Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Trenton Price, Executive Director of Salvadori Center on STEAM Education and Funding
10:56:20
ยท
169 sec
Trenton Price, Executive Director of Salvadori Center, testified about the importance of STEAM education and advocated for increased funding for arts and creative education in NYC public schools. He highlighted Salvadori Center's work in providing STEAM education services to schools and NYCHA community centers, serving over 12,000 students across 145 locations last year.
- Emphasized the need for adequate and equitable funding for schools, especially those serving students with compounding needs
- Called for an increase in CASA and digital inclusion and literacy funding to create more learning opportunities outside school hours
- Stressed the importance of project-based learning and hands-on STEAM education for student achievement and career pathways
Trenton Price
10:56:20
Thank you Chair Joseph and members of the Education Committee.
10:56:35
My name is Trenton Price.
10:56:36
I'm the Executive Director of the Salvadore Center.
10:56:39
I'm a former middle school teacher, school leader, and a district leader for arts education for New York City Public Schools before joining Salvadore.
10:56:48
At Salvadori, we provide STEAM education services, that's STEM plus the A for arts and architecture, to New York City Public Schools, NYCHA Community Centers across the five boroughs.
10:57:00
For context, last year we served over 12,000 students at 145 schools and NYCHA community centers.
10:57:06
Our goal is to make STEM and the arts come alive for students and foster the soft skills of collaboration, creativity, and problem solving, just like real life architects, designers, and engineers.
10:57:18
We are grateful to have the support of the council through multiple CASA and digital inclusion and literacy grants as well as the after school enrichment and speakers initiative at numerous NYCHA sites across the city.
10:57:30
I want to thank this committee and Chair Joseph, and the council more broadly for their commitment to ensuring that our schools are adequately funded and equitably funded despite what is in the proposal from the mayor.
10:57:47
All too often we see that schools that serve students with compounding needs without adequate resources to provide a robust and well rounded education.
10:57:57
From our project based learning work, we know that well planned lessons that have students creating their own understanding through real world applications require time and resources.
10:58:09
For example, our programs require significant materials for students to be able to bring the built environment to life.
10:58:15
I and Salvadori underscore the importance of funding for schools, especially for arts and creative education.
10:58:23
As we say, it starts with the arts.
10:58:26
We thank you for advocating for full and robust funding for our schools and for creative education citywide as we know these are important levers for student achievement as well as career pathways here in New York City.
10:58:38
One way to increase these opportunities for young people is to increase CASA and digital inclusion and literacy funding, which have remained flat for several years.
10:58:48
This investment in our youth will create pathways and vital opportunities for learning outside the school hours.
10:58:56
I thank you for facilitating this hearing and for your commitment to supporting the young people of New York City.
10:59:01
We are grateful to be able to serve New York's children and we hope to support the work of hands on project based STEAM learning for years to come.
10:59:09
Thank you.