Plus, our office is hiring!

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Dear John
* Our team is currently searching for a new office in our updated district lines! For the time being, we are unable to offer in-person appointments with extremely limited exceptions. If you need help, call us at (718) 499-1090 or send us an email at [email protected]
* Our office is hiring! Our team is looking for a dedicated Communications Associate to help execute our office’s communications strategies across digital and traditional platforms. Find the details here, and we’re accepting applications on a rolling basis, so apply ([link removed]) today!
* 3-K and Pre-K applications are now open for fall 2024 and are due 3/1!  You can apply in one of three ways, online with MySchools.nyc ([link removed]) , over the phone at 718-935-2009 Monday-Friday between 8 AM and 6 PM, or contact a Family Welcome Center ([link removed]) . If you have questions about the process or need help applying, please contact our office at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Books for MLK Jr. Day

Yesterday, I was happy to join neighbors at the Cobble Hill Playschool to read Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr? by Lisbeth Kaiser to a group of toddlers in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While right-wing politicians around the country are trying to restrict the types of books available to young people, we know here in New York City that exposing children to racially responsive messages is important. Teaching young children about our nation’s complicated past, and the movements that push our society forward is essential to preparing the next generation of leaders to tackle the problems of the future. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow, our team has put together a list of some racially responsive books (check out this site for even more ([link removed]) ) to share with you and your family. Please let us know if you have others in mind, and don’t forget to pick up these books from your local library or independent bookstore!
1. We March by Shane Evans
1. This book is a favorite MLK book for early educators. The powerful imagery helps bring the importance of the famous March on Washington to life. The minimal words on the page mean that grownups can easily read this book in one sitting with their kids, keeping their kid’s attention through the entire story!
2. Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan
1. This picture book follows a nine-year-old girl whose father was a sanitation worker who participated in the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike. The strike was in response to the deaths of two Black sanitation workers due to unsafe work equipment. This book not only includes critical MLK teaching but also highlights the importance of organized labor in the Civil Rights Movement.
3. As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom by Richard Michelson
1. This book tells the story of the friendship between Dr. King and Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Jewish Rabbi and influential peaceful activist. Although they did not share cultural backgrounds, Dr. King and Abraham Joshua Heschel shared a passion for social justice and equality for all. This book is a great example of the broad multi-racial coalition that came together to fight for equality in the late 1960s.
4. Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colón
1. This book is written by Paula Young Shelton about her experience growing up as the daughter of Andrew Young, a civil rights activist. Through her young eyes, learners can witness civil rights history. This short book will help kids see this momentous part of our nation’s history through the eyes of someone their age.
5. Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney
1. This picture book tells the famous story of the Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in, a key peaceful protest in the Civil Rights Movement. At the sit-in, four Black college students sat at the “Whites Only” Woolworth lunch counter—forever making a mark on history.

A picture of Council Member Hanif reading to childern

Reading in action!

Community Bulletin
* Exciting news! The partial reconstruction of Harold Ickes Playground (Hamilton and Van Brunt) is done, and the new skate park area of the park is now open to the public. You can check out more information on the project here ([link removed]) .
* The Brooklyn Children's Museum is hosting another class for its Teen Curators Program! This nine-week engagement allows teens to explore the legacies of power embedded in museum histories and to imagine new ways of relating to, engaging with, and telling stories through objects. Teens receive a stipend of $750, and applications ([link removed]) for the spring program are open from 1/16 – 2/4!
* Learning that a loved one has dementia can be devastating. You may feel that you don’t understand what to expect, but there are resources in our community that can help. Heights & Hills is hosting a workshop to help empower dementia caregivers on 1/17 from 12-1 PM over Zoom. RSVP for more details! ([link removed])
* Communities Speak ([link removed]) , a community survey developed by Columbia University, is collecting responses for their recent needs assessment survey. The goal is to understand the impact of our City government's responsiveness to the needs of low-income and minority populations, who are typically most impacted by unanticipated economic and social shocks. The anonymous survey is looking for more Asian-American responses! The survey closes on 1/20.
* The State Department of Environment Conversation and Department of Health, alongside the Federal EPA, will be hosting a town hall on 1/25 from 6-8 PM at the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center to give an update on the Gowanus Brownfield remediation efforts. RSVP for more information! ([link removed])
* If you were affected by flooding this past September, you can now apply ([link removed]) for low-interest disaster loans from the US Small Business Administration. These loans are made available for those whose homes and/or businesses were damaged due to flooding. The filing deadline to submit applications is 2/2 for physical damage and 9/4 for economic injury.
* NYC Trash Academy is a free online and in-person educational series exploring how waste management affects our environment, society, and economy! Featuring eight virtual lectures and two virtual field trips, the series explores some of the most relevant topics in waste management today, including ‘throwaway culture’, the health of our water system, a focused look at food waste, and much more. Trash Academy begins 2/8 and runs through 3/21. Participation is FREE, but space is limited! Apply ([link removed]) to join the 2024 Academy by 2/2.
* Our office is planning a job and volunteer fair for high school students in March! If you are a local employer that will be looking to fill summer jobs, internships, or volunteer opportunities, please fill out our interest form ([link removed]) . Let us know if you have any questions or if you need support with the application.

In Solidarity,

Shahana
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