New Learning Center at the Boys & Girls Republic
By Allison Rowe
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The new Learning Center at the Boys & Girls Republic (BGR) opened on April 22, 2014, with a ceremonial ribbon cutting attended by more than 50 students and Henry Street staff, many of whom dressed as literary characters.
The Learning Center is a recreational space within BGR that features computers, tablets, books, toys and more. Following the ribbon cutting, students participated in literacy based activities, creating bookmarks and comic strips, and created their own superheroes biographies. Attendees admired a new display called the “Hall of Graduates,” that will showcase photos of BGR youth who graduate from high school. Funding for the Learning Center was provided by the Robert Bowne Foundation as part of its Julia Palmer Library grant program.
BGR, located on Avenue D at East Sixth Street, is a safe-haven for Lower East Side youth. It provides after-school and evening programs including homework help, sports and recreation, arts, leadership opportunities and more, with every activity working to enhance the academic progress, social development and emotional well-being of each child. Henry Street Settlement empowers youth to succeed through generous support from the community, friends, partners, foundations and more. Another supporter, the Dash Snow Foundation, recently enabled BGR to hire a full time case manager to work directly with the youth and their families.
