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L E A F L E T, SUMMER 2006
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Partnerships Academy Congratulates the Class of 2006!
The first graduating class of Partnerships Academy will finish the program in December, and we're happy to report that they're already finding ways to use what they've learned out in the parks. With ten monthly workshops combining skill-building activities, networking opportunities, guest speakers, and one-on-one consultations with Partnerships staff, the program offers plenty to learn. Each workshop focuses on a different aspect of partnership, moving from improving group structure and internal dynamics, to pitching ideas in the wider community, to working with the Department of Parks & Recreation, elected officials, funders and media outlets.
“Besides being attracted to the Academy because it was a source for new ideas and information…it was apparent it would be an excellent resource for our new Block Association,” writes June Burch Heffernan of Clarendon, Cortelyou, Beverly Road Block Association of Brooklyn. Heffernan first learned the power of partnering when she began advocating for Nostrand Playground in East Flatbush. Parks Chief of Staff for Brooklyn Marty Maher and Partnerships Outreach Coordinator Kaceen Jordan were two of the people who responded to her letters, both suggesting she sign up for the Academy.
Heffernan reports, “The workshops have helped me understand how to ask for things for our group clearly, and...taught me how to focus on partnering with other groups or individuals instead of trying to do everything alone or in a vacuum, [yielding] satisfying results and a deeper
connection to the community.” Her group celebrated their first "It's My Park Day!" on October 21st, also a first for Nostrand Playground. Funding has just come through for a renovation of the playground, and Heffernan adds, “I think the Academy helped us steer our group toward actions that have kept us involved in a tangible way with shaping the design of the new future playground.”
Eddie Collier of Foundation Five Cents, a youth basketball and leadership development program in Elmhurst, Queens, was interested in learning new ways to get funding when he heard about the Academy from his Outreach Coordinator, Helen Ho. He explains why the program is different from other workshops, saying, “We don't just go to classes, we get one-on-one attention. Even the guest speaker gave out her business cards so that we could call her for advice later.”
Collier has already forged one new partnership as a result of the Academy: girls basketball coach Barney Davis from Brooklyn's MIKA sports organization is helping Foundation Five Cents with its own summer program. “It would have taken me a lot longer to learn the same things on my own. It saved me a lot of trial and error trying different strategies,” says Collier.
Partnerships' Director Jason Schwartz agrees that the new social and community networks built through Partner-ships Academy are as valuable as the resources and training they receive. Schwartz says, "By having groups spend the year working together and exploring new ideas, members learn from each other and build relationships across the city. They become more than just workshop participants-they become colleagues and friends."
In addition to the training, consultations, and networking opportunities, Academy graduates are eligible for small grants to help them put what they learn into practice. The grants fund projects that will help groups build more effective partnerships-from basic supplies like business cards or letterhead to collaborative events organized with other community institutions. “I'd recommend it to anyone,” says Collier. “New or old, any group that wants to grow will benefit.”
We invite you to apply to join the class of 2007! Applications are due December 31st. For guidelines and application materials, call Asaf Klein at (212) 676-6054, or visit www.partnershipsforparks.org.
Partnerships Celebrates “Summer in the City”
On Thursday, August 3, over 235 park supporters bought tickets for Partnerships for Parks' annual “Summer in the City” benefit, where guests enjoyed cocktails and food before heading to Central Park SummerStage to hear music from The New Pornographers, Calexico, and The Frames.
All guests received a bag from Yak Pak filled with goodies from our sponsors. The first 150 through the door received a t-shirt or hat from designer Ed Hardy, and guests won raffle prizes worth more than $4,000.
Thanks to all of our sponsors for making the event possible: Affinia Hotels, American Airlines, Chelsea Piers, Concord Music Group, Crème Crémaillère Ice Cream, Dewar's Scotch Whiskies, emusic, Finlandia Vodka, Gibson Guitars, The Gym, Ed Hardy, HBO, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Noble House Hotels, Judith Ripka, Starbucks, Tailwind Capital Partners, Time Out New York, Ulrich Lang New York, Tom Dunne/Verizon, Whole Foods, and Yak Pak.
The NYC Compost Project is offering free paper leaf bags at botanical gardens in each borough. The Department of Sanitation will collect fall leaves in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island on November 11 and November 25, and in Queens on November 18 and December 2. This year's haul will be next year's high-quality compost, available free at city composting sites. For more information, visit
www.nyccompost.org
Citizens for NYC is sponsoring free workshops including “Should We Become a 501(C)(3)?” (Nov.16) and “Grassroots Organizing” (Dec. 9). For more information or to RSVP, contact Di Luong at (212) 989-0909, ext. 576, or email dluong@citizensnyc.org.
