Beam Center Updates

Beam Center stands with the Black Lives Matter movement. Learn more here: https://m4bl.org/

We will extend our Friday Show & Tell on Instagram Live to create space for youth and community to share their power, projects, stories and feelings. Join us with Beam Project Designer Kayla Miller on Friday June 5 from 3:30pm-4pm.

THE POWER OF MAKING TOGETHER. ANYWHERE.

On March 1, we couldn't imagine an ambitious collaborative project quite like this one. Because we’re Beamers, though, we are trying to face this challenge head-on, and we draw strength and hope from knowing that we are doing it with you.

We are humbled by and grateful to the people doing the immediate and critical work demanded by these harrowing and heart-rending circumstances. And yet, in a time of social isolation we feel an even greater obligation to further our work with youth. We are determined to resist all attempts to double-down on the miniaturization and narrowing of young people’s options and horizons. We believe our collaborative ambitious projects provide young people the tools to build their future and the perspective from which to venture in whatever direction they choose.

At Beam Center, we are adapting, revising, and trying new things. We are listening and thinking deeply with our staff, our young people and our NYC agency partners with whom we serve youth citywide. As always our goal is to engage and inspire NYC students of all ages in experiences that emphasize healthy social interaction, mentorship and shared learning whether in-person or remotely. We are proud to announce: BEAM ANYWHERE

Beam Anywhere Projects are jumping off points for self-directed learning and making while schools are closed - or anytime. Each project has been created by Beam Center’s team of Project Designers, and should be doable with a few basic household items and a lot of imagination.

We believe it is now more important than ever to invest in youth. Beam is working hard to support youth with creative learning opportunities as we are all navigating this new environment. Please consider a donation to support this work. Thank you!

Beam Camp 2020 Project Announcement

A Universe by Ye Qin Zhu

According to Taoists the universe is a bottle gourd shaped, resembling the number 8, a Mobius strip or infinity sign. The double domes of “A Universe” are formed by a steel armature covered with lime plaster and cob; one of the world’s most durable building materials used for structures that are millennia old and still standing today. Inside, large feet, hands, and heads line the walls and ceiling to resemble a body turned outside in. On the 18 windows sit instruments, like kinetic fountains, that are activated by falling rain and wind. On the outside surface, campers tell stories in ceramic and plaster reliefs, and fresco paintings. “A Universe” asks us to look at one’s body as an instrument that resonates inwards and out, emphasizing the interconnectedness of our interior and exterior worlds.

Registration for Beam Camp 2020 is still open, but slots are limited! We welcome all youth ages 11-17 to apply.

NEW CAMPER REGISTRATION

RETURNING CAMPER REGISTRATION

Beam Camp 2020 Session Dates: Thursday, July 2 to Sunday, July 26

More info at beamcamp.org or email: contact@beamcenter.org

Beam 2019: Year in Review

7,000+ students worked on Beam projects, in-school and out-of-school

300+ educators learned with Beam, incorporating art and technology into classroom lessons

200+ youth employed or placed by Beam through city-funded programs

25 school partners in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx

15 years of Beam with a great reunion and successful Celebration Gala, hosted by Youth Inc

6 NYC DOE Summer in the City sites across the city. Beam's Invention by Nature curriculum was used in free programs serving close to 1,000 students

5 Beam Apprenticeship & Project Leader Programs serving over 130 teens

4 Amazing Beam Projects - Iceberg, FlipNYC, and +POOL Light, all built by Beam Youth

1 #campforall proposal to re-imagine learning in NYC public schools

All Thanks to YOU!

Our work would not be possible without supporters like you!

Much of the work we do every day - prototyping, brainstorming, taking time to really listen to youth and foster their ideas and energy - is not supported by grants or contracts. It is only supported by people like you who believe in Beam's vision.

Beam Center Seeks Ambitious Project Proposals for New Hampshire and Brooklyn

For the last 15 years, Beam has conducted an international search for spectacular project ideas to be built at Beam Camp in New Hampshire. For the first time this year, we are putting out calls for two big ideas for two places: one for camp in New Hampshire and one to be built in Brooklyn as our 2020 NYC Beam Project.

Beam Projects are spectacular collaborations between visionary big thinkers and the Beam Community of youth and creative and technical experts.

What we’re looking for in Beam Project Proposals:

• Projects coming from creative individuals and teams, including but not limited to Artists, Designers, Architects, Builders, Engineers, Musicians, Fabricators & Technologists.
• Big ideas that culminate in a unique, ambitious, and spectacular artwork in a public space
• Utilize a range of materials and a range of fabrication processes
• Proposals that communicate a clear vision (sketches, diagrams, and other visuals are always helpful) and represent your/your team’s expertise

For details on each call and to submit a proposal:
New Hampshire Project Call
New York City Project Call

Individuals and teams can apply for one or both projects. Proposal deadline for both is Monday, January 6, 2020, 11:59pm.

