Long Island City, NY—May 22, 2013—Dr. Suresh Canagarajah, a professor of Applied Linguistics and English at Pennsylvania State University and an award-winning author, will be the featured speaker at the Literacy Brokers Program’s inaugural event on May 30.

In his presentation/workshop, “Brokering Academic Publishing Conventions,” Dr. Canagarajah will discuss and demystify academic publishing conventions, show how they are biased to certain ways of relating to knowledge and discuss possibilities of renegotiating them. Following his presentation, there will be focused discussion groups and a large group exchange.

The presentation is geared toward multilingual faculty/scholars and those who support their efforts toward academic publications: writing and English language teachers and support services; academic department chairs; and academic administrators.

The event is sponsored by LaGuardia’s Center for Teaching and Learning in support of the Literacy Brokers Program initiative. The initiative, which is coordinated by Associate Professor Maria Jerskey of the Education and Language Acquisition Department, promotes the academic writing and publishing practices of multilingual faculty members by cultivating networks of literacy brokers—behind-the-scene-mediators—that are instrumental in shaping multilingual scholars’ texts as they move to completion.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Canagarajah has advocated for practices that empower language learners at all levels and make use of the inherent creativity multilinguals bring to their acquisition of language and literacy competence.

Dr. Canagarajah was the editor of TESOL Quarterly from 2005 to 2009, and an editor and author of several books and over 50 journal articles and book chapters.
For his writing, he was awarded the MLA’s Mina Shaughnessy Award, the Gary Olsen Award from the Association for the Teachers of Advanced Composition and the CCC Richard Braddock Award.

 

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

and Computer Literacy Program for Displaced Homemakers

Long Island City, NY—May 21, 2013—LaGuardia Community College is offering a free job readiness and computer literacy program for displaced homemakers who are interested in entering the workforce.

Through the college’s Home to Work Center for Displaced Homemakers, students receive computer and vocational training that will prepare them for sustainable employment. They also attend workshops on job readiness, personal development and economic self-sufficiency workshops, and receive career counseling as well as job search and placement assistance.

Classes are ongoing.

To qualify, individuals must be displaced homemakers, including those who are separated, divorced, widowed, single parents. Also eligible are those who have unemployed spouses or partners, have been taking care of disabled family members, or have experienced a loss of family income. Participants must be New York State residents as well as either U.S. citizens, with a valid work permit, or qualified TANF non-citizens.

For more information call (718) 482-5171 or (718) 482-5351, email vjarvis@lagcc.cuny.edu or wfrancis@lagcc.cuny.edu or visit room C-314 in the college’s C-building at 29-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City.


LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

An All-Expense Paid Trip to its Country

Long Island City, NY—May 21, 2013—In appreciation of its strong relationship with LaGuardia Community College, the Consulate General of Japan in New York has invited 46 CUNY students to take part in an all-expense paid 10-day study tour of Japan in May.

“Kakehashi – Bridge for Tomorrow” the Youth Exchange Program with North America will take the students to Tokyo and Kyoto and several universities. The rare program, which begins today, is offered as a succeeding version of the student exchange project implemented by the Japanese government during 2007 to 2011.

“The purpose of the program is to encourage deeper mutual understanding between the youth of Japan and the United States by providing first-hand cultural experiences,” said Toshihiro Kaneko, Consul at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, who added that a total of 4,600 high school and college students will join the exchange program. “The program will also enable future leaders of Japan-US exchanges to form networks and help young people develop wider perspectives to encourage active roles at the global level in the future.”

Eight LaGuardia students will be sharing the experience with students from Baruch College, John Jay, City College, Hunter College, Medgar Evers, College of Staten Island, Lehman College and Queens College. LaGuardia will serve as the CUNY host and three LaGuardia and one CSI faculty and administrators have volunteered to chaperone.

CUNY is one of three U.S. colleges to be invited during May 20 to May 30. The two other participating U.S. colleges are George Mason University in Virginia, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"Through the generosity of the Japanese government, our students are being given the privilege of observing first hand this country’s fascinating culture,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College. "This amazing trip provides an opportunity for the students to learn about Japan, to become more well-rounded human beings and to become global ambassadors."

During the whirlwind tour, dubbed “Cool Japan,” the students will be immersed in the Japanese culture, sampling the country’s fine cuisine, visiting ancient temples and modern structures and learning about its art and traditional and pop culture.

