Lucas's Fitness Lab 2022-2023 www.lucassfitnesslab.org
The Effect of
CHARITABLE GIVING 49%
84%
42%
gen x donors
millennials
PEOPLE
Enrolled in a monthly giving program
Donate to charity on a regular basis
Admit they feel enjoyment after giving
"No one has ever become poor by. giving." - Anne Frank
Through our service learning programs we empower kids as creators and give them ability give to other who are in need when they themselves may not have much to give....this is a very powerful tool inspiring the leaders of tomorrow
We want our youth to view the world through the lens as a creator and independent thinker.
"I don't have many resources but there are problems that I care about. What can I do?" How can I acquire resources to build the capacity to help others because I have the passion to do it.?" "I have capabilities, skills and time that I can give to help someone else"
Redefining philanthopy through service learning and problem solving
CONTENTS
4
About us
9
Intro Into C.A.R.E
5
Our Mission
13
Think Create Make
6
Whistle blower policy
15
Lucas's Esports
7
EEO
18
Fit Bodies
8
Advisory Board
20
2022 Program Highlight
ABOUT US
Lucas's Fitness Lab is a 501c3 nonprofit with a vision shared between Dennis Remorca, an entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry, and Rob Monahan who has been teaching K-12 students in NYC for over 20 years. The concept for Lucas's was inspired by multiple events that the two experienced during their 25-year friendship. Rob, a five-time cancer survivor, was a mentor and a key catalyst in the early stages of Dennis's career and taught him that anything is possible with enough drive, a problem-solving mindset, and the coping skills needed to move forward when things go wrong. After Dennis' son Lucas was born, he lost his father after a hard-fought battle with cancer. His view of the world changed dramatically. These events led to Dennis joining Rob in the non-profit community and to the birth of the idea for Lucas's Fitness Lab. Our mission statement is..."Giving kids the tools they need to build fit bodies and fit brains." What it really means though, is that all kids should have access to the tools needed to succeed and they should be trained to use those tools so that they can enjoy lifelong success. Making sure that there are no barriers holding back our youth when it comes to education, health & wellness, and mentorship is critical!
OUR MISSION Giving youth the tools they need to become creative problem-solvers in order to build a better tomorrow. We collaborate with community-builders, educators, and philanthropists. When passionate like-minded individuals act as mentors for our community's youth with the common goal of creating safe spaces where we can encourage their social-emotional development, academic achievements, and physical health and wellness. By establishing relationships and connecting stakeholders within the community, Lucas’s Fitness Lab has created a synergy that supports programs addressing the diverse needs of the youth we serve. This includes mentorship and leadership opportunities; 21st century STEM, Arts, and Literacy initiatives, and cutting-edge health and wellness programming.
1
CONFIDENCE & LEADERSHIP
2
COLLABORATION AND DIVERSITY
3 4 5
INNOVATION & CREATIVITY
ACCOUNTABILITY & INTEGRITY
SERVICE LEARNING & COMMUNITY BUILDING
Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc
501c3 Nonprofit Organization
Whistleblower Policy Lucas’s Fitness Lab requires directors, officers and employees to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. As employees and representatives of the Lucas’s Fitness Lab inc, we must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling our responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Reporting Responsibility This Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable employees and others to raise serious concerns internally so that Lucas’s Fitness Lab inc can address and correct inappropriate conduct and actions. It is the responsibility of all board members, officers, employees and volunteers to report concerns about violations of Lucas’s Fitness lab inc’s code of ethics or suspected violations of law or regulations that govern {Organization’s name}’s operations. No Retaliation It is contrary to the values of Lucas’s Fitness Lab inc for anyone to retaliate against any board member, officer, employee or volunteer who in good faith reports an ethics violation, or a suspected violation of law, such as a complaint of discrimination, or suspected fraud, or suspected violation of any regulation governing the operations of Lucas’s Fitness Lab inc. An employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment. Reporting Procedure Lucas’s Fitness Lab inc, has an open door policy and suggests that employees share their questions, concerns, suggestions or complaints with their supervisor. If you are not comfortable speaking with your supervisor or you are not satisfied with your supervisor’s response, you are encouraged to speak with President, Dennis Remorca. Supervisors and managers are required to report complaints or concerns about suspected ethical and legal violations in writing to the Lucas’s Fitness Lab Inc, Giray Atalay, who has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints. Employees with concerns or complaints may also submit their concerns