One Long Island City organization has a whole lot of reasons to be thankful – actually, 200,000 reasons.
NYC Outward Bound, whose headquarters are in Long Island City, received a $200,000 federal grant secured by Congressmember Carolyn Maloney and Senator Chuck Schumer that will help fund student activities such as classes at the climbing wall and teacher development.
NYC Outward Bound offers an urban analogue to Outward Bound’s wilderness courses by bringing the lessons and activities of Outward Bound into the heart of the City and its public schools. The organization gives students from underserved neighborhoods access to a learning environment that blends demanding academics with community and character-building activities.
“Outward Bound is well-known for its wilderness programs, which teach kids respect for nature and promote teamwork,” said Maloney, who presented the check to the organization on Saturday, June 19. “New York City Outward Bound brings those same valuable lessons to at-risk students right here in the urban heart of New York City. New York City Outward Bound is giving many of our city’s most vulnerable kids a brighter future.”
The federal funding will go to support a variety of programs at NYC Outward Bound including student climbing programs on the organization’s 50-foot artificial wall and professional development programs that are designed to strengthen teachers’ facility with Outward Bound’s expeditionary learning principles and structures.
“The funds they helped us secure will enable us to provide at-risk students and their teachers with programs at our headquarters in Long Island City that support academic achievement, character development, and the creation of school cultures which challenge students to do their best,” said NYC Outward Bound President Richard Stopol.