“Through this fantastic study tour, Japan is providing CUNY students with the rare opportunity to visit its country and to learn about its rich culture and history,” said Anthony Burgos, a LaGuardia liberal arts major, who studied Japanese for one semester and is interested in Japan’s traditions and history. “It is a chance of a lifetime.”

Each of the CUNY students is joining the tour with a different range of experiences, from having studied several semesters of Japanese to majoring in Asian-American studies, to simply harboring a fascination for everything Japanese--the country’s rich, elegant culture, politics, cuisine, art and pop culture including anime and video games.

Francesca Messina, a nursing major at the College of Staten Island, said she has “zero Japanese skills,” but is interested in Japanese anime, art, architecture, cultural and herbal remedies.

Joseph Palumbo, a history major at College of Staten Island, has studied Japanese for several semesters and hopes to one day teach Japanese history at a Japanese university. “I am interested in gaining more exposure to the Japanese language, its culture and the country over all before attending graduate school,” he said.

For more information on the program, please visit http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ela/news/jenesys2013.htm


LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

Queens Small Business & Procurement Expo on June 7

Long Island City, NY—May 21, 2013—LaGuardia Community College’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center will be hosting the 11th Annual Queens Small Business & Procurement Expo on Friday, June 7. Participants will have the opportunity to meet government procurement representatives; explore subcontract opportunities; network with other small businesses; and attend workshops on various business and procurement topics.

The event, which runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., will take place at the Con Edison Learning Center at 43-82 Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City. The cost is just $10.00 for attendees and $225.00 for exhibitors.

Those interested should register at http://www.ptacexpo11.eventbrite.com/#. For more information call (718) 482-5306 or email PTAC@Lagcc.cuny.edu.


LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 (New York, May 16, 2013) — MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research firm, released encouraging findings today from a rigorous evaluation of a new approach to GED instruction pioneered by LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY). The GED Bridge to Health and Business Program not only aims to better prepare students to pass the GED exam but also to continue on to college and training programs. One year after enrolling in the program, Bridge students were more than twice as likely to have passed the GED exam and three times as likely to have enrolled in college as students in a more traditional GED preparation class.

In many large cities, high school dropout rates hover around 50 percent. And while most dropouts eventually do continue their education, too few of those who start GED programs ever pass the exam. Moreover, for those who do earn their GED, the certificate often marks the end of their education, in part because few GED programs (even those that operate on community college campuses) are well linked to college or training programs. Students with only a GED face long odds of success in a labor market that increasingly prizes specialized training and college education. The need to develop stronger pathways to college for those without high school credentials is clear. And this need is only magnified by new rules eliminating federal financial aid for aspiring college students without a high school diploma or a GED and by the planned 2014 implementation of a new GED exam that emphasizes college readiness.

What Is LaGuardia’s Bridge to Health and Business Program?

LaGuardia’s GED Bridge to Health and Business Program offers several enhancements to the traditional GED preparation approach. Rather than focusing solely on passing the test, the program was designed explicitly as a pathway to college and careers. Students attend more hours in class over the course of a semester than is typical for GED programs and receive intensive advising from full-time Bridge staff. The foundation of the GED Bridge program is its “contextualized curriculum.” The curriculum has two broad goals: first, to build the skills that are tested on the GED exam through the use of content specific to a field of interest (health or business) and, second, to develop general academic habits and skills that prepare students to succeed in college or certification programs.

What Did MDRC’s Study Find?

MDRC used a random assignment design to evaluate the effects of the GED Bridge program on student achievement compared with a more traditional GED program (GED Prep). The GED Bridge program was targeted to low-income individuals in New York City who did not have a high school diploma or a GED. Over 80 percent of students were either African-American or Hispanic, about half of the students scored at a seventh- or eighth-grade reading level, over half reported receiving some form of public assistance, and close to 40 percent reported that they were employed when they began the program. MDRC’s analysis provides one-year of follow-up on three cohorts of students (fall 2010, spring 2011, and fall 2011). Key findings include:

•    Compared with students who went through the traditional GED Prep course, Bridge students were much more likely to complete the semester of classes. The first milestone for students in the GED Bridge program is class completion. Students in the GED Bridge group completed the class at a significantly higher rate than the Prep students (68 percent compared with 47 percent).

