Thousands of Elephants. One Epic Block Party.
ENTRIES + PRIZES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN WINTER 2023!
DUMBO DROP HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, WE NEED THIS MORE THAN EVER.
Alexandria Sica, President - Dumbo Improvement District
WHY ARE WE RAISING MONEY NOW?
Planning happens NOW for the 2023-2024 school year. Dock St & PS307 need to secure programming and materials for September, so the school year is off to a solid start.
PS 307, The Daniel Hale Williams Elementary, is a STEAM community school that serves children in District 13 and beyond. Their students are smart, engaging, fun and talented. Most of their students also live near, at or below poverty levels. Providing a space that acknowledges both the strengths and challenges of their children is part of the very purposeful and persistent work we aim to accomplish as a PTA.
The PS 307 PTA acts as a resource to all PS307 students with an emphasis on closing the achievement gaps often seen at schools educating underserved kids. They raise money to create FREE programs that address the specific needs of the entire community, understanding that most PS307 families are not in the position to afford extracurricular activities. These programs are designed to enhance educational and social emotional learning.
They are intentional with their spending and meticulous with meeting the needs of their most vulnerable students. They believe in fun and miss no opportunity to weave creativity, joy and inspiration into their programs and events- none of which would be possible without the donations we receive from the annual Dumbo Drop event.
The PS307 community needs help recovering from Covid 19. Specifically, the students need after school activities geared towards kids from K-5th grade. PS307 kids want to dance, dribble, run, explore, design and more! These simple childhood experiences were not available to many of our students during the pandemic. This community suffered a lot of loss, both of life and autonomy, and the school & PTA continue to see the ramifications of Covid-19 within the school day.
With the funds from the Dumbo Drop, PS307 will be able to continue their very successful after school Basketball Program. This program has had an unprecedented positive effect on their kids. Basketball is a transferable skill that is easily continued outside of the program, building confidence in students who need it most. Basketball is also a gateway to other middle school sport programs. The structure and instruction learned here can go with our students beyond PS 307. They will also add to the after school roster with dance programs, robotics teams, science classes, coding classes, cooking classes and a few other student preferred programs. The parents and students have requested the PTA's help.
The success of PS307 is intimately related to the success of their teachers. We asked them what was needed and there was a resounding request for technology support. PS307 teachers want and deserve Smart Boards! Smart boards can cost between $5k and $10k a piece with evidence showing this important addition to classrooms can help raise test scores, enhance literacy, boost attentiveness and increase comprehension! The PTA is doubling their efforts and fighting hard to fully equip each classroom with state-of-the-art computers intended to get PS 307 students where they deserve and wish to go academically.
Finally, fun and celebrations. When Fifth graders leave PS 307, they do it while fighting against the adversities of systemic racism and systemic poverty. This milestone is often more arduous than any young child should have to endure. And yet, year after year PS307 scholars accomplish the first of many educational hurdles completing their primary school goals against many odds. This hard work deserves a celebration. The PTA fundraises for a 5th grade graduation party where a commemorative, safe and fun time is had by all! Again, another landmark made possible by the generosity of our Dumbo BID neighbors.
A note from the PTA directly: Thank you for holding our students in the highest regard by doing with and not for them. The Dumbo Bid has made a huge difference in the success of PS307 and we are grateful.
The Dock Street School is a public middle school located in the heart of the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. They serve over 260 students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. 60% of their students come from low-income households. The Dock Street School provides a rigorous college-preparatory education with a strong emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math (S.T.E.A.M). Their goal is to foster curiosity, independence, agency, and problem solving in young people so that they can adapt to an ever-changing and complex world.
The Dumbo Drop is a major source of funding for Dock Street's after school programs. Thanks to the Dumbo Drop, they are able to offer classes such as Art of the Podcast, Capoeira, Robotics, Cooking, Film-Making, DJ Academy, SHSAT Prep, Basketball, Cheerleading, Soccer, and Tutoring--all at no cost to the students. They need our help again this year to make sure they can continue to offer valuable enrichment programs, as well as enhance their technology and engineering programs, and fund school trips that expose their students to important historical, cultural, and environmental contexts that will help shape their future.
