DIVAS for Social Justice Launches Virtual Programming To Actualize Social Action Project

DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice will launch two virtual STEAM based programs at P.S 156 and P.S 132 this week. The virtual after-school programs are supported by Councilman Donovan Richards and the Department of Cultural Affairs.

The STEAM for Social Change program empowers and trains youth in STEAM based activities to provide community solutions through technology. Participants in the  elementary program will serve as Virtual Designers of The Laurelton Community Garden Of Resilience. Participants will be responsible for designing the build out of the community garden virtually.

The actual garden is located at : 179-18 145th Drive.  For the past two years, community residents have successfully taken an abandoned lot in Laurelton/Springfield Gardens and acquired a license with Greenthumb/Department of Parks & Recreation to steward a community garden. As the license agreement was executed, there was the onset of COVID-19. The global pandemic has paused the production of the Operations Department of Parks & Recreation to offer onsite assistance.

Students will participate in the program remotely due to the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19. DIVAS for Social Justice will be co-facilitating the program with Department Of Education Teachers : Elizabeth Hargrove (P.S. 156), Aria Moore-Lindsay, Kathleen Pierre-Buggs (P.S 132). In order to ensure the program is interactive and developing civic engagement in the participants, DIVAS will be providing:

• Each participant will have a “STEAM kit” delivered to their home (contactless)  that will contain craft supplies and Virtual Reality (VR) Cardboard Headset. Providing the VR Headset will allow students to experience the progression of the community garden.
• Using a 360 degree camera, adult facilitators of the program will fulfill the design ideas of participants while social distancing. The 360 degree footage will be uploaded to Google Classroom where participants can download the footage and experience the progression of the garden through virtual technology.
• Participants will be given incentives to keep them engaged which include participating in  a VR Headset Design Contest emphasizing the theme of the community garden. The winning design will be awarded an Amazon gift card.
• DIVAS for Social Justice will be utilizing engineering lessons from the Department Of Design and Construction’s STEAM Curriculum to design an online gallery wall for the garden with the help of the students understanding foundations and structures.

If community residents are interested in helping fulfill the work of our virtual designers in real time, please contact: diva4justice@gmail.com. No students will be allowed on site at the actual garden .  We are in need of carpenters, gardeners, handy individuals, people who care. All volunteers will be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE ) and practice social distance while in the garden space.  We are looking for 3-5 volunteers at most to be in the garden space.