•    Bridge students were more than twice as likely to pass the GED exam as GED Prep students. Overall, 53 percent of Bridge students passed the exam within 12 months of entering the study, compared with 22 percent of Prep students.

•    GED Bridge students were more than three times as likely to enroll in CUNY as GED Prep students. Only 7 percent of GED Prep students enrolled compared with 24 percent of GED Bridge students, a difference of 17 percentage points.

“LaGuardia’s pioneering work with the GED Bridge program is changing the lives of students. We now have powerful evidence that we can significantly improve students’ ability to pass the GED test and successfully enroll in college. LaGuardia is committed to not only see this work grow at our own campus, but also to share our strategy and approach with educators across the nation,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, President of LaGuardia Community College.

“With national interest growing in programs that prepare individuals for careers in high-growth industries, and with changes coming to the GED exam, these promising findings could hardly come at a better time,” said Gordon Berlin, President of MDRC. “They contribute to a growing body of evidence that sector or career-based initiatives may offer an effective route for low-income, low-skilled adult learners to complete secondary education and gain access to higher education and training.”

In 2014, MDRC will publish longer-term follow-up data, which will include the fourth and final study cohort and information on persistence in college. Given that these promising findings are from only one site, it will be important to test other models that have a similar approach and goal of preparing low-income students for college and careers.

The Robin Hood Foundation and MetLife Foundation supported both the development of the GED Bridge program at LaGuardia Community College and MDRC’s evaluation. A policy brief is available on MDRC’s Web site: www.mdrc.org.
 

Long Island City, NY—May 14, 2013—LaGuardia Community College on May 9 officially unveiled its Legislative Archives, a repository that will not only house the legislative body’s local laws, documents and photographs, but will maintain an online database of these valuable records dating back to 1938.

The ceremony also recognized Peter Vallone, Sr., the first Speaker of the modern New York City Council and supporter of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, which is housing the collection; and New York State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, a stalwart advocate of the archives since her days as a community organizer.

“Speaker Peter Vallone, Sr., and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan’s support and advocacy were instrumental in the establishment of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College. “From the very beginning both strongly believed that we needed to have a resource for Queens history in our borough.”

Since its establishment in 1982, Speaker Vallone provided the archives with capital funding, while Assemblywoman Nolan recently allocated funding for the purchase of a climate control system for the almost 4,000 square-foot legislative archives.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held in LaGuardia’s C-building (7th floor) at 29-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City.

“The Council of the City of New York archive collection, housed in the new Legislative Archives represents an unparalleled snapshot of the legislative history of America’s biggest city from the 1930s and into the 21st century,” said Dr. Richard K. Lieberman, director of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.

The largest portion of the collection dates from the 1970s through the mid 2000s.

About 1,500 boxes of City Council documents (more than half of the City Council collection) are now preserved, indexed and searchable on the archive’s website. There are another approximately 1,000 boxes to preserve and index.

Included within the collection are over 930,000 documents that have been microfilmed and digitized and made available on the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives website; Local Laws from 1955 through 2005 that are searchable by date or topic; and over 66,000 photographs of City Council members at work from the 1980s through 2007 that are available on the website.

The largest portion of the collection dates from the 1970s through the 1990s.

The creation of a City Council archives was the brainchild of Speaker Vallone who felt that the legislative body should have its own repository. In 1985, he approached Dr. Lieberman asking him to house the collection and to begin the herculean task of sifting through the voluminous documents that were being stored in various warehouses throughout the city.

In cooperation with the Municipal Archives/Department of Records and Information Services, the staff at the LaGuardia and Wagner archives have spent the past 27 years reviewing documents and photographs, organizing the materials, indexing them on a database, microfilming, and posting both index records and many full-text documents online, the on-going project will finally make it possible for historians, researchers and LaGuardia students to have easy access to these once-hard-to-gather documents.

“The history of New York City, as ruled by the law of available data, was basically the mayoral history because documents chronicling the legislative history of the city were difficult to access,” said Dr. Lieberman. “This archive now makes it possible to tell the story of the New York City Council.”

To view the collection, visit http://www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu/COLLECTIONS.aspx

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

 

Long Island City, NY, May 14, 2013—Lloyd Blankfein, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., which under his leadership launched the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative and selected LaGuardia Community College as its first partner, will deliver the keynote address at the College’s 41st Commencement Exercises on June 6.