The Queens Botanical Garden is offering free and low-cost gardening workshops including “Indoor Composting with Worms” (Nov. 19) and “Hummus to Humus” (Dec. 3). Upcoming installments of Seeds for Seniors: A Gardening Series for Older Adults include “Houseplant Arrangements” (Dec. 7) and “Terrariums” (Dec.14). To register, call Marianne Giacalone at
(718) 886-3800 ext. 230. For more information, visit www.queensbotanical.org.
Wave Hill has upcoming craft workshops for families and adults, including “Herbs for the Holidays” (Nov. 16), “Forest Impressions” (Nov. 18 and 19), “Culturally Printing” (Nov. 19), and “Harvest Time Hangings” (Nov. 25 and 26). Some are available in Spanish. For a full schedule, call (718) 549-3200, or visit
www.wavehill.org.
The Staten Island Greenbelt Nature Center has yoga classes, an Adult Art Series, and a Fall Family Workshop Series weekly through mid-December. To lose those holiday pounds, join the 3rd Annual Turkey Be Gone Hike on November 24. For more information, call (718) 351-3450, or visit
www.sigreenbelt.org.
City Parks Foundation is offering free afterschool
programs in parks: "City Safari" (Highbridge Recreation Center), a hands-on exploration of nature and science; "Hook & Smith Productions" (Red Hook and Al Smith Recreation Centers), video and sound production and media literacy for middle and high school students; and "Literacy & Health" (Williamsbridge Oval and Passerelle Recreation Centers), homework and reading assistance paired with tennis lessons and health education for children ages 6 to 13. For more information about CPF's afterschool offerings, call (212) 360-2746.
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Dear Friends,
Volunteers work in parks every day, but there are only two days each year when we all come together to improve green spaces throughout our city. On October 21, participants in our Fall It's My Park! Day cleaned and planted alongside friends and neighbors, networked with fellow volunteers, and learned about neighborhood groups in their area.
Together, we planted 100,000 daffodil bulbs and 56,000 assorted other bulbs: tulips, crocuses, muscari, and irises. When spring comes, we can look forward to an explosion of color. Thanks to all our IMPD volunteers who helped us cultivate the beauty of our parks in 2006.
Sincerely,
Adrian Benepe, Commissioner
Parks & Recreation
David Rivel, Executive Director
City Parks Foundation
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The results of our Leaflet
survey are here!
Good news: 91% of the 150 respondents like our content and 84% like the layout. However, only 53% of you find it relevant to your work in parks, and your suggestions for new content ranged from specific information (“How to check the pH in soil”) to entirely new sections (“Meet the Outreach Coordinator” and “Interview a park administrator”). One common request was to receive each issue earlier in the season, which we've inaugurated with this winter issue.
We'll be working on implementing these suggestions, but would love to hear specific ideas about ways to make content more meaningful for you. Email thoughts and suggestions to hillary.angelo@parks.nyc.gov.
Watch for more changes and thanks to everyone who participated!
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If you missed our bulb-planting workshop this November, try this gardening tip from Tompkins Square Park gardener Michael Lytle: create a “bulb cocktail” of daffodils blooming from March to May, tulips just a little later, and lilies from June to October. Get a few of each type of bulb, dig holes about 12” deep and wide, put them in from largest to smallest, and enjoy seven months of blooms.
If you'd like to find out how to volunteer in Tompkins Square Park, call (212) 387-7685, or just find Michael in the park! You can also reach him via email at elewhale@earthlink.net |
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Get the Dirt Purchase a soil test kit online or at your local garden store for about $15 and check acidity before planting to determine which plants will thrive. A pH level of 4-5 means acidic soil (rhododendrons or strawberries will do well); pH 6-7 is neutral (anything goes); and pH 7 or above is alkaline
(good for orchids and spinach). Or pay a fee to send your soil to a private laboratory to be tested for lead as well. For a list of certified laboratories, contact: NY State Department of Health at (518) 485-5570.
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The Captain Planet Foundation invites organizations that work with children and young adults to promote understanding of environmental issues to apply for awards ranging from $250 to $2,500. Deadlines are December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30. More information and the required online application form can be found at www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html
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Partnerships for Parks works to increase community support for and involvement in parks throughout New York City. Founded in 1995, Partnerships works to start, strengthen, and support neighborhood park groups; to link these groups together so that they can learn from each other and become stronger collectively; and to promote involvement in parks so people will join in efforts to restore and preserve them.
Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor
City of New York
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Adrian Benepe, Commissioner
Parks & Recreation
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David Rivel, Executive Director
City Parks Foundation
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Jason Schwartz, Director
Partnerships for Parks
EDITOR: Hillary Angelo, Director, Technical Assistance Program
WRITER: Jennifer Keeney Sendrow
DESIGN: Anne LaFond
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http://www.partnershipsforparks.org
http://www.nyc.gov/parks
http://www.CityParksFoundation.org
To contact Partnerships for Parks and for information on volunteering in parks,
call (212) 360-1357 or call the City's non-emergency hotline, 311.
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