NYCEDC, Councilmember Constantinides and Community Leaders Launch BioBus

Mobile Science Lab Will Offer Marine Educational Programming in Western Queens

Program Will Increase the Community’s Awareness of the Marine Environment and Offer Students Opportunities to Explore Stem Careers

ASTORIA, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Councilmember Costa Constantinides and the Astoria Houses Tenant Association yesterday launched the BioBus program near Hallets Cove. The mobile science lab will provide matriculated students of all ages with free marine educational programming and training to prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

As a part of the cleanup and restoration of Hallets Cove, NYCEDC partnered with BioBus to support the educational needs of schools, youth programs and residents in Western Queens. The state-of-the-art BioBus mobile lab is equipped with advanced research microscopes and is staffed with scientists who will train students how to conduct research projects that focus on the marine ecology of Hallets Cove Park. The program will be open to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays and will be located near the Astoria Houses Community Center (4-5 Astoria Blvd, Astoria, NY 11102) at the end of the Astoria Boulevard cul-de-sac until August 13th.

Photos from the BioBus Mobile Research Lab near Hallets Cove are available here.

"The innovative BioBus program helps to spread awareness of our important marine environment,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “We are excited to partner with BioBus to achieve a mutual goal of providing a diverse range of students with quality programming to prepare them for STEM careers.”

“BioBus is an amazing program that exposes New York City students of all ages the wonders of science,” said Council Member Costa Constantinides, District 22, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection. “Too often, children sadly don’t have a connection with or understanding of nature – even the ecology within a city – which is what BioBus aims to change. Just as important, these students see firsthand that they can one day have careers in the field and become tomorrow’s innovators. I’m so happy to partner with the EDC and BioBus to bring this service to the Astoria Houses this summer.”

“New York’s waterfront has been greatly restored in the last decades, going from hazardous to healthy with flourishing flora and fauna,” said BioBus Chief Scientist Mollie Thurman. “Working with residents, we expect to find species of plants and animals in Hallet’s Cove that haven’t been commonly observed for more than fifty years, as we have been finding on the Lower East Side.”

“It’s amazing in these times to teach young people about the water, air and what it means to their health. Young people need to know more about the planet and what it means to their life,” said Claudia Coger, President of the Astoria Houses Tenant Association. “I appreciate Council Member Constantinides for moving forward with programs that support young people with education in our community. This is an enormous opportunity that may inspire the next generation of scientists or environmental advocates.”

BioBus is an internship partner of NYCEDC’s LifeSci NYC initiative, a $500 million commitment to establish New York City as a global leader in life sciences R&D and innovation, spurring an estimated 16,000 jobs and creating up to 3 million square feet of new space for life sciences companies and researchers. This year’s cohort of BioBus interns will work in tandem with the scientists to present their research findings through scientific platforms and at the BioBus research symposium at the end of the summer.

Since 2008, nearly 250,000 students from more than 500 schools were able to explore scientific research through BioBus’s educational programming. Through the program, students have discovered the importance of scientific exploration and as a result many have continued to make progress on their scientific career paths. To learn more about BioBus, please visit http://www.biobus.org.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation creates shared prosperity across New York City’s five boroughs by strengthening neighborhoods and creating good jobs. NYCEDC works with and for communities to provide them with the resources they need to thrive, and we invest in projects that increase sustainability, support job growth, develop talent, and spark innovation to strengthen the City’s competitive advantage. To learn more about our work and initiatives, please visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About BioBus
The BioBus mission is to help minority, female, and low-income K - 12 and college students in New York City discover, explore, and pursue science. Through this work, we envision a world where all people have the opportunity to reach their full scientific potential. Since 2008, over 250,000 students at more than 500 schools have discovered the thrill of scientific discovery aboard our two BioBus Mobile Science Labs, with many embarking on a path of scientific exploration and sustained pursuit at our community science labs on the Lower East Side, Northern Manhattan, and the Bronx. Join us to create a stronger, more inclusive scientific community by going to www.biobus.org, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and join us at an upcoming event.