After-School Program Focuses on Skatepark Design

The Center launched this year’s B.R.I.D.G.E.S [Build, Research, Invent, Design, Grow and Explore through Science] after school program with a new Skatepark Design curriculum. Young people are studying, designing and constructing model skateparks to gain a better understanding of the necessity of shared community space. They are also learning about the shapes, elements, and structures that make up a skatepark and the math and science concepts behind them. “Skateparks allow children to see the fun in physics,” said Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone, President of the Salvadori Center.


The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program is entering its third year of after school adventures in 15 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) community centers throughout the city. The sessions are co-taught by Salvadori educators and NYCHA instructors, and the program will grow to 25 community centers by 2013. B.R.I.D.G.E.S is made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation, a federal agency.