SPRING NEWSLETTER 2024

Spring has sprung at NIA with a host of activities. Our students have been busy engaging in fun experiences to kick off the new season, all meticulously planned by our dedicated teams. We hosted our first annual NIA/MS 890 STEM Fair, second annual NIA Cup at NIA/IS 468, second annual Art Is In Bloom art show at NIA/IS 30, and a Women’s History Month Luncheon. It is also time for our Annual Giving Campaign in which we ask our community's support as we enter into our 44th year. Keep reading for more updates.

NIA/IS 98 SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

The NIA/IS 98 Science Olympiad team has been one of our most successful collaborative initiatives at Bay Academy. The team has competed magnificently for many years, and this year placed 1st in both Regionals and the States, breaking the record for points scored in a regional competition. The NIA/IS 98 Science Olympiad team will be the first team from a NYC public school in Science Olympiad's 40-year history to make it to the National competitions! Bay Academy is one of NIA's longest middle school partnerships through DYCD's SONYC initiative. The team's accomplishment is a testament to the hard work of our participants, coaches, a strong school-community partnership and the invaluable support of New York City's Department of Youth and Community Development.

ART IS IN BLOOM SHOW

The second annual Art Is In Bloom Show, hosted by IS 30, was a fantastic event showcasing the creative talents of students from 36 different NIA programs. With a variety of topics and mediums explored, our students put their hard work and dedication into creating unique pieces of art. NIA/IS 187 created a "Flower Power" ensemble complete with a top, skirt, hat, and purse using mostly recycled materials and NIA/PS 176 brought architecture and sculpture pieces with the theme of "Wishful Dreaming." NIA/PS 705 submitted sculpture pieces, picture frames, and a digital media piece! The 3rd-5th graders learned about the basics of animation using PixilArt and applied that knowledge to create their own sprite animations for the show.  The show was a resounding success, with students eager to share their work with friends, family, NIA staff and program leaders. Attendees enjoyed live music while they perused the exhibition, selecting their favorite pieces of art in hopes of winning the free raffle in which the winner took their favorite piece home.  Everyone was floored by the support from our school community as evidenced by the great turnout,  and the kids had such a great time showcasing their artwork! 

SPRING BREAK

April began with a week off from school for Spring Break, giving NIA another opportunity to host a multitude of trips and special activities for our students. Throughout the week, students attended full-day NIA programs and fun field trips and activities. NIA/PS 186 painted pottery, had a petting zoo, and students got to create their own designs using a 3D printing pen! NIA/IS 468  also hosted our 3rd Annual NIA Cup which landed on a gorgeous day for all of the field day outdoor activities including relays, potato sack races, and more. It has also expanded to include both our elementary and middle school students with NIA/PS 192 winning for the middle school and 186 for the elementary school! Over 1,000 students got to enjoy a day at The Liberty Science Center, while other NIA students had adventures at Bowlmor Lanes, the Immersive Game Box, and Urban Air Trampoline Park. Our NIA Dance team at IS 281 also had the opportunity to enjoy a showing of &Juliet on Broadway, and were able to meet the performers after the show. 

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH LUNCHEON

On March 23rd, NIA, in partnership with Councilman Justin Brannan’s Office in hosting “Celebrating the Changemakers”, a Women’s History Luncheon to show our support and appreciation for notable women. Hosted at Gargiulo's Restaurant in Coney Island, honorees included The United Order of Tents, Coney Island Beautification, Amonni S. Taylor Chavis, and Shirley Tanyhill (posthumously). The honorees were able to celebrate, and be celebrated, by their friends, family, and community guests. Each honoree received a New York City Council Proclamation from CM Justin Brannan commemorating their many accomplishments. 

SPRING HEALTH FAIR

This year NIA hosted not one but two spring health fairs! The first health fair was at the end of April, and was held by our Family Services Manager, Isabel Tillet, at JHS 227. With food and refreshments available to everyone, there were ten booths set up with topics ranging from domestic violence prevention, mental health resources, healthcare needs, vision testing, and translation services. On May 10th, NIA/PS 247 hosted their third annual Spring Into Health Fair and it continues to be a huge success with over 150 people in attendance. With free services, free raffles, discounts to local vendors, and internship opportunities, there was something for everyone! The community was able to engage in yoga classes, face painting, and more to learn about healthy and accessible resources to better themselves and their families.

