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You may have heard that Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. put together a task force to study the future of gifted and talented education in NYC.

Last week, they came out with their report, called “Fixing the Pipeline: Solutions to Disparities in Gifted Education in New York City.”

Recommendations in the report include:

• Requiring that all communities have equal access to Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs in kindergarten
• All students in public pre-k programs be tested for G&T programs
• Citywide and other middle school G&T programs be expanded across the city
• Expand test prep programs for specialized high schools
• A single test should not be the only source of admission to the city’s specialized high schools.

“When it comes to gifted and talented education in New York City, the math does not add up,” Adams said .”Our analysis clearly shows a historical inequity in delivering high-quality educational opportunities across the five boroughs.”

“Access to G&T programs and specialized high schools can no longer be allowed to be dictated by one’s zip code; parents who live in Belmont and Brownsville should expect the same grade-A programming and enrichment as parents in Tribeca. We don’t need small changes, we need bold changes.”

What do you think about the recommendations?

The 13th annual Free SummerStarz Movie series at Transmitter Park is back.

From July 7 to August 11, you can watch fun, family-friendly movies, starting at 8 p.m.

Be sure to come early, bring a picnic blanket and invite some friends.

There’s no better way to enjoy the summer than to kick back with a flick outdoors.

Enjoy!

The Grand Street Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting a free email marketing workshop on Wednesday, June 21st at 10 a.m.

The event will be at their office on 246 Graham Avenue.

You’ll learn why regular email often doesn’t work, insider tips and techniques to building an automates list and the dos and don’ts of design.

To register, click here.

 

On Friday, June 23rd the Kiwanis Club of Maspeth is hosting its 2nd annual Craft Beer Fest. The event takes place from 6-10pm at the Knockdown Center at 52-19 Flushing Avenue. The event will feature live music, local breweries, food vendors, and representatives from North Fork Vineyards. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door and $10 for designated drivers. Tickets can be purchased at www.knockdown.center.

Do you know any spots in north Brooklyn that can use a trash can?

Councilman Stephen Levin is taking suggestions for areas of the community that can use an extra litter basket.

This is part of the CleanupNYC program, where pols can designate funds to purchase additional trash cans. We all know we can all use some extra trash bins in our life.

Fill out the link here to tell Councilman Levin where to put a litter basket.

You may have already heard that the City Council passed the budget for Fiscal Year 2018, which begins on July 1, not just on time, but the earliest in a quarter century.

That itself is a win, but Councilman Stephen Levin highlighted some of the victories from the latest budget.

• Bushwick Inlet Park
  • The budget formally puts in the money to purchase the rest of the park, thanks to contributions from Levin ($2 million), Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito ($2 million) and Borough President Eric Adams ($1 million.)
  • The total deal comes out to $160 million, which the city negotiated.
  • “It’s also important to highlight the tremendous grassroots support that galvanized the community,” Levin said. “This would not have been possible without the tireless advocacy from the community, especially the Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park and the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn.”
• Funding for the hungry
  • $18.4 million in expanded funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
  • 31% of food pantries and soup kitchens had to turn people away due to food shortages.
  • 49% of food pantries ran out of food.
• Closing the literacy gap
  • The City Council increasing funding to early childhood literacy initiative to $4.242 million.

PS 196, the Magnet School for Communication and Media Arts in Bushwick, is hosting its annual Career Day tomorrow morning.

The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Professionals who have followed their dreams will speak to students in hopes of inspiring them to pursue their dreams as well.

Breakfast and lunch will be served.

We’re keeping an eye on the Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) streetcar project, a proposed 16-mile trolley that will run along the waterfront from Astoria to Sunset Park.

Today, the project picked up a major endorsement from the 42,000-member Transport Works Union Local 100. The union believes the BQX will create good-paying jobs and bring more business to the waterfront.

“The streetcar will give a powerful boost to the city economy, create good union jobs that can sustain working families and provide mass transit to transit-starved neighborhood,” said John Samuelson, president of Local 100.

Why is that important? Samuelson said the union will urge its members and political resources to lobby elected officials to support the BQX.

Keep in mind that the BQX is still in its early stages, trying to win public support. If it’s built, it wouldn’t be functioning for another seven or eight years.

The union says 600 of its members live along the proposed route.

“Too often, the people who most need a reliable transit option are the same people who lack a voice, and for whom a shorter and easier commute can make the biggest difference,” said Ya-Ting Liu, executive director of Friends of the BQX. “The men and women of the TWU know better than anyone how much of a difference transit can make in the lives of New Yorkers.”

Still, opponents of the project say it will increase gentrification and displacement in the highly-desired neighborhoods along the route, such as Astoria, Long Island City, Greenpoint and Williamsburg.

We’ll keep a lookout other events, rallies, endorsements and news around the BQX. Stay tuned.

The McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance is hosting a free afternoon of music, fun and games for kids at the park.

Now that school’s out, take the afternoon to enjoy music by Astrograss and Sing LIC. Eckford Studios, the Horticultural Society and the Greenpoint Y will provide activities.

Deer Baby Photography is also hosting a photo booth with one free digital print for each person.

Last but not least, enjoy pizza from Sizzle Pie.

It’s all happening today from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at McGolrick Park!

Hundreds of people filled McCarren Park last weekend for the 10th annual Go Green! Brooklyn Festival.

The event featured dozens of local organizations, green initiatives and even The Economist’s truck giving away free vegan burgers.

“It was something that truly resonates with so many different parts of the community,” said Susan Anderson, the founder of Go Green! “It pulls people together. It creates a sense of intimacy and personal connection.”

Read more about the annual festival here.

Enjoy the photos!