in writing directly to their supervisor or the Executive Director or the organization’s Compliance Officer]. Compliance Officer The Lucas’s Fitness Lab Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring that all complaints about unethical or illegal conduct are investigated and resolved. The Compliance Officer will advise the [Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors] of all complaints and their resolution and will report at least annually to the [Treasurer/Chair of the Finance Committee/Audit Committee] on compliance activity relating to accounting or alleged financial improprieties. Accounting and Auditing Matters The Lucas’s Fitness Lab [Compliance Officer] shall immediately notify the Audit Committee/Finance Committee of any concerns or complaint regarding corporate accounting practices, internal controls or auditing and work with the committee until the matter is resolved. Good Faith Anyone filing a written complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense. Confidentiality Violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant. Reports of violations or suspected violations will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. Handling of Reported Violations The Lucas’s Fitness Lab [Compliance Officer] will notify the person who submitted a complaint and acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected violation. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken if warranted by the investigation. Compliance Officer: * {Note: The Compliance Officer may be a board member, the Executive Director, or a third party designated by the organization to receive, investigate and respond to complaints.} Dennis Remorca President at Lucas’s Fitness Lab inc Dennis@lucassfitnesslab.org
Policy approved by the Board of Directors on 2/7/2022
Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc
501c3 Nonprofit Organization
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc 501c3 nonprofit is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant. Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc will not discriminate or retaliate against applicants who inquire about, disclose, or discuss their compensation or that of other applicants. Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc. participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program. Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc. is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc is a drug-free workplace."
Dennis Remorca Dennis Remorca President
Lucas's Fitness Lab Inc
501c3 Nonprofit Organization
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHRISTINE KO President
TASNEEM F. HOQUE MD
Director, People Partner at Clear
Pediatric Cardiologist at NYU Winthrop University Hospital
Treasurer & Secretary
JACLINN TANNEY
SATINDER REKHI MD
FRANK COIRO, CIMA®
Co-Founder Jabber Dorado Enterprises (JDE)
Chief, Musculoskeletal Radiology at New York-Presbyterian of Queens
UBS Senior Vice President–Wealth Management
TONY INGRAO CEO Head Architect Ingrao Inc
Lucas’s Fitness Lab’s Communities Acquiring Resources for Education (C.A.R.E.) platform creates bridges connecting the youth in different communities in NYC and beyond to much-needed resources. To achieve the overall goal of closing achievement gaps and breaking down barriers that exist for the youth in our community, the C.A.R.E. platform uses a scaffold of three intertwined and complementary components: Community Building, Community Relationships, and Community Connections.
Breaking Down Barriers Our platform of organized programs that models strong community leadership skills and offer far reaching opportunities to youth by fostering the development of a mental framework that serves as a foundation for future learning. Removing barriers to health, wellness and education is our top priority. Students and families in any community should have access to positive role models and high quality educational programming Collaboration, Competition, Learning, and Prizes. All of our game-based learning programs are aligned with the Social/Emotional Development and Learning (SEDL) guidelines for NY State and designed to enhance academic skills, spark intellectual curiosity and encourage students to explore their interests and expand their worldview.
The Power of Collaboration: Synergy (NOUN): the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations produces a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
NYC Police
NYPD
Foundation
Law Enforcement
Afterschool
Corporate
Providers
Sponsors
Community Youth Driven
Based
Initatives
Organizaitons
Community
City Council
Stakeholders
Member
Religious
Private
Institutions
Donors
Educational
Health
Funding
Care/Wellness
Providers Dept. of Community Development
Dept. of
Wellness
Healthcare
Education
Companies
Providers
INCUBATOR
NYPD WELLNESS INITIATIVE
Sponsors & Partners
Characteristics of a Maker :
Resilience: When you make a project hands-on, you quickly learn that “failure” is just information to help you
Confidence: When you succeed in solving the problems by iterating and making, you learn you are able to solve all kinds of problems, in all areas of
Innovation and Creativity: When there is no “right way,” you learn how to invent new ways.
life. You develop cognitive and
improve your design and
metacognitive strategies that help
succeed.
