Teams of 20 Brooklyn schools to present community change projects on issues ranging from healthy food access to reentry after incarceration
Contact: Ben Berliner
The Aspen Institute
Ben.Berliner@Aspeninstitute.org
Brooklyn, NY, April 24, 2023 – The Aspen Challenge is returning to Brooklyn on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Weylin for the student-led Solution Showcase. This year’s event will feature 20 teams from New York Public Schools, each presenting their community change projects to their peers and a panel of judges made up of community leaders from New York City.
The Aspen Challenge is a unique opportunity for high school students to develop innovative solutions to societal challenges and learn how to make a positive impact in their communities. The program is designed to inspire and empower young people to tackle complex problems and drive change in their schools and neighborhoods. This year, teams created community change projects aimed at addressing healthy relationships, reentry after incarceration, access to healthy foods, street safety, and post-secondary opportunities.
During the event, each team will have the opportunity to present their projects to the judges and their peers. Judges will evaluate each project based on its impact, innovation, and feasibility. Three grand-prize winning teams will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Aspen, Colorado, to attend and speak at the prestigious Aspen Ideas Festival in June. Judges who will decide winning teams include Shashi Krikantan of Level Up Ventures @ Hearst Publications, Donovan Swanson of the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, Venture Capitalist Mandela Dixon, Vivian Saunders of Bloomberg Philanthropies, among others.
The Aspen Challenge: Brooklyn Solution Showcase promises to be an exciting event that showcases the ingenuity and creativity of the borough’s youth. We invite you to join us and support these young change-makers as they present their ideas for a better, more equitable future for Brooklyn.
For more information about the event, including a full agenda, please visit: www.aspenchallengebrooklyn.org
Event Details:
What: Aspen Challenge: Brooklyn Solution Showcase
Where: Weylin (175 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211)
When: Thursday, April 27, 2023
Time: 8:45 am-6:30 pm
For more information on Aspen Challenge: Brooklyn Solution Showcase or to attend as a covering member of the media, please contact Ben Berliner: ben.berliner@aspeninstitute.org.
The Aspen Challenge provides inspiration, tools, and a platform for young people to design solutions to some of the most critical problems humanity faces. For more information on Aspen Challenge, please visit www.aspenchallenge.org.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, please visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
The Brooklyn North High Schools (BKNHS) district represents 47 high schools across seven community school districts in New York City. BKNHS serves approximately 27,000 students from culturally diverse backgrounds including African American/Black, White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Asian. Additionally, the district is home to many historical and new immigrants from the Caribbean, South and Central America, Africa, India, and South Asia. Our schools are as diverse as its student body, comprising large comprehensive high schools, CTE schools, and an array of mid-size and small high schools offering specialized, personalized instructional programs to serve and support the whole child. These differentiated instructional and student services are responsive to the diverse learning needs of students with an emphasis on ensuring that students with disabilities and English Language Learners receive equitable, rigorous instruction and services equal to their peers. For more information, please visit https://sites.google.com/schools.nyc.gov/brooklynnorthhighschools/home
New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is the largest public school system in the United States, serving more than 900,000 students in over 1,800 schools. The department is responsible for the education of children from 3K through 12th grade and is overseen by the New York City Schools Chancellor, who is appointed by the Mayor of New York City. The NYCPS’ mission is to ensure that each student graduates on a pathway to a rewarding career and long-term economic security, equipped to be a positive force for change. To achieve this goal, the department sets rigorous academic standards, provides resources and support to schools and teachers, and offers a wide range of programs and services to students and families. New York City Public Schools provides all students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and building a brighter future for the city of New York. For more information, please visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/
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