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| Councilmember Eric Ulrich helps put the finishing touches on the community mural at M.S. 210 in Ozone Park, with help from 11-year-old Elizabeth Persaud of Ozone Park and eight-year-old Katherine Sosa of Richmond Hill. Photo Courtesy Councilmember Eric Ulrich |
City Councilmember Eric Ulrich recently joined students from the Cross Island YMCA Beacon Center at Ozone Park’s M.S. 210 for a day of fun to celebrate the culmination of the group’s summer service project to take a stand against violence in the community.
“So many of our young people want to make a difference but sometimes they just don’t know how,” said Ulrich. “The Cross Island YMCA Beacon Center provides these students with an outlet to express their creativity and continue learning outside the classroom, and I am glad to see that so many are taking advantage of this great opportunity.”
The project ended with fun day and the painting of a community art mural on the school building on August 13. Over the previous five weeks, the teens explored and conducted workshops to educate other youth about the impact of bullying, cyber-bullying, teen dating violence and gang violence, as well as ways to combat these types of violence. The project was led by the teens from design to completion, and their good work will continue throughout the school year through ongoing workshops at the Beacon Center’s After-School program and other local youth programs.
The project was part of the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development’s Summer of Service initiative, in partnership with NYC Service and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. It was funded through a donation from the Neuberger Berman Foundation.