you solve more and more complex real-world problems
Maker-style education is dedicated to the idea that we learn best through creative hands-on purposeful activities. In the process of making things and solving problems, we develop our thinking and learning capacities. At Lucas’s Fitness Lab, we created the makerspace of the future. THINK CREATE MAKE Makerspace 2.0 is a space where we integrate cutting edge innovation and technology with world class creativity to inspire and expose our community to the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow. Think Create Make : Makerspace 2.0 is built on establishing a maker’s culture: Taking hands-on creativity a step beyond DIY, and establishing a problem-solving mindset in the community at large. Giving people the ability to create is one of the most powerful tools in establishing or reaffirming their self-worth and confidence. Our mission is to make sure all youth in NYC have the opportunity to learn STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) skills through positive mentorship experiences which are grounded in service learning. Our “Maker” education style is a gamified project/problem-based and confidence-building way to learn challenging concepts. These kinds of skills transfer well to 21st century jobs, because Maker projects unlock innovative abilities! All people have unique talents and differyent ways of thinking and visualizing solutions. The things that make us different should be recognized and celebrated
MAKERSPACE 2.0 COMPUTER AIDED
DESIGN
3 D
C N C
P R I N T I N G
L A S E R
C U T T I N G
CRAFTSMANSHIP
C N C
W O O D
R O U T E R
W E L D I N G
I N T E R I O R
D E S I G N
C N C
P L A S M A
C U T T I N G
D R A F T I N G
Lucas's Esports mission is to empower students by providing community stakeholders, educational institutions with the knowledge, direction, support and resources to implement, maintain, educate and compete in electronic sports and the technology that drives it We have created an Esports platform which enables our youth to collaborate and compete in a safe, educational environment while enjoying the competitive social/emotion, cognitive benefits of Esports. We have the ability to provide schools, community based organizations and afterschool programs with everything from the design of your esports room, equipment, educational programming and staffing for their Esports program. We have mitigated start up cost by taking out the need for multiple consoles and platforms necessary to run the games by providing a turnkey solution within our platform!
Benefits of Esports
Social/Emotional Skills Sharing fun with others can increase intimacy and trust with others. Participants also show less behavioral problems, exhibit higher self-esteem, and healthier physiological adjustment.
Executive Function Skills A set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and selfcontrol. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life
Problem Solving Kids use multiple thinking skills (cognitive, metacognitive, creative, etc.) while playing and those skills are now being shown to be transferable to real-world situations.
Studies have shown that Esports provides many of the same benefits of grass sports, minus the physical exertion. There is teamwork, communication, strategy, and sportsmanship learned through participating in organized Esports. Cognitive & Social Development Improved hand-eye coordination Improved attention & visual acuity Improved basic visual processing and executive function Problem solving & strategy skill development 71% of parent report gaming having net positive effects for children Boosts self-confidence and player socialization 54% of gamers say gaming helps them connect with friends Collegiate Scholarships Over 280 colleges today feature Esports scholarship programs. These programs operate similarly to traditional programs, and sometimes operate out of the college's athletic departments. The total number of grass soccer scholarships is limited, so leaning into Esports for many players may become a realistic opportunity to gain valuable scholarships for college. All players who participate in our leagues will be placed in a national scouting directory for Esports scholarships to help them get discovered Academic Excellence Players who participate in Esports programs are found to have a higher interest in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) subjects and have strong average GPAs. Esports helps them engage with their fellow students and their schools. Problem Solving Skills Research shows that children that play videos games have a far much better chance of navigating through complex psychological issues compared to those that do not actively participate in video games. Future Job Market Playing video games can make students smarter and more employable across a wider spectrum of careers including medical field, engineering, aviation, remote flying, computer sciences, and etc. Strategic Thinking Esports can boost children strategic thinking, teamwork, communication, leadership, performance skills and confidence building.
Video games are shown to have a multitude of physical and social/emotional benefits for all ages.
Lucas’s Fitness Lab was initially created to offer the private sector’s expertise in health and wellness to our community's youth. As the founder of Remorca Fitness (now RFX STUDIOS) he owned and operated
4 personal training and wellness
centers, and educated/mentored hundreds within the fitness community. He and Rob’s initial concept of supplying our youth with Lucas’s Fitness Backpack in 2017 is what led to what Lucas's Fitness Lab is today.
