CityScience: Inspire Exploration

In 1978, the Prospect Park Environmental Center (PPEC) was one of New York City’s first programs designed to help inner-city youth connect to the natural environment and understand their responsibility toward it. Founded and led by John Muir of Park Slope for over 20 years, PPEC changed its name to the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment (BCUE) in 1990.

As the importance of environmental education grew, BCUE’s programs evolved to serve schools and provide professional development for teachers. Emphasizing hands-on and place-based education, BCUE’s core programs sent trained science educators into thousands of classrooms throughout Brooklyn. As demand for programming increased and BCUE’s work extended citywide, the organization dropped ‘Brooklyn’ from its name. At its peak, CUE worked in 390 school and after-school settings teaching over 4,000 sessions that served nearly 100,000 students and teachers annually.

After nearly three decades in Prospect Park, CUE mounted an ambitious capital campaign to create a new center for education. Unfortunately, CUE was unable to able to meet the increased operating costs and was forced to close in April 2009, six short months after economic collapse of 2008.

CUE’s closing left a large hole for schools, teachers, and after-school programs seeking to connect students to science through their urban environment. CityScience was founded as a new and independent nonprofit to make this connection. Proud to carry forward CUE’s portfolio of time-tested student courses, CityScience plans to focus its educational approach and place new emphasis on supporting teachers and building partnerships to transform science education.

In addition to student courses, CityScience offers a wide range of professional workshops, teacher coaching opportunities, and curriculum consulting services. All CityScience programs are designed to improve the quality of science education and help students become critical thinkers who make connections between science and their daily lives.

What's Happening

Check out the CityScience Classroom and Project Grants page that was recently updated!

Read more