CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING Wins Inaugural National Summer Learning Association Climate Change Award

 

CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING Wins Inaugural National Summer Learning Association Climate Change Award

City Parks Foundation’s CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING program was named as the winner of the Inaugural Climate Change Learning Award for National Summer Learning Association’s (NSLA) 2020 Summer Learning Awards season. City Parks Foundation is one of four exemplary summer programs recognized for improving outcomes for children and youth and honored as models for the nation. 

Out of nearly 350 applicants, the winning CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING program met the rigorous criteria for this national recognition that includes helping students cement skills learned during the school year, effective family engagement strategies, and inclusive and innovative programming to serve the diverse needs of children and their families.

The Climate Change Award aims to recognize outstanding programs with a focus on building knowledge and awareness among young people about the effect of climate change, the importance of environmental stewardship, and what they can do to have an impact on their community. CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING will receive a $10,000 donation for the inaugural Climate Change Award and will be recognized in a virtual awards celebration held in November 2020. 

CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING provides a five-week summer program that allows for unique explorations in parks — from urban forests and rivers to coastal marshes and beaches — for young women living in underserved neighborhoods in NYC. CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING is also offered as a once-a-week after school program in multiple park sites around the city, focusing on STEM learning, environmental science, and justice issues and fostering an understanding of the impact of climate change on the city’s waterways and urban forests. 

CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING also offers a safe space for young women to share their social and academic challenges, celebrate their successes, build social support systems, and discuss topics like mental health, bullying, healthy relationships and lifestyles, gender bias, and more — all while changing the perception that STEM studies or careers are inaccessible to them because of their socioeconomic background or gender identity.

In 2020, ING Americas announced a three-year partnership to support the CityParks Green Girls program. ING has been long-time supporter of many of City Parks Foundation’s free sports instruction for kids, while hundreds of ING employees have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to beautify neighborhood parks across the city.

In 2021, City Parks Foundation will make the Green Girls Empowered by ING curriculum available to teachers and out-of-school time providers around the country, free of charge. The curriculum will be offered free for download but will require teachers to participate in an online learning session with CityParks Learn educators beforehand and to report on their program outcomes to inform and help shape future curriculum updates. The curriculum will include suggested lesson plans, tips on establishing partnerships, and advocacy tools to help instructors run a successful program.

“We are so proud to win this inaugural Climate Change award for our CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING program. We are committed to providing girls opportunities to explore our city’s natural ecosystems through hands-on activities.  Our goal is to help these adolescent girls develop confidence and feel a sense of responsibility to create positive change in their natural environment,” said Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. “This recognition is coming at the perfect time, right when we are working to expand our program to teachers and out-of-school time providers nationwide by creating a curriculum and program model that we will share, free of charge, in early 2021.”

“This year’s winners are exemplary models of equitable, high-quality summer learning programs that help close the opportunity gap that can manifest at birth,” said Aaron Philip Dworkin, chief executive officer of NSLA. “We aim to support and encourage more programs like these, which engage our children, spark their curiosity and provide valuable social-emotional skills to succeed in academics and in life.”

For more information about the CityParks Green Girls Empowered by ING program and the 2021 digital nationwide program, please visit cityparksfoundation.org/green-girls.

About City Parks Foundation

At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs -- located in more than 400 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City --reach 300,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.

Governor Cuomo: 'The President Is Not Above the Law'

 

Governor Cuomo: "He doesn't control federal funding. The federal law controls federal funding, and the federal law is very specific: Jurisdiction doesn't get affordable housing money if it does this, jurisdiction gets community development money if it does this, the jurisdiction gets Title I education funding if it does this. And the President is not above the law - that's the Constitution of the United States."

Cuomo: "A couple of years ago they said sanctuary cities would not get federal criminal justice moneys and we said it was illegal and unconstitutional. We sued them and we won. Federal court said they could not take the federal money that was appropriated by Congress."

 The President talked about the anarchist jurisdictions. This is a continuation of his political theme which is that he's the law and order candidate. I understand the politics but when you try to manipulate and distort government agencies to play politics which is what the Trump Administration has done from day one, it's what the SALT taxes were, just taking from Democratic states to give to Republicans, it's what the Trusted Traveler Program was which has been outed by the US Attorney in the Southern District, so this is more the same.

