BP announces over $26 million in funding for STEM education in Brooklyn schools

And the green goes to… education!

Announcing a massive investment in Brooklyn schools, particularly on STEM education and technology initiatives, Borough President Eric Adams was joined by local politicians outside of Gravesend’s David A. Boody Intermediate School, I.S. 228, to announce the more than $26 million in funding.

Set to receive a $570,000 allocation for the construction and outfitting of a state-of-the-art STEM lab, David A. Boody will utilize the facility as part of the South Brooklyn Engineering Pipeline — a new curriculum and teacher training partnership between local elementary, middle and high schools as well as Kingsborough Community College.

“We’re very honored to be chosen [for such] a historic event,” said Principal of Boody Dominick D’Angelo at the Monday, September 26 press conference. “We’re very fortunate for having this leadership. We have great elected officials, we have these awesome students in the house [and] that’s why we’re here today, it’s about the future.”

According to the borough president’s office, the allocation is coming from the BP’s Fiscal Year 2017 funds; the $26 million represents more than half of his capital budget and a doubling of his educational spending from last year.

“I really thank all of you,” Adams said to attendees at the morning conference. “Many of the educators here, you know me from attending your graduations to visiting your schools, you know how I feel about you and I will continue being committed and dedicated. I want to just step aside because my partners in government, we sit down and speak about how to distribute our capital dollars into our educational facilities. It comes from them. We want to be constant contributors to education.”

“I am truly emotional,” said Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna. “This is probably one of the single most important times in our nation where, in Brooklyn, we’re prioritizing not just through rhetoric, but investing in the education of our future leaders.”

The outdoor conference, which shut down a portion of Avenue S right in front of the school, also saw Adams present funding recipients with honorary checks with the seal of Brooklyn, as well as an oversized check, made out to “One Brooklyn,” for education.

“Jobs and education are some of the biggest challenges that we face,” said Councilmember Mark Treyger, a former teacher. “So we will continue working with this dynamic borough team and with our dynamic colleagues in the City Council and in the state to make sure that we cover the basics, that our infrastructure is in place, that our staff and our students are entering beautiful 21st century buildings and also experience being exposed to 21st century opportunities.”

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.