CELEBRATE BEAM15 at the Youth Inc GALA!

You helped make Beam! Let’s celebrate together.

Join us to celebrate 15 years of amazing projects and help us build toward an even brighter future for youth! Youth Inc hosts the Celebration Gala and 100% of your ticket purchase or donations go directly to Beam youth programs.

It's a great chance to dance, eat, and raise a glass with Beam staff and friends in support of our innovative learning projects that reach over 6,000 young people each year.

Great Food, Open Bar, Live Entertainment

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

6:30pm-9:30pm

The Grand Hyatt New York

109 East 42nd Street (at Grand Central Terminal)

Tickets $250; Sponsorships begin at $1,000.

Last year, we raised almost $100,000 at the 2018 Celebration Gala. This year we are almost 50% to our goal, with 8 weeks to go. Help us reach our stretch goal of $110,000 so we can ring in our Beam’s future. More details on our current programs and impact on the Celebration Gala event page.

Thank you to Celebration Co-Chairs and the Beam Board for their support:

Juliette & Aaron Adams, Cassie Broadus & Colin Brennan, Kyle Brennan, Brian Cohen & Maggie Poxon, Mike DeSutter, Hayden Duncan, Alex Foote, Holly Halvarson, Ann & Kenneth Harrell, Jennifer Hanlin, Fabian Jabro, Danny Kahn & Anita Merk, Nicole and Philip Kim, Kathy Larchian, Jana & Gary Potashnik, Calvin Stalvig, Peter Wright, Anand Vora

Check out fun party photos from last year!

ICEBERG 2019 Beam Camp Project

ICEBERG - Beam Camp Project 2019 - Built by 104 campers (age 10-17) with 35 Beam Staff

Designers Lucie Bulot and Dylan Collins

ICEBERG is a floating structure designed as much for aquatic fun as it is a poetic visualization for climate change. Both a scultpure and a usable platformed stairway and dock, ICEBERG is composed of 1,400 thermochromatic (color-changing) tiles that are responsive to temperature. Blue pigment turns white and the tile color changes or “melts” as the temperature rises. At camp, the floating structure was set in the deepest waters of our lake in New Hampshire and campers kayaked out to it. Beam campers and staff collaborated to build ICEBERG over the space of 3 weeks this summer.

Materials: Recycled HDPE plastic, thermochromatic pigment, 55 barrels for flotation, 3000 board-feet of lumber, sweat and love. Check out Drone Footage here.

Beam15 Reunion & Block Party August 25, 2019

We kicked off our Beam15 Celebrations at probably the worst time of year - a Sunday in late August. Yet well over 125 Beamers came from across our programs and reconnected over Beam memories. We were thrilled to see so many people! Campers and staff placed themselves on the Beam Project Timeline, we watched Allen Riley movies of the past, we played games and sung the “Beam Birthday Song” to ourselves while enjoying a cake made by Pearl. Most importantly, Brian (cried) and spoke about Beam’s future, which we want you to be a part of. Be sure to join our mailing list or follow us on social media to stay connected.

We’re sorry we missed so many people who were on vacation or already back to school/college. Stay tuned for more Beam15 events this year — the fancy party called Celebration Gala is on Wednesday November 13 at The Grand Hyatt New York. Please consider buying a ticket or making a donation to help us reach our $110,000 fundraising goal this year. 100% of all donations and ticket sales go to Beam programs; the Celebration Gala is fully hosted by Youth Inc.

Follow @BeamCenter on Instagram for More Photos and Regular Updates

More Beam Project Updates:

School Year Highlights

In school year 2018-19, Beam Center has had its biggest year yet working in NYC public schools and communities!

We collaborated with youth and teachers building inspired projects connected to curriculum and extending learning for over 6,000 students. In 25 public schools across Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, our staff designed and led projects, too numerous to list, with young people in every grade, from ages 6 to 18.

Beam Teens also taught hundreds of younger students in community-based afterschool programs, local STEAM fairs and Beam’s own Inventgenuity Festival and the Grand Opening of FlipNYC in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

From Morse Code Machines to Social Justice Silk Screening to Alternative Energy Housing Development, enjoy a few photos from the thousands memorable moments Beam has created with youth in NYC schools this year!

Posted June 2019

FlipNYC: Giant Flipbooks now Open! Check the NYC Beam Project Page for photos and more details! Be sure to catch them in DUMBO this summer!

Posted June 2019

Thanks to the New York Times and News12 for great coverage of Inventgenuity Festival! See Festival Page for stories.

Inventgenuity Festival 2019: Join us at Dock Street School (DUMBO) Sunday May 5th, 11am-4pm

Check all the details on our Inventgenuity Festival page. This year’s event is FREE but please pre-register!