If you remember, the Trump Administration tried this once before, not a new play. A couple of years ago they said sanctuary cities would not get federal criminal justice moneys and we said it was illegal and unconstitutional. We sued them and we won. Federal court said they could not take the federal money that was appropriated by Congress.

New York City has about $7 billion in federal funding which is much higher than the other cities he's named. Seattle only gets about $365 million. Not only - it's a lot of money but compared to New York City, it's not. Portland, Oregon, $252 million. New York City, $7.4 billion. Congress appropriates funds with specific legal requirements, so New York City gets HOME money from HUD. That's affordable housing money, it's appropriated with specific laws about the administration of that money. It gets community development block grant, CDBG, from HUD. There are specific legal requirements on that funding. The President can't supersede the law and say, "I'm going to make those funds basically discretionary funds," which is what he would to do to basically say, "I control all federal funding." He doesn't control federal funding. The federal law controls federal funding, and the federal law is very specific: Jurisdiction doesn't get affordable housing money if it does this, jurisdiction gets community development money if it does this, the jurisdiction gets Title I education funding if it does this. And the President is not above the law - that's the Constitution of the United States.

Policing is a power by the Constitution that is left to the States. That's the Tenth Amendment, it's left to the States. New York City is a creature of State law and the State, New York State, has the Constitutional authority for policing power. So just like sanctuary cities when he did it a couple of years ago and lost, if they actually do this, we will challenge it legally and he will lose once again because we've seen this play before. But again, it's just for the politics and part of his campaign rhetoric. 

CITIES TARGETED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP UNITE IN RESPONSE

  

New York, Portland, and Seattle speak out against political attack

 New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan today issued a joint statement in response to President Donald Trump’s threat to revoke federal funding.

 

“This is thoroughly political and unconstitutional. The President is playing cheap political games with Congressionally directed funds. Our cities are bringing communities together; our cities are pushing forward after fighting back a pandemic and facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, all despite recklessness and partisanship from the White House. What the Trump Administration is engaging in now is more of what we've seen all along: shirking responsibility and placing blame elsewhere to cover its failure.”

Elected Officials Come Out to Ask For an Early Voting Site in Parkchester

 

Parkchester Assemblywoman Karines Reyes was joined by State Senator Luis Sepulveda, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Harlem State Senator Brian Benjamin, and a few local community activists to call for an early voting site in the Parkchester community.

While the Board of Elections has increased the number of early voting sites in the Bronx from ten to sixteen, there remains no early voting site in the 87th Assembly District it was said. Reyes had written a letter to the Bronx BOE stating that on Primary day 2020 she had seen long lines of up to one-hundred people waiting outside at five of the six poll sites in Parkchester. She compared Parkchester to several housing complexes across the city including Coop-City which have their own early voting sites. 

Reyes added that she had worked out with the Parkchester Management Corporation to have a store that closed to be used rent free as an early voting site, but it seemed as though the Republican BOE commissioner was blocking the proposal. Senator Luis Sepulveda when he spoke, said that he talked to the Chair of the Bronx Republican Party, who said his commissioner would not object to the proposal. In my communication with the Bronx Republican Party Chair Michael Rendino later, he said that the list of early voting sites was already made public, and that the BOE was already informing voters of their early voting sites.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer answering my question about poor training of poll workers said that the BOE is a two party patronage system which needs to be dismantled, and a new system put in its place. Senator Benjamin said that early voting was the first bill passed, but that the legislature would have to clean the bill up. 

Above - State Senator Sepulveda speaking about his conversations with the Bronx Republican Party Chair who said he would not oppose the Reyes proposal.

Below - Congresswoman AOC speaking about the Voter's Right's Act. 

Above - State Senator Jamaal Bailey speaks about his support of the Reyes proposal.

Below - Public Advocate Williams speaking on the need for early voting.

City Comptroller answering the question of poor training of poll workers by the BOE. He also worried about the Rank Choice Voting next year, and how the BOE would be doing it.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

 

0.86 of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

2 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

SLA and State Police Task Force Visits 1,585 Establishments; Observes 7 Establishments Not in Compliance

Confirms 862 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 449,900; New Cases in 47 Counties

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"Our numbers continue to look good, and our infection rate is again below one percent. Our progress is thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers who came together and rose to the occasion like no other community," Governor Cuomo said. "But this pandemic is far from over, and with flu season approaching it's especially critical we remain vigilant: wash your hands, wear a mask, socially distance, and above all, stay New York Tough."