Youth fitness is more than just teaching kids the concept of fitness, it is instilling the concept of building upon ones failure, coping through adversity and the confidence associated with success through perseverance. It is suggested that children achieve at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity in school and at least 30 minutes outside of school. With children spending most of their week in school, it is crucial that schools, and mentors play an active role in promoting a healthy lifestyle and give kids plenty of opportunities to be physically active during school time.
In order to attract all children into being physically active, it is important to offer an array of different activities and sports in your setting to appeal to everyone. Children are generally full of energy engaging them in creative ways is key in maintaining interest. Some of our programs are focused or utilize
Exergaming Fitness Wearables Dynamic fitness classes which reinforce teamwork and collaboration to accomplish the task at hand Boxing Dance Bodybuilding Martial Arts Powerlifting
2022 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT LUCAS'S ARCADE INITATIVE Summary The objective of the project is to teach participants to use CAD and modern manufacturing tools in order to design and fabricate a classic style Arcade console. The consoles will be donated to a local pediatric medical center and a local nursing home to combat some of the age and medically related cognitive challenges associated with the populations living in them. The fabrication and design will take place at Lucas’s Fitness lab due to the manufacturing capabilities the space provides.
This initial initiative will lay the service learning educational platform which will create social emotional/technical skills needed to execute large scale initiatives in the future! We want to provide our students with the opportunity to become creative problem solvers and creators as opposed to simply being consumers. We also want them to understand that they can defend the ability of others who are in vulnerable positions to be able to do the same.
By giving them the education and ability to create products for people in need, we are encouraging them to think more deeply about the things they use in their daily lives and about the things they may take for granted. They can also see how things like responsible material sourcing, ecologically friendly fabrication methods and commitments to fair wages positively or negatively affect the global community. After building this awareness, we will be presenting them with one of the major problems the underserved demographics of the elderly and healthimpaired youth face. This is medically-induced and age-related cognitive decline.
YVC Queens participants will therefore be designing and fabricating a product that can help slow down this cruel phenomenon. Board games, puzzles, and video games present unique, ever-changing challenges to people, young and old, with much higher levels of engagement for all age categories than other forms of mental engagement. Games also have been demonstrated to create strong social communities and cooperative learning opportunities. Goals You Wish To Accomplish
In short, there are 2 ultimate goals. One is to make people who may be struggling happy, and to connect them in ways that may not otherwise be possible due to their individual circumstances. Additionally improving quality of life by helping combat a significant challenge that is unique to these populations makes the project even more rewarding.
Our second goal is to create lifelong sustainable educational opportunities within this initial class of youth volunteers by providing them with an opportunity to build upon the experience of this service learning initiative and education they gained from the Makerstyle/Modern Manufacturing platform. Thus enabling them to take their service learning experience to a mentorship level through teaching the next round of youth volunteers in CAD/SolidWorks and Artisan Carpentry.
Community Partners We Collaborate With The Construction and STEM skills the youth will be learning will be provided by RFX Strength and
DG
Design/Construction’s
engineers,
STEM
Passport’s
Educational
Officer,
interior
designers, general contractors, and Lucas’s Fitness Lab’s Education Specialist.
STEAM-Based Educational Construction Skills Computer
Aided
Design
-
SolidWorks
CAD
is
Experience
software
specifically
created
and to
help
draft
documentation, visualize 2D or 3D design concepts using photorealistic renderings, simulate real-world
functionality,
and
export
CAD
data
to
computer-aided
manufacturing
(CAM)
software. It is an industry standard and knowledge/expertise in SolidWorks is highly sought after.
Upon completion of the SolidWorks educational course, students will have the opportunity to take advantage of our scholarship opportunity to the exam to be accredited as a Certified SolidWorks Associate.
Modern Manufacturing
- Exposure to a modern manufacturing environment which is filled
with advanced technologies, computer aided machines, and progressive software programs. This has taken a lot of the laborious work out of production and allowed manufacturing professionals to focus on the things that matter: innovation, precision, and quality. In this service learning program, our youth will learn how to program and operate CNC machines like
CNC Wood Router CNC Co2 Laser Cutter CNC Plasma Table 3D Printers Construction Tool Use - Designing and manufacturing of components are only the beginning. Learning to use the tools necessary to assemble pieces into a finished product which then undergoes
a
refinement
process
to
make
it
ready
for
the
customer
is
essential.