Mr. Blankfein will address an expected 1,000 graduates who will be attending the exercises at the Jacob K. Javits Center North at West 38th Street and 11th Avenue.

“LaGuardia is honored to have Lloyd Blankfein, one of the most influential leaders in corporate America and stalwart supporter of small businesses and community colleges, address our graduates,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College. “Under his leadership, LaGuardia has partnered with the Goldman Sachs Foundation, the corporation’s successful philanthropic organization, as the first community college chosen to launch the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative designed to help small businesses expand and create jobs.”

“The story Mr. Blankfein will share with our students,” added Dr. Mellow, “is an inspirational one and that comes with an important message: education and the pursuit of knowledge opens doors that are unimaginable.”

“Goldman Sachs selected LaGuardia to be its first partner in our 10,000 Small Businesses initiative because of the vital role it plays in not only preparing its students for the workplace of the future, but also for bringing its expertise and resources to help local businesses thrive,” said Mr. Blankfein.

Mr. Blankfein grew up in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Attending the city’s public schools, he graduated as valedictorian at Thomas Jefferson High School in 1975 and went on to Harvard where he earned his A.B. in 1975; in 1978 he received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

Mr. Blankfein joined the J. Aron Currency and Commodities Division of Goldman Sachs in 1982 after working as an attorney in a law firm. He was named partner in 1988 and co-head of the J. Aron Division in 1994. He became co-head of the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Division as of its formation in 1997 and was based in London in 1998 and 1999 in that capacity.

Mr. Blankfein served as vice chairman of Goldman Sachs from 2002 through 2003, with management responsibility for the FICC and Equities Divisions. Prior to assuming his current responsibilities, he served as the firm’s president and chief operating officer from December 2003 through June 2006.

Under his leadership, the company in 2010 launched 10,000 Small Businesses, a $500 million investment that helps entrepreneurs create job and economic opportunity by providing them with greater access to education, capital and business support services. LaGuardia was selected to be its first partner in the national endeavor.

Since LaGuardia offered the program to the first class of small local business owners in June of 2010, 10,000 Small Businesses at LaGuardia has provided entrepreneurship education to over 200 small businesses to help them grow their businesses and create new jobs.

10,000 Small Businesses is currently operating in Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Missoula, MT, London, KY, Washington/Oregon and Tennessee, and over 1,200 businesses have gone through the program.

Learn more about LaGuardia’s 41st Graduating Class at the College’s commencement website: www.laguardia.edu/Commencement

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

 

Long Island City, NY—May 8, 2013—Amy Dalsimer, director of LaGuardia Community College’s G.E.D. Bridge to College and Careers Program, recently participated in the first of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education’s (OVAE) 2013 community college webinar series. The event, titled “Transforming Adult Education to Better Prepare Adult Learners to Successfully Transition to Postsecondary Education and Training,” brought together experts from the field and local practitioners. It was opened with a welcome from OVAE Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier.

 

 

The work of LaGuardia’s G.E.D. Bridge to College and Careers Program was highlighted to show promising practices at the local level and on a community college campus that ease Adult Basic Education and G.E.D. students’ transitions to postsecondary education and training.

 

The G.E.D. Bridge programs provide career-focused academic preparation in the areas of healthcare, business or science that develops students’ reading, writing and math skills for both the G.E.D. exam and post-secondary education. For example, the curriculum for the Bridge to Health track focuses on college and career exploration, nutrition, patient care, and epidemics and infection control. The curriculum for the Bridge to Business track also looks at college and career exploration but alternately covers entrepreneurship, professional ethics and basic economic principles. All students receive direct career and college admissions counseling.

 

“When you go to college, you pick a major and begin to develop a body of knowledge. When you become a professional, you have a certain set of not only vocabulary but practices and ways of knowing information. Starting that focus on the discipline and professional body of knowledge in the pre-college phase has been very effective,” explained Ms. Dalsimer. “The G.E.D. Bridge programs really offer an early and ongoing focus on post-secondary transition to our adult students coming in. It starts at the point of intake in the admission sessions, where the program is portrayed as a first step in the path to college and better careers rather than an endpoint. Over the course of the semester, students complete a set of college and career activities that are academic in nature but help them explore career pathways and what the transitional experience will be, and they learn how to set goals.”

