History
Launched in January 2006, Stickball Printmedia Arts has firmly established its printmaking and digital arts studio at PS/IS 50 in East Harlem and has begun to build a solid foundation with and within the school. We have created a professional space for the youth of East Harlem and across NYC that includes a printmaking studio, a digital arts studio and a darkroom. During the 2006-07 school year we served more than 70 students within our program during school hours. We expanded to serve more than 300 students during our in-school and new after-school and summer programs during the 2007-08 school year. In addition to working with PS/IS 50, we have also begun working with Bronx Community High School, a transition school for students ages 16-20 who are returning to school after previously dropping out.
Stickball's mission is to cultivate youth's self discovery, creativity and problem-solving skills while empowering them to contribute to their communities. Individual students are being challenged creatively, and are encouraged to make mistakes, reflect on their work, express themselves, observe, and solve artistic problems. The most common reaction that we hear from our students is, "This is difficult..." Yet our students are engaged and persist.
About Our Name
Stickball is named in memory of my father, who grew up playing stickball on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The sport grew out of the playfulness, creativity and ingenuity of children in urban communities -- qualities that we at Stickball aim to nurture and develop.
Community
Stickball's studio is located at P.S./I.S. 50 Vito Marcantonio, a K-8 school with extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations within the walls of their school. As a ChildrenÍs Aid Society Community School, there are extensive resources available within the school including a health clinic established by the ChildrenÍs Aid Society in collaboration with Mt. Sinai, as well as other community based programs including City Year. In addition, P.S./I.S. 50 houses the New York Center for Autism Charter School, dedicated exclusively to educating students with autism.
Stickball is a community center for arts and learning devoted to the youth and adults of East Harlem and beyond. Stickball is located in East Harlem, a neighborhood in the northeastern part of the borough of Manhattan, one of the largest predominantly Hispanic communities in New York City.
The labor force participation rate for East Harlem is 47.8 percent, compared to 66.3 percent for Manhattan and 61.7 percent for New York City and the unemployment rate for the district is 16 percent, double Manhattan's rate. In addition, almost one-third of all East Harlem youth are unemployed„a rate more than three times greater than that of the City. Nearly 1.4 percent of young people aged 16 to 19 are not in school, are not high school graduates, or are not employed. This percentage is more than twice that for New York City and more than three times that for Manhattan. Despite an increase of 22 percent between 1980 and 1990, East Harlem's median income is lower than 50% of the median income of the Metropolitan area. In comparison to Manhattan and New York City, East Harlem has a significantly higher percentage of its population made up of young people.
Location Map
433 East 100 Street
New York, NY 10029
Phone: (212) 860-5976
Fax: (212) 860-6071
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To learn more about P.S. 50, visit their school report card (pdf) here.
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