For
this
particular project we will be teaching joinery techniques and we will maintain a focus on details like ergonomics and user experience. As with the high-end fitness equipment we manufacture, pieces will be customized based on needs. This may include measuring things like bed tables at the hospital, testing the weight of the units to ensure ease of transport and getting feedback directly from the users.
Craftsmanship - This is not limited to the making of crafts. It’s a complicated process which includes having the mindset, skills, and dispositions of a master craftsman/artisan. Sourcing Understanding of how wood works and behaves starting with selecting the right pieces of wood for the given job.
Calculations - familiarity with algebra and geometry which are needed for accurate material allocation and problem solving.
Mechanical skills- Builders rely on a variety of machines and tools to perform their work, including both onsite and offsite tools. Being comfortable using machinery and tools ensures that they can safely complete their duties and execute their job functions.
Dexterity -Working on intricate parts and connections requires a builder to have physical dexterity, using gross and fine motor skills. Attention to detail- finishing the material and assembling the final product according to the specifications of the blueprints or CAD renderings
What is the Impact Within the Community? The impact our project will have on the community is profound. First it will bring awareness to two underserved demographics, the elderly and children fighting cancer. By utilizing the YVC's IPARD/C stages of service learning, our volunteers will develop an appreciation for the simplistic everyday tasks we may take for granted and how those same tasks may be mountains for others. Empathy for others, self-reflection and appreciation for the present, is what we are trying to instill with our youth volunteers. For our community, we are looking to have multiple media outlets documenting the initiative which will bring the same awareness and appreciation to the general public
Senior Centers - The Benefits of Playing Video Games as You Age As we age, we settle into our roles in life: wage earner, parent, spouse, etc., and we find comfort in the familiarity of the same tasks. It is important for the health of the aging brain to resist complacency. To keep the mind sharp and the brain active, we need to be lifelong learners, seeking out new challenges when things become stagnant.That’s where analog and video games have proven to be incredibly valuable tools.
A 2019 study by AARP found that 44% of Americans ages 50+ enjoy video games at least once a month. That statistic is up 6% from the last time the study was conducted in 2016. Video games are on the rise, and women are the leading demographic in the study, playing more often than men. Video games for seniors have a number of mental benefits that can translate into physical habits.
The Benefits of Playing Video Games for Seniors Cognitive Improvement- New, unfamiliar games have the most benefits for your brain, because they challenge your mind to form new pathways. Games that require focus, memorization and recognition train your brain to better those skills. The cognitive benefits of video games can combat memory disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s by working against deterioration of the brain. And since video games improve your reaction time, senior gamers are more likely to react better to a fall.
Social Engagement- When multiplayer video games are played in person, many people find enjoyment in being able to play the game while discussing it and participating in some healthy and friendly competition. Multiplayer games can also be played online, where you also have the option of speaking with your opponent.
Increase in Coordination- Games that require you to use a physical controller are said to improve hand-eye coordination. This is especially helpful to seniors who may struggle with balance or have experienced any loss in mobility.
Reduction- One of the underlying health benefits of video games is the stress relief they inevitably provide by allowing you to take your mind off anything outside the game. Fortunately, playing video games isn’t a bad way to zone out of life’s stressors, unlike other mindless activities like watching TV can be. Playing video games can be both stress relieving and productive.
Pediatric Hospital ArcadePediatric cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are known to cause both immediate and delayed onset problems with the heart, kidneys, lungs, and hormonal system, along with increasing the risk of developing secondary cancers. Treatments may also cause psychosocial effects such as anxiety, depression, and anger along with physiological issues like hypercortisolism, which in term can lead to further metabolic derangements. This can be a vicious cycle for a cancer patient or survivor to live with.
Additionally, people with cancer often experience cognitive impairments in attention, memory, and processing abilities. Chemo brain is an actual term for a matrix of symptoms that can be caused not only by chemotherapy treatments, but also by radiation treatments, hormonal treatments, stress, and age. Video games are shown to have a multitude of physical and social/emotional benefits for all age Video games are shown to have a multitude of physical and social/emotional benefits for all ages.