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,585 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 7 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

• Bronx - 1
• Brooklyn - 1
• Manhattan - 1 
• Nassau - 4

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 468 (+1)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 72
• Hospital Counties - 31
• Number ICU - 132 (-12)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 60 (+0)
• Total Discharges - 76,179 (+78)
• Deaths - 2
• Total Deaths - 25,427

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez hosts Free Book Bag, Food, Mask, Hand Sanitizer, and Census 2020 Event at Pelham Bay Park

 

Saturday may have been a little cooler than a normal September day, but things were really hot at Pelham Bay Park as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was holding her Free Book Bag, Food, Face Mask, Hand Sanitizer, and Census 2020 drive. Tables were set up with hundreds of book bags, bags of food, face masks, bottles of hand sanitizer, and sign ups for Census 2020. 

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez arrived to hand out book bags, talk to people, held an eleven month old baby while talking to the baby's older brother, pose for pictures with many of the attendees, and even held a press conference where she answered questions from the reporters who swarmed in on the event. She wound up the event by posing with many of the volunteers who came to help her and get an orange Ocasio-Cortez t-shirt. 

Above - AOC at the book bag table talking to some voters.

Below - AOC hands this young boy a book bag.

Above - AOC holding eleven month old Serenity, while talking to her older brother.

Below - AOC answers a question about her upcoming general election.

Photo 4 - A group photo with many of the volunteers.

Governor Cuomo Announces New Record-high Number of COVID-19 Tests Reported to New York State

 

110,444 Test Results Reported to New York State Yesterday

0.89 of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

2 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

SLA and State Police Task Force Visits 1,434 Establishments; Observes 6 Establishments Not in Compliance

Confirms 986 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 449,038; New Cases in 49 Counties

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a new record-high number of test results — 110,444 — were reported to New York State yesterday. Yesterday, 0.89 of test results reported to New York State were positive. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov. 

"When we first started this journey a few months ago, we only had the capacity to do a few hundred tests per day - we have now reached a new record with over 110,000 tests reported to the State in one day," Governor Cuomo said. "Despite testing more than most other states, our infection rate remains below one percent. But this pandemic is not over. We must protect our progress, and it's going to take all of us to keep up our hard work to do so. Everyone must continue to wash their hands, wear their masks, remain socially distant and above all, stay New York Tough."

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,434 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 6 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

• Brooklyn - 1
• Suffolk - 5

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 467 (-11)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 61
• Hospital Counties - 31
• Number ICU - 144 (+3)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 60 (-2)
• Total Discharges - 76,101 (+65
• Deaths - 2
• Total Deaths - 25,425

Governor Cuomo Announces New York State Will Honor the Life and Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg With Statue in Brooklyn

 

Governor Cuomo will Appoint a Commission to Select an Artist and Oversee the Location Selection Process

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State will honor the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a statue in Brooklyn, her birthplace. The Governor will appoint a commission to select an artist and undergo a location selection process.

"Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg selflessly pursued truth and justice in a world of division, giving voice to the voiceless and uplifting those who were pushed aside by forces of hate and indifference. As a lawyer, jurist, and professor, she redefined gender equity and civil rights and ensured America lived up to her founding ideals — she was a monumental figure of equality, and we can all agree that she deserves a monument in her honor," Governor Cuomo said. "She persevered despite several bouts of cancer and was present every single day to participate in the strengthening and safeguarding of our democracy. Her 27 years on the court reshaped our understanding of the basic tenets of equality and justice. While the family of New York mourns Justice Ginsburg's death, we remember proudly that she started her incredible journey right here in Brooklyn. Her legacy will live on in the progress she created for our society, and this statue will serve as a physical reminder of her many contributions to the America we know today and as an inspiration for those who will continue to build on her immense body of work for generations to come."

The commission will be appointed in the coming days and, when formed, will provide recommendations to the Governor pertaining to the design, location and installation of the new memorial. The commission will initiate broad outreach to the art community, including contacting art institutions and organizations as well as direct artist outreach.