STEM FAIR

On May 8th, NIA hosted their first ever STEM Fair at MS 890. We were able to showcase so many wonderful and educational science experiments with a range of topics including slime, volcanos, genetics, water quality and so much more! MS 890 hosted a science fair earlier in the year and the students who took home first and second place attend NIA's afterschool program and were able to show off their projects one more time at the STEM Fair! The kids were so excited to exhibit their projects to everyone who was in attendance, including so many of our own program directors, other students, and families. To make the night even more special, the participants were given personalized NIA lab coats! On top of the science experiments and displays, there were also drones and VR consoles that the kids were able to enjoy. Everyone had such a fun time and learned so much in the process!   

NAMING CEREMONY

On May 2nd, NIA attended a naming ceremony for PS 331 in honor of Detective Wenjian Liu, who was killed in the line of duty in 2014. Council Member Susan Zhuang hosted the event, inviting his family and other members of the community to attend, including Mayor Eric Adams. NIA Director of Communications and Development, Virginia Chieco, Marketing and Design Specialist Shuwen Li and NIA Community Liaison, Tom Hoefel were also in attendance to witness this historic moment on Detective Liu's birthday. PS 331 will now be known as The Detective Wenjian Liu School of Civics and Entrepreneurship and will be the first school in Brooklyn named after an Asian-American individual and led by Principal Lisa Lin. We were honored to attend and support such a worthy and historic celebration. PS 331 is a new school set to open in September of 2024 located at 6312 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219.

NIA ANNUAL GIVING SPRING

NIA is excited to announce our upcoming 44th anniversary and annual giving campaign! NIA's Anniversary will be celebrated with “NIA Day” events and activities that honor our communities and recognize the impact of NIA. From our beginnings as a neighborhood organization, to our multifaceted work today, NIA has always been dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of everyone we meet.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Solar Eclipse 

Many of our students enjoyed the rare sighting of the Solar Eclipse this past April. Everyone was given safety glasses and got to spend some time outside, witnessing this rare event. Luckily it was a gorgeous day and the students definitely enjoyed being outside and seeing it with such clarity. It was such a fun learning activity that they had the opportunity to participate in!

NIA/PS 190

NIA/PS 190 has come up with the creative idea to do New Club Fridays! Recently, the yoga instructor introduced ‘partnership yoga’ to the second graders and they loved it! New Club Fridays is such a fun way to introduce our students to new and interesting activities and we can’t wait to see what else they learn about.

NIA/IS 98 

The NIA / IS 98 STEM Team  competed in person at John Dewey HS in the Brooklyn Semi-Finals for the Minecraft Battle of the Boroughs Competition, and one of our teams advanced to the Brooklyn Finals held that same day and THEY WON! They are now the Brooklyn Borough Champions and will go on to represent Brooklyn at the Battle of the Boroughs Mayor's Cup Finals on June 8th!

NIA SOCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE

FAMILY SERVICES

NEW HIRES & PROMOTIONS

Jacqueline Niola
Program Director

Jacqueline has been working in NIA since 2018, and the age of 17 years old. She was hired as a group leader and after one year got promoted to being the art and craft instructor. She loved sharing her creativity with the kids and has always taken many responsibilities at an early age. When she was promoted to assistant director she knew she was on the right career path and that she wanted to continue working with kids and making a difference! Being bilingual is a great asset, allowing her to relate to the students we serve in this community. Jacqueline strives to be the person her students can count on and lead by example, showing the students anything is possible. 

Sophia Carlin
Education Assistant

Sophia Carlin (she/they) is a NYC-based educator and administrator specializing in social emotional learning through various types of programming. They have eight years of experience executing and developing exciting new curriculums, having taught everything from sailing to puppetry. They have taught over 5,000 students across NYC, NJ, and are native Chicago through their work as a teaching artist and program manager. They are excited to bring their knowledge and enthusiasm to the NIA team and Brooklyn community. 

UPCOMING FREE NIA/PS 247 BEACON CLASSES

Don’t miss out on FREE NIA workshops this month at our Beacon Community Center!

For help with registration, contact NIA/PS 247 Program Director, Karissa Thomas, at nia.ps247k@niabklyn.org.