As we look ahead to the new school year, let’s revisit one of last year’s school projects! During Spring 2022, Beam Project Designer, Rose, led a meditation-related project at UASDC. The project involved two elements that helped contribute to mindfulness: calming audio and meditation rugs.

In addition to our in-house youth employment enterprises - such as Project Leaders, Project Production, and others - Beam is proud to manage a robust externship enterprise. Through our externships, Beam places young people in paid jobs and internships with other community-based organizations and businesses across NYC. Check out these features to learn about our externship opportunities from summer 2022!

Thank you to everyone who attended our July program “A Community Approach to Art: Supporting Communities by Engaging Artists + Youth.” A panel conversation, this program explored different approaches to community engagement in the arts and the importance of connecting practicing artists with young people.

Our June Community Spotlight series features our first ever Junior Project Designer, Adiel. Adiel participated in our Apprenticeship Program in 2020 and has spent the last year working on our Project Leaders team.

This month’s installment of our Staff Spotlight series features Beam Project Designer, Sarah Lammer. As a Project Designer Sarah works collaboratively with teachers from our partner schools to design and facilitate projects in classrooms.

We’re wrapping up the 2021-2022 school year with some more amazing in-school projects, led by Project Designer, Anthony, at I.S. 145 and East Brooklyn Community High School.

There’s no better way to close out the month of May than with a very special Community Spotlight feature. We’re pleased to honor Mrs. Shirley Kahn, the mother of our Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Danny Kahn, in advance of her 100th birthday in June. We had the pleasure of speaking with Shirley about her life and her own unique connection to summer camp.

Thank you to all who attended our first annual spring fundraising celebration, Branching out with Beam! We’re so grateful that you were able to help us honor Brooklyn International High School and Sally Cohen. We also want to reiterate our gratitude for all who donated! Check out the full event recap here and catch up on what you’ve missed.

This month’s installment of our Staff Spotlight series features our Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Kathryn Wallem. As the CFO, Kathryn manages Beam Center’s money and helps us keep everything in order. Her day-to-day work includes collecting invoices, writing checks, managing budgets, and much more.

Through the Beam Center Apprenticeship Program, we train teams of NYC youth in collaborative project-making and leadership. Our Spring Apprentices are currently participating in Beam’s “Learning to Teach” instruction, which gives them a taste of what it is like to be a Project Leader and teaches them how to facilitate project-based programs for other youth.

Announcing the Beam Camp’s Co-Directors (+ a few sneak peeks at summer 2022)…

Our May Community Spotlight features Devon, a member of Beam’s Project Production team. Devon is currently working with our Project Director, Mitchell, and a team of young adults to prototype for this summer’s Beam Project New Hampshire: As Above, So Below.

Thank you to all who joined us on April 23 for Downtown Brooklyn’s Earth Day celebration at Albee Square. A community event, Earth Day featured drop-in workshops, games, a free book table, and more environment-themed activities.

Check out what’s been happening with Project Leaders at the Dock Street School, where students are learning how to make their own boomboxes.

Beam’s April installment of our Staff Spotlight series features Beam Camp City’s Director, Marisol Castaneda-Salgado. Beam Camp City is our day-camp experience on Governors Island for groups of campers grades 4 and above from publicly funded schools or community-based organizations.