Open Road of New York: Mission and Programs 2004
Our Mission:
Open Road was created in 1990 to develop programs and environments with and for young people that promote community, independence and self respect. We develop these programs in partnership with neighborhood groups in need of new natural, educational, and recreational environments. These new environments create new bonds between people of all ages, who unite to establish a living community resource.
Open Road core programs use Participatory Design: a process where people work together as a team to design for their own needs and the needs of a community. Participatory Design is used all around the world to design many types of places, and programs. We create successful methods and guides for local teams to work with design professionals to create gardens, playgrounds, mapping websites, and youth programs citywide.
Our Programs
1. Creating and sustaining a core team of diverse ages and backgrounds: This diverse team, primarily youth, guides the creation of Open Road programs. Members of our original core team from the early 90's have graduated college and are now program directors mentoring a new core team of teens and pre-teens.
2. Design, Creation, and Environmental Stewardship of our home base, Open Road Park: All of our programs citywide and internationally are rooted in our gardens and recreational programs at the park. Our current park programs include the following, all of which are free and open to anyone:
-daily drop in afterschool program, open to all, with a special focus on pre-teens and teens aged 10-16
-daily academic classes led by Open Road and Dept of Ed teachers from East Side and New Design.
-participatory design (PD) events, workshops, and tours, including Living Memorials and Park PD projects.
-Saturday programs for parents, children, teenagers and the public in gardening, design, and park creation.
-college visits led by peers, and assistance with applying for college financial aid and scholarships
3. City-Wide Mapping Program: Open Road is a core member of citywide mapping efforts in NYC & Boston, including oasisnyc.net, a public web site of every piece of property in NYC, www.cenyc.org's garden mapping website, and a website in development in Boston of parks, housing, transportation and city infrastructure. We create programs for youth and community involvement, design and correct maps & data, and help to maintain public participation in ongoing re-design and development of each of these interactive mapping websites.
4. City-Wide Composting Programs: Open Road creates composting programs in partnership with DoE schools, businesses, and community gardens, including Park Slope Food Coop and Intermediate School 318.
5. Curriculum development: Teams of Open Road staff, youth, Dept. of Ed. teachers, students and partner groups develop curriculum on participatory design, urban water systems, compost, mapping, and other fields.
6. International Programs: Open Road visits and hosts partner groups in Cuba, Toronto, Montreal and Mexico. We work together on exchange programs related to youth development, design & environmental stewardship.