Posted May 2019

Beam Center featured in nationally recognized work: Reclaiming Digital Futures, supported by the Susan Crown Exchange.

Posted March 2019

Help Build the First NYC Beam Project! Donate to Challenge from March 18 to April 12!

Beam Center and the NYC Beam Fellows are bringing our Giant Flipbooks to DUMBO this Summer!

The NYC Beam Fellows, students ages 15-18, are not only building spectacular public art, they are building community and showcasing what young people can do.

They'll work with local elementary and middle school students to trace and color the 200 Flipbook images needed to bring the animation to life. FlipNYC is a collaboration between Beam Center, the NYC Beam Fellows, architect Chee-Kit Lai, artist Ebony Bolt, hundreds of community illustrators and you.

Help Beam build FlipNYC and win prize money - up to $50,000! 

Beam Center has been selected to be part of A Community Thrives - Crowdrise Challenge by the USA TODAY Network to raise money for this effort. The Campaign runs from March 18 to Friday April, 12 at midnight. The top teams can win grand prize cash donations up to $50,000! We keep every dollar we raise, but must raise $6,000 to be eligible. The sooner we reach $6,000, the more prizes we can win!

Please help us reach this goal with a donation! Your donations will support this FREE program by contributing to design and engineering fees, community workshops, materials, and staffing. Thank you!

Iceberg - Beam Camp Project 2019

ANNOUNCING: For our 15th Summer at Beam Camp, we are proud to present the 23rd Beam Camp project!

Iceberg by Designers Lucie Bulot and Dylan Collins was selected from close to 50 international submissions and is inventive, technical, fun, and relevant to today’s headlines. Our project team, which included campers for the first time, reviewed countless pages of submissions and spent hours interviewing project designer candidates.

Beam Camp Registration is still open to New Campers and Returning Campers, though spots are extremely limited. More information at Beam Camp website.

Beam Center x BRIC Media Share

Beam was honored to be a 2018 Grantee of BRIC Media Share! Working with BRIC mentor Sean Mannion, Project Development Director Allen Riley and Operations & Finance Manager Kathryn Wallem produced, shot, and edited the story of two of Beam’s Youth Project Leaders, Reji and ZP, who design and teach creative, hands-on STEAM lessons at CAMBA after-school programs at PS 114 in Canarsie, Brooklyn. We are so proud!

Watch now:

Posted February 2019

CareerCLUE with teens from Boys & Girls High School in Brooklyn

Watch Beam Center Apprentices in action! We are so proud that Beam was highlighted in this video about the CareerCLUE program, supported by NYC DOE, NYC Community and Renewal Schools and the Fund for Public Schools. Hear from our students and teachers about learning and making at Beam.

Posted December 2018

Call for Beam Camp 2019 Project Proposals!

Deadline January 6, 2019

Submit your proposal to make this year’s project the best yet! Please share with your friends, colleagues and networks! See detailed proposal instructions here.

For inspiration, check out Beam projects from the last 14 years here!

Bread & Brawn Video Release!

Beam Is….

We asked young people we work with in NYC and at Beam Camp to tell us their Beam story and answer the question “What is Beam?” Here are just a few things they said.

Beam Center is a place of hard work and a lot of fun. Noor, age 16

Beam is a place where I felt heard and appreciated. Deborah, age 13

Beam is filled with creative and motivational people, Bakhti, age 16

Beam is opportunity. Briana, age 19

What is Beam to you? Watch and share our video stories on Beam’s YouTube channel and join us in telling your “Beam is” story.

Posted November 2018

Celebration Gala!

Beam supporters, staff and youth gathered to CELEBRATE investment in youth as part of the 2018 Youth Inc Celebration Gala. As a first-time honoree, you helped us smash expectations and together we raised close to $100,000 to benefit Beam youth programs. After we hit $75,000, we announced a stretch goal to direct all additional money raised to benefit the NYC Beam Project coming in June 2019. (You can still donate to the campaign until December 14, 2018.) Thank you for your support!

Here are some photos from the night!

Posted November 2018

Beam Center to be Honored at Celebration Gala, November 14, 2018

This fall, Beam Center is one of 10 NYC youth nonprofits to be honored at the annual Youth Inc Celebration Gala held on November 14, 2018 at The Grand Hyatt New York. We are proud to be recognized for our work with youth and all monies we raise will be directed to youth programs. We would love for you to attend or consider a sponsorship. More details about the event and how you can support Beam with a ticket purchase or donation here.

Posted October 2018

Beam Camp NH August Project: Bread and Brawn

Thanks to Todd Bookman from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) for visiting Beam as we were completing the Bread & Brawn project. He was able to capture some of the crazy but inspiring (and delicious) stuff that happens at Beam. Listen to Beam Campers describe the work here.

(Our story was also picked up by US News & World Report.)

