Last Friday Majority Leader Amanda Farías, alongside Borough President Vanessa Gibson’s office, presented a check for a total of $750,000 to P17x administrators, students, and parents to begin construction on a life skills classroom. Majority Leader Farías allocated $500,000 to the project and Gibson allocated $250,000.
Life skills classrooms are model apartments/homes to help students learn first-hand important life skills like laundry, dish washing, making the bed, grocery shopping and more to prepare them for adulthood and an empowered life. The life skills classroom at P17x will be built in classroom 449 as a mock one bedroom apartment featuring amenities like an ADA sink, a dishwasher, refrigerator, a single bed and more.
“On behalf of the entire P17 community, I want to express our sincere appreciation for your dedication to our students’ wellbeing and future success,” said P17x Principal Angela Jones. “Your belief in our mission to provide a nurturing environment where every student can thrive is evident in your actions. The establishment of the life skills classroom is not just a building, it’s a beacon of hope and opportunity for our students.”
This project was one of 11 projects on the 2023 Participatory Budgeting ballot for Council District 18. The first project, gym air conditioning upgrades at Women’s Academy of Excellence, won with 858 votes and the life skills classroom project came in second with 441 votes. The 2023 Participatory Budgeting cycle had a total of 1,433 voters participate.
“Supporting our local District 75 schools is essential to supporting the growth and wellness of our families and neighborhoods,” Farías said. “Building the skills of children with special needs is essential to increase our students’ independence and their happiness at home, at school, and around the community. I am incredibly proud to fund a state-of-the-art facility like this in Castle Hill to serve our students and parents.”
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