 

Key findings in the G.E.D. Bridge Study (http://www.mdrc.org/project_32_113.html - research brief forthcoming), conducted by MDRC, show that Bridge students in the first two study cohorts demonstrated a higher success rate in G.E.D. course completion; a higher G.E.D. exam pass rate; and a higher postsecondary enrollment rate.

 

“LaGuardia has taken a lead role in transforming the way students prepare for the G.E.D. exam, and it has proven to be successful,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, LaGuardia President. “This contextualized approach, which brings students’ career aspirations into their academic work, allows for a richer classroom experience that involves essays, group projects, discussions and academic self-evaluation—not just teaching to the test. This is essential in becoming an independent learner and key to being successful in college.”

 

Other webinar participants included Barbara Endel from Jobs for the Future, who discussed the work of the Accelerating Opportunity initiative in scaling up its adult education reform model in seven states, and Judy Alamprese from Abt Associates, who shared key findings from her recent study on transforming reading instruction in adult education programs.
 

 

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

 

Long Island City, NY—May 2, 2013—As part of the inaugural NYCxDesign week—a citywide event from May 10th to May 21st to showcase and promote design of all disciplines, from graphic and product design to architecture and fashion, digital and urban design to furniture, design thinking and manufacturing — LaGuardia Community College’s NYDesigns will host a series of discussions, tours and open houses at its headquarters in Long Island City and in Manhattan. NYDesigns, an economic development program focused on the intersection of design and entrepreneurship, was an active member of the NYCxDesign programming committee, which was spearheaded by the office of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

“Design is an integral part of New York City’s economy, and the City’s effort to promote design will have an enormous impact on companies active in the various design disciplines,” said NYDesigns director Natalia Arguello.

The following events will take place at NYDesigns, 45-50 30th Street (between Thomson and 47th avenues) Long Island City, NY 11101:

• “NYCxDESIGNxLEARN: 10 Steps to Starting Your Own Business”
NYDesigns and NYC Business Solutions are hosting 10 Steps to Starting Your Own Business. Join us to learn the steps you need to take to start a business and how NYC Business Solutions can guide you through each step along the way. By the end of the 90-minute course, you will know how to develop a business plan, determine your legal structure, set up your bookkeeping, get permits and licenses, and obtain financing.
May 15, 2:00-3:30pm
Registration: http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz/html/summary/course_catalog.shtml#10steps

• “NYCxDESIGNxLEARN: Small Business Digital Toolkit: Social Media Fundamentals”
NYDesigns and NYC Business Solutions are hosting Small Business Digital Toolkit: Social Media Fundamentals. Join us to learn how to develop and manage an effective online strategy using web technologies and social media. By the end of this 3-hour course, you will know how to leverage social media platforms to build a digital brand that complements your physical brand and how to use digital tools, like e-commerce and online advertising, to amplify your business's reach.
May 15, 5:00-8:00pm
Registration: http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz/html/summary/course_catalog.shtml#sm101

• “NYCEDC Next Top Makers Open Studios”
NYDesigns in partnership with NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) invites all interested parties and individuals to explore the working progress of 6 finalist companies from the Next Top Makers competition.
May 20, 6:30-10:30pm

The following events will take place at WantedDesign, Terminal Stores – The Tunnel
269 11th Ave. (btw. 27th & 28th Sts.) New York, NY 10001 - www.wanteddesignnyc.com:

• “Design for Production: Manufacturers and Designers in New York City - Panel 1: Architectural Grille and Kenneth Nilson”
NYDesigns and the Pratt Center for Community Development present two panel discussions during WantedDesign that will highlight distinctive design and production collaborations between manufacturers and designers in New York City. The panels will seek to understand how both designers and manufacturers can maximize their contributions, and minimize their frustrations towards a shared creative vision. The designers and manufacturers featured represent two unique and thriving sectors in New York City – 3D Printing and Metal Fabrication.
Architectural Grille services all areas of construction, fabrication and interior design and has become one of the most recognized manufacturers for custom grilles and metalwork in the industry. They will be joined by collaborator Kenneth Nilson, a lighting designer also based in Brooklyn.

