. Peer Mentors are available at the lab and ready to assist students with homework, writing assignments, creative writing, and publishing projects. The Learning Lab also offers assistance with resume writing and job readiness skills. Although our target is young people 12 – 24, anyone from Brownsville can utilize this resource. In fact, it is highly encouraged that our young people interact with their elders in a positive educational setting.  All are welcomed!

Participants of the Learning Lab are eligible for internship opportunities with the lab and with other programs at the Brownsville Community Justice Center. 

Law Internships with the Brownsville Youth Court

LAW INTERNSHIPS

FOR TEENS

Are you 14-18?

Are you currently enrolled in school or a GED Program?

Do you want to learn about the law?

Do you want to help other teens who have gotten into trouble?

 The Brownsville Youth Court Wants You!

Visit us www.facebook.com/brownsvilleyouthcourt

Apply HERE or Download the Application HERE

Application Deadline is March 30, 2014