For Immediate Release: May 29, 2007
Media Contacts: Emma Filar, Marketing & Communications Associate
Visit the Press Room
CityVision Final Presentation: Friday, June 1, 2007 / 6 – 8 PM
RSVP: Sarah Smith, smith@www.nbm.org, 202.272.2448, ext. 3413
2007 CityVision: News Release
Students present museums for sites identified by the National Capital Planning Commission
WASHINGTON, DC—How can communities benefit from museums? Why is a particular type of museum the best fit for a community? Every Tuesday since late February, seventh and eight grade students from Thurgood Marshall Educational Center and Stuart-Hobson Middle School have explored these and other questions as participants in the National Building Museum's CityVision program. And on Friday, June 1, the participants will present their plans and designs for museums in three DC communities as sites currently under consideration by the National Capital Planning Commission's Memorials and Museums Master Plan.
Working in three teams with the help of museum educators and volunteers in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and education, the students tackled a lofty, yet attainable goal – to think about how they can impact the built environment and promote change by identifying the needs of local neighborhoods and proposing solutions designed to help community residents. The program helps students develop initial design concepts and achieve proficiency in critical and creative thinking and problem solving. More importantly, CityVision offers middle school students from under-served communities a chance to learn about city planning and design, and apply their knowledge and skills to real design projects that culminate in a final presentation. CityVision participant and Thurgood Marshall student, Chantal Robinson said, "The program has taught me about architecture and teamwork, including trying to create a sturdy building shape and sharing ideas with others."
In preparation for their final presentations, CityVision participants have learned how to use design as a means to promote change in their communities. Through a mix of museum field trips, classroom exercises, and extensive field work at their sites, the students gained the necessary foundation to express their ideas about future commemoration in the nation's capital. On field trips to the National Mall and surrounding museums, students discussed why we have museums, explored museum spaces, and looked at design elements as brainstorming for the design of their culturally significant museums. Site field trips allowed teams to collect and analyze information about their particular neighborhoods. In the classroom, they learned to use mapping and technical drawing skills to communicate information about a site.
On June 1, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the National Building Museum, the CityVision participants will present their museum designs for a museum celebrating world culture at the Banneker Overlook site, an entertainment and technology museum (E.A.T.) at the New York/Florida Avenue site, and a national food museum at the RFK Stadium site.
Background
Now in its 14th year, CityVision is an award-winning program that uses design as a framework to teach DC public school students how to become active participants in the shaping of their communities. Through extensive fieldwork and careful mentoring at the National Building Museum, students identify needs and propose solutions designed to help local neighborhoods.
CityVision is supported by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by National Endowment for the Arts; the Freddie Mac Foundation; the MARPAT Foundation; Mead Family Foundation, Bloomberg; William Randolph Hearst Foundation; and the American Architectural Foundation. Additional support for outreach programs is provided by Fannie Mae Foundation of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; and The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, among others.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