Executive Function Skills -a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life
Social/Emotional Skills - Sharing fun with others can increase intimacy and trust with others. Participants also show less behavioral problems, exhibit higher self-esteem, and healthier physiological adjustment. Kids use multiple thinking skills (cognitive, metacognitive, creative, etc.) while playing and those skills are now being shown to be transferable to real-world situations.
By installing Arcades in a pediatric cancer center, we hope to create a conduit through which we can collect data on the cognitive, metacognitive and the social emotional effects of gaming on patients receiving cancer treatments. Doctoral Candidate, Chief Educational Officer of Lucas’s Fitness Lab, and 5x cancer survivor (including childhood leukemia) survivor Robert Monahan is currently researching the ways in which gaming and gamification enhance thinking skills, strategy use, and cognitive performance in real world problem-solving scenarios.
Data we hope to extract from our studies: When kids go through a series of steps to play or beat a game, or they work on logic puzzles and engineering tasks, to what degree and in what ways are the skills they are using transferable? Which game types build the skills the kids need to create solutions when presented with a novel problem-solving scenarios. We call this the problem-solver’s disposition. How is help-seeking in learning scenarios used by kids experiencing trauma or by elderly adults who may be ashamed to ask for help at times? What types of prompting (hints), engagement tactics and game types work best?
Our Course This initiative will take place over the course of 5 months. Students will be broken up into 4 groups of 15 which will meet two times a week from 3-5 (ie Monday/ Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday) and one virtual lesson. Youth volunteers will also have to go through our SolidWorks educational platform on their own and test to pass a standardized test to become proficient at SolidWorks. Upon completion of the course load, youth volunteers will receive a certification of completion and will have the opportunity to mentor students in the next round of fabrication & design
Curriculum Breakdown
Weeks 1 & 2 Creative Problem Solving/Brainstorming Introduction to Computer Aided Design and Solidworks 2d and 3d modeling Applications of CAD in everyday life and in our communities (construction, graphic design, medical) Preliminary Design Blueprints
Weeks 3 & 4 Introduction and Application of Modern Manufacturing Technology CNC Machinery Laser Cutter CNC Routers CNC Plasma Cutters 3D Printing CAM Software and how we take the CAD files and make into products which can benefit our communities
Artisan Craftsmanship Sourcing Environmentally Friendly Materials Mechanical Skills and Best Practices Workshop Tools Drafting and Planning Finish work
Weeks 4, 5 & 6 Modern Manufacturing Fabrication Nesting and setting up of CNC equipment Laser Cutting 3D Printing of components
Weeks 7 & 8 Artisan Craftsmanship Building and assembling products Finish Work
Weeks 8 & 9 Reflection - Intent vs Impact / KWL Chart Certification Exam Explanation of the next initiative and possible collaboration and furthering of education
Who is Our Target Demographic Our target youth demographic is 14-17 years of age. For our recruitment we have a multi-prong approach. First will be dedicating $35,000 of our $120,000 per year google ad grant towards building awareness of YVC Queens and our initiatives. Second will be through our partnerships with community stakeholders.
We have reached out to establish a partnership with the NYC Department of Education’s Service In Schools Program which offers a locally approved diploma seal of recognition for youth service. The Seal of Recognition for Service, or Service Seal, recognizes high school students who accumulate a minimum of 100 hours of service over their high school years. Students will apply to our program through their guidance counselors or career development counselors.
Our Partners Through our partnership with other community based organizations like the GRYC, Ridgewood Kiwanis and the Brooklyn Community Foundation.
The Narritive Our intent is to provide our students and volunteers with long term sustainable technical skills which are embedded through the lens of service learning. In order to properly educate and execute these initiatives, we realized that there needs to be a synergy between all of our initiatives which build on the previous.. With that mentality in mind, we are using this initiative as an opportunity to properly onboard our “Creative” volunteers with the education and best practices they need for all scopes of modern day construction/manufacturing. Examples are drafting plans/renderings, fabricating components, and finishing work on a construction site. Our next initiative will be based on the Artisan Trade Apprenticeship focusing on carpentry/finishing work/plumbing. In this initiative, we will take the youth volunteers onsite to an underserved community member (public housing, veteran’s home, nursing center, child daycare) whose living conditions are in need of addressing.