Our Kids’ Biz

A semi-monthly briefing featuring Fort Greene’s finest youth programs

By Josh Beauregard

From clubs, sports, and activities to school- and organization-based programs, this semi-monthly briefing highlights local programs serving Fort Greene’s youth in positive and meaningful ways. In this edition, we feature the Ingersoll Community Center

Jordany Espinal, age 10, of Fort Greene, participates in Homework Help during a typical, weekday afternoon at the Ingersoll Community Center.

University Settlement’s Ingersoll Community Center (Ingersoll), located at 177 Myrtle Street is one of those “best-kept secret” localities that one passes by one hundred times before noticing its presence. While housed in a new building with store-front windows allowing one to peer inside, one only truly appreciates its wealth in services once inside, witnessing scores of elementary school children and teens actively taking part in the various after-school and evening programs.

On a given weekday afternoon during the school year, one can expect to see groups of students snacking in the cafeteria, playing basketball in the full-court gymnasium, making beats in the Center’s technology space, being tutored or playing chess and other games in classrooms, or down in the basement taking a karate or dance class.

Lige Davis, Ingersoll’s site director, describes the Center as offering to community youth “a safe space to learn, get fit, be creative, and gain skills that will help them grow into strong community leaders for tomorrow.”

Indeed, there is something for kids of all ages. For elementary school children, Ingersoll offers daily after-school programs in small nurturing groups. It also offers Saturday activities, including martial arts, as well as full day programming on school holidays and summer day camp.

For teens taking advantage of Ingersoll’s resources, activities and programs include daily after-school homework help and enrichment, open gym and competitive sports teams, health and wellness workshops and summer programs for middle school students.

In addition to its youth services, Ingersoll also provides a host of program for adults and the general community including open gym and fitness center hours, GED classes, career workshops and counseling, and community meetings. It puts on a number of special events each year for everyone to take part in at no charge. Its Live Well Community Fair this past spring, for example, provided healthy food demonstrations and samples in addition to performances and various activities for kids, including arts and crafts, storytelling, and rides and games. According to Davis, “it was an amazing way to celebrate our first year in the space, being able to see how many community members we’ve reached in that time, and how large our family has grown. To witness members of the community sharing, participating and contributing, while coming together to enhance and strengthen relationships, was tremendous.”

This upcoming Thanksgiving, Ingersoll is hosting a dinner for 100 members of the local community. For more information about donating money, food, supplies, time and talent to the event, contact Samantha at Ingersoll at 718-522-5051.

Ingersoll is open Monday through Friday from 1pm to 10pm and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm. The host of services and programs are completely free and funded by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development and private funders. For additional information about enrolling in after-school programs and other inquiries, call 718-522-5051 or simply stop by the Center during its hours of operation.

Readers are encouraged to provide leads about promising programs serving youth of the Fort Greene area. All suggestions may be directed to Josh at [email protected]