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We believe young people are capable of incredible things.

At Beam Center, our work empowers youth by building spectacular projects in an intensely supportive and collaborative environment.

Beam Center is a collaborative and radically trusting learning community.

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By championing intergenerational collaboration and exploration, we work together to construct spectacular projects—big and small—that highlight the magic of creative cooperation. At the core of each of our programs is a belief in young people as producers of learning and culture and as agents of change in our communities.

What We Offer

  • School students working with a project leader on an electronics project

    School Partnerships

    We foster year-round partnerships with schools to co-create curriculum aligned hands-on projects and provide an alternative approach to traditional in-class instruction. Working with more than 25 schools each year, our in-school projects are created across four of NYC’s five boroughs.

    Learn more
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    Youth Training

    We offer our very own Apprenticeship program, providing youth with opportunities to develop their leadership and job related skills through guided, collaborative project making. Offering 3-4 cohorts in the fall and spring, each semester of the Apprenticeship explores a new theme and creative practice.

    See Our Program
  • Young employee standing outside on a ladder. He is hanging sculptural pieces from a wire.

    Youth Employment

    Beam Center runs five unique employment programs that we call “enterprises.” In each enterprise, youth are paid to develop their technical and professional skills and are trained to design, create, and deliver some of our public-facing programming and art offerings.

    Explore our enterprises
  • Group of summer campers in a large balloon tent

    Summer Camps

    We offer two summer camp opportunities at our spaces in Strafford, NH and on Governors Island, NYC. Whether at Beam Camp or Beam Camp City, youth are encouraged to explore notions of creativity, community, and fun through large-scale collaborative projects.

    Get Involved

Our Impact

We’ve worked with more than 33,000 young people since 2004.

Each year, Beam Center collaborates with more than 4,000 young people across NYC. We co-create dozens of projects—big and small—that expose youth to technical, social, and career-oriented skills. A Beam Center experience empowers young people to set and achieve ambitious goals in school, at work, and in life.

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    —Jaz, Beam Camp camper, 2014-2022

    I don’t think I can imagine my life without Beam. I’ve been going for — at this point — more years than I haven’t been...it’s been a constant in my life. I really like being here, I really like this place, and I really like all the projects we do. The kind of people that come here make me happy, and I really like them — the community makes Beam, Beam.

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    —Kenneth Montgomery, Member of Beam Center’s Board of Trustees, 2019-Present

    The only way to push humanity forward and change the things that stifle us and hold us back is to do the things that Beam is doing.