Beam Summer in the City

This summer in NYC, we built 100s of projects with:

• 24 Apprentices at our Brooklyn Beam Center

• 200+ public school students in 5 boroughs

• 400+ elementary and middle schoolers at Beam and CAMBA Day Camps

This summer, Beam Center is firing on all cylinders with programs in 7 locations across NYC plus our sleepaway camp in New Hampshire. We are creating exciting projects with young people at Brooklyn Summer Day Camp, Teen Apprenticeship at Beam Center and Beam's Invention X Nature program for STEM Summer in the City in schools in each borough. More details from our NYC summer programs here.

July 2018

Presenting Time Tomb: Beam Camp New Hampshire Project July 2018

Spring 2018: School Projects & Showcases

As we wrap up the school year, it’s incredible to see Beam youth and instructors working in and out of the classroom. We are thrilled to celebrate all the amazing projects created by Beam youth during our in-school partnerships this year. We are amazed and proud that we worked with over 5,000 public school students this year in 25 NYC schools!

Kudos to students from Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School who won Crowd Favorite Award at Emoticon 2018 for the LoveYrslf Floating Flowers, Brooklyn International High School students who participated in the NYC Sustainability Showcase with Interactive Raspberry Pi Recycling Bins and Beam Instructor Christopher Yau who was named ConEdison’s Brooklyn Yankee Kid! Also, students from Bronx International High School created their own hydroponic garden with Beam instructors and were featured on News12 in the Bronx.

June 2018

Inventgenuity Festival 2018 - Nose/Knows

Our 9th annual Festival weekend was a smell-tacular success! Held on March 24 & 25 at The Brooklyn New School, we had 400+ Kids and Families
30+ Beam Teens
10+ Amazing Beam Instructors
and 1 Live-Streaming, Giant Glowing Schnoz 

PLUS over $3,000+ raised for Day Camp Scholarships!

Thanks to ConEdison for support for the Festival and Beam Center's work in Brooklyn FabLab schools!

More photos and fun here.

Posted April 2018

Announcing Beam Camp Projects 2018!

We're thrilled to announce the projects for Beam Camp NH 2018! This year's international design competition netted over 50 submissions, from which we have selected two incredible projects. Join us this summer to build big and dream big! Check out Beam Camp in New Hampshire for more details.

Beam Youth Leader Recognized as SuperStar!

Calvin Stalvig, Director of the BeamWorks Apprentice program and Youth Development Leader, was awarded 1st place in the Algorhythm SuperStar Youth Development Awards! This past spring and summer, over 90% of Beam Apprentices had statistically significant socio-emotional learning gains due to participation in our program. 

Calvin was key in helping youth gain self-confidence, develop team-building skills and increase their positive identity. We are thrilled that Calvin and Beam Center were recognized for our work with youth!

This summer, high school Apprentices learned about NYC water ecology, developed STEM lessons which they taught to younger children and took field trips to explore and discover NYC's waterways. 

Posted January 2018

Making Memories 2017

Thanks for your reflections on MAKING Memories of 2017. We are deeply grateful for the thoughtful and strenuous collaboration of the all the kids, teens, teachers, staff and guest artists who have made incredible projects with us this year. 

MAKE A MOMENT was the theme of our year-end campaign. We were proud to highlight our youth, artists and projects. 

Thank you for all your support! Your donations exceeded our goals and help us make a difference for NYC youth in 2018! 

Posted December 2017

Search for 2018 Beam Camp Project Begins

An intergalactic salvage station struck by a meteor, a solar-powered cinematic riff on a French film from 1902, a 2-story arboreal kaleidoscope: every year, Beam Camp solicits proposals for unique and spectacular large-scale projects that serve as the centerpiece for a 25-day session of camp, during which they are built and brought to life by 100 campers and staff. Deadline for submissions is January 7, 2018.

Posted October 2017

Experience Beam Camp NH Summer 2017

We had a great summer with hundreds of kids in New Hampshire. We were thrilled to be profiled by Todd Bookman of NH Public Radio, by The Weather Channel and by two Beamers as part of their independent projects. Great photos of the Kinetic Cluster and Salvage Station No. 8!

Posted September 2017

Beam Block Party

On June 3rd, we celebrated our 1st Beam Block Party, showcasing the work of our students from 23 public schools all over NYC! Thanks to parents, teens and special guests who stopped by. Learn more and see photos here.  

Posted June 2017

Beam Center Awarded $100,000 in Susan Crown Exchange Digital Challenge

Beam Center was selected as one of 8 nationwide programs to participate in the Susan Crown Exchange Challenge with an accompanying award of $100,000. We are proud to be recognized as an exemplary program using digital tools for learning and serving youth ages 13-18 in out-of-school settings. Each program focuses on skill growth by working with youth to create and connect hands-on learning experiences to life, work and play beyond the program. Read more here.

Posted May 2017