Teenz in the City had a great 3rd week of our summer program!!
On Monday, the group took our first trip to Coney Island. We used hopstop to determine that we needed to take two subways in order to navigate our way into Brooklyn. While on the subway, the group learning interesting, fun facts about Coney Island. Upon arrival, the group played a few boardwalk games, and we even had a few prize winners! The trip to Coney Island would not have been complete with a ride on the Wonder Wheel and a lunch on the boardwalk overlooking the beach at the famous Nathan's Hot Dogs.
On Tuesday, the group had a special treat on a walking pizza tour in downtown Manhattan. The group learned about the history of pizza in North America and dined at the first pizzeria ever created, Lombardi's Pizzeria. Our next stop was Price Street Pizza for a Sicilian slice, and we ended our trip at Forcella Pizza on the Bowery. We learned and discussed the differences in pizza style, taste, and stoves. The group discussed their favorite pizza of the day, and we look forward to taking another pizza tour this fall.
On our last day of Teenz in the City Summer, we headed to Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man in Union Square. By student request, we also stopped Barnes and Noble to take a look at some of the group members favorite books. The group discussed their favorite outings this summer and the skills they feel they have improved upon. We have seen a tremendous improvement in the teens' confidence and independence while navigating the street of New York City. It is amazing how quickly the past three weeks have gone; we look forward to kicking off our fall Teenz sessions on Sunday, September 14th, 2013! Be sure to check back for upcoming dates.
During Week 2 of the Teenz in the City Summer Program, we went on three fantastic outings. On Tuesday, the teens demonstrated flexibility due to the unfortunate rain and the group voted on a movie outing to see Despicable Me 2 instead of our planned outing to Central Park. We learned how to use the "moviefone" app on our iphones, where we located the closest theater, viewed showtimes and then used the hosptop app to navigate our way to the movie theatre.
On Wednesday, we went to Pier 25 where we were able to play a round of mini golf. This trip was particularly significant because we worked on traveling by subway using hopstop, and also used googlemaps to figure out the walking route all the way to the west side highway! The counselors let the students take the lead and further emphasized their growing independence. A couple teens could really sink a their golf balls!
On Thursday, Teenz in the City traveled to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. We continued to work on transferring subway lines and using the googlemaps app to locate the museum. While we were there, we explored the history of televisions, cameras, and even were able to create our own sound effects for movies. We also welcome two new group members this week, and we were excited to show them what Teenz in the City is all about!
Summer Program: Week 1
Teenz in the City kicked off the Summer Program 2013 this week! We had an exciting week, while refining many critical skills that honed in on gaining independence.
On Tuesday, we took a cruise on the Hudson River and viewed the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Freedom Tower. The group had the opportunity to take the crosstown bus and gain an understanding of making a transfer to the subway. During lunch, the group shared stories of their summer and goals they have for the Teenz in the City Summer Program.
On Wednesday, the group took a tour of Body Works, the Discovery Education exhibit in Times Square. The group decided that the subway was the most efficient route to arrive in Times Square. We explored the different body systems and engaged in a thoughtful reflection over lunch after the exhibit.
On Thursday, the group went bowling at Bowlmor Lanes. We practiced flexibility in commuting and took a taxi one way and the subway on the way back. We reviewed the concept of appropriate tipping in a taxi and how to split a fare among the teens traveling together.
We are looking forward to continuing the Teenz in the City Summer Program during the next two weeks!