Discussion on Sunday May 19, 10.30-11.30am (RSVP at http://design4production1.eventbrite.com)
Tour on Monday May 20, 2:00-3:00pm, Architectural Grille, Gowanus, Brooklyn (RSVP at http://design4production3.eventbrite.com)

• “Design for Production: Manufacturers and Designers in New York City - Panel 2: Shapeways, Francis Bitonti and MixeeMe”
NYDesigns and the Pratt Center for Community Development present two panel discussions during WantedDesign that will highlight distinctive design and production collaborations between manufacturers and designers in New York City. The panels will seek to understand how both designers and manufacturers can maximize their contributions, and minimize their frustrations towards a shared creative vision. The designers and manufacturers featured represent two unique and thriving sectors in New York City – 3D Printing and Metal Fabrication.
Shapeways, the world's leading 3D Printing marketplace and community with US headquarters in Long Island City, communes with its collaborators, architect and innovator Francis Bitonti and MixeeMe, designers and sellers of customized 3d printed characters. The panel discussions will be followed by factory tours the day after.

Discussion on Monday May 20, 10:30-11:30am, (RSVP at http://design4production2.eventbrite.com)
Tour on Tuesday May 21 at 10:30am, Shapeways, Long Island City (RSVP at http://design4production4.eventbrite.com)

For more information on the events listed here or any NYCxDesign Week events visit www.nycxdesign.com.

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

 

 

 

City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer Proclaims
April 19 “Day of Favors” at LaGuardia Community College

 

Long Island City, NY—April 17, 2013—To quash the stereotype that New Yorkers are just not nice, Priscilla Stadler, a LaGuardia Community College administrator and Queens artist, is spearheading a project challenging the people of Queens, and beyond, to defy the myth by doing FAVORS for friends, family and strangers during April. To kick off the project, City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer will be officially proclaiming that April 19 the “Day of Favors” at LaGuardia Community College’s “FAVORS Party/Party FAVORS.

At the fete, members of the Queens-based community organizations partnering in the project will share their stories of favors and sign up those who wish to participate in the project. The party will be taking place at The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) at 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

During the month of April, New Yorkers are asked to document their FAVORS through new or old media. From there, Ms. Stadler will take the FAVORS and add them to an online Map of FAVORS, which she will then transform into a large-scale sculptural installation later this year.

“We are asking resident to send me the who, what, where and when of the favor,” said Ms. Stadler who explained that a favor should take three hours or under, should not involve any kind of money or coercion, and must be legal. “Every participant in this project will be a co-creator of this dynamic, interactive demonstration of positive spirit and generosity in New York City.”

Ms. Stadler, through drawing, sculpture, installation and interaction, explores experiences and questions that connect us as humans. In addition to her studio work—primarily drawing and sculpture—she creates interactive situations. Her work has been featured in many exhibitions and screenings, including the Itinerant Performance Festival, the Queens International 2012 at the Queens Museum of Art, the FAVORS project 2011 at Mess Hall in Chicago and the Oracle of Random Quotes installation at Local Project in 2009.

The project is being funded by a Queens Council on the Arts grant and supported by eight community organizations, which will each bring unique perspectives to the theme of doing favors. They are: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, which integrated FAVOR events into its Rough Draft Festival, a showcase for exciting new work; The Flushing High School Drama Club, which will recognize school’s unsung heroes by doing anonymous FAVORS for them; Sunnyside Community Services Volunteer Program and Senior Programs will do FAVORS; Immigrant Movement International, which will offer a workshop for its mothers’ group and is encouraging dialogue about the meaning of favors in their community; Rockaway Waterfront Alliance is running a workshop and information event to encourage people to discuss favors in the wake of Hurricane Sandy; Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning is conducting activities related to FAVORS; Long Island City Artists is encouraging its artists to do favors creatively; and Jackson Heights Green Alliance is encouraging its members and communities to do favors. Download Favors Event Flyer.

To learn more about the project or to participate, please visit:
• facebook.com/FAVORS
• @doingFAVORS or #doingFAVORS – Twitter, Instagram
• doingfavors.tumblr.com
• doingFAVORS@gmail.com
• test or call the FAVORS hotline: (646) 543-4715
• write: Prescilla Studio, 44-202 23rd Street, #421, Long Island City, NY 11101
 
About LaGuardia Community College:
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.