The Life of New Yorker Goes to Holland Finale

The 6th and final day of our Rotterdam tour was an emotional one. We came together as community leaders, staff, and students to recap, discuss, and engage one last time on the RDM Campus. Even though we were heading to Amsterdam the following morning it felt as if an important part of our journey was coming to an end. We learned so much and built some solid relationships with the professors, students, and guides in Rotterdam through international exchange.

Closing Session on RDM Campus

Connecting Delta Cities Chart during final presentation

Our final presentation took place in the auditorium of RDM Campus where our large group combined with various professionals and students of Rotterdam. It was a perfect summary of everything we had learned and even expanded further on that knowledge by explaining the existing connection between the Delta Cities, which included Rotterdam, Hong Kong, and New York.

The Panel

Community Leaders participating in panel discussion at closing ceremony

During the discussion panel the leaders were able to express their gratitude, speak about what happened during Hurricane Sandy, the roles their organizations play in the community on a daily basis, and recap what they learned on the tours.I think this was an integral part of the program which at times was very technical and lacked the community aspect of it all. Having ground knowledge was crucial in providing necessities and keeping communication with the residents in the community during a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy. This panel I felt opened up a different perspective coming from the voice of the people in each represented community organization in NYC.

Red Hook Initiative (RHI) was represented by Alisa P. and Toni S. on the panel. They introduced themselves and spoke about youth programs such as the Digital Stewards and the Social Justice Fellows which are granting more opportunities and empowering the young people in the Red Hook community every day. The representatives from Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) and Rockaway Water Front Alliance, who were also gravely affected by Sandy, sat alongside Toni and Alisa representing their own communities and speaking of their individual daily challenges. It felt like there was a bond or sort of kinship that developed from this willingness to come together for a common goal and share stories and pertinent knowledge with each other.

My personal favorite part of the closing ceremony was the comparison segment between the two cities. Apparently, while Rotterdam has been on top of Urban Re-development and major projects to improve climate resilient infrastructure in their city, NY has been improving upon community affairs and crisis management which is something even the people of Rotterdam agree they could improve upon. To further drive this point we all participated in an exercise where all the community representatives from NY raised their hands to show the drive and dedication as well as community presence. On the other hand when it was time for the community leaders and representatives from Rotterdam to raise their hands an uncomfortable silence spread across the room as no one raised their hands. This was an excellent point made to show that both Rotterdam and NY were making moves to make more resilient communities and adapt to climate change. Connecting the Delta cities and exchanging information was a major step in the mission and I was very proud to be part of it. 

Check out the Students of Pratt Institutes's blog to relive the adventure from the prospective of urban planning students: http://ramprotterdamx.tumblr.com/ 

I am honored to have been the chosen young adult representing Red Hook Initiative in The Netherlands. Information was exchanged, relationships were built, and I grew as a person as well as a community organizer after this experience. It was my first time ever in Europe and I never imagined I would be there to make a difference in this world by giving back to my community. It was all thanks to a place I consider to be a safe haven, a support system,  and the beacon of hope in my neighborhood.

Thank you, Red Hook Initiative!!! 

 rhicenter.org/‎

The Life of a New Yorker Goes to Holland: Day 4

Tuesday, March 18th brought the 4th day of our exciting adventure in Rotterdam where we enjoyed a brief tour of South Rotterdam, visited the Creative Factory and returned to RDM Campus for some one on one interaction between the students. On our walking tour we immediately noticed the drastic contrast between the old and new architecture in the South side of the city. Despite the overwhelming development displayed in the new construction our tour guide informed us that the city did in fact want to retain the older construction.

Old vs New architecture in South Rotterdam

THE CREATIVE FACTORY

Upon completion of our walking tour we arrived at the Creative Factory, a large and impressive work space that is known for nurturing the creative industry in Rotterdam. The factory is open to companies, partners, and students who benefit from the extensive and largely collaborative environment.

Once an old silo (large storage container for inventory), the almost 100 year old building is another prime example of urban redevelopment. Our first speaker for the evening let us know that the area was once considered dangerous and undesirable but with the Creative Industry being very famous in the industrial environment and bringing notoriety, the area is now known for it's positive contributions to the community. Having the Creative Factory in such an area promotes inspiration to the young creative professionals in Rotterdam who can network and build relationships all while completing new and innovative projects.

The extensive factory sports various size office spaces and conference rooms for rent to qualifying creative minds. Only after an interview and viewing of the space can someone get a spot in the building to design as they please. The Creative Factory also caters to the youth in the community by reserving special units for Rotterdam University students to work on innovative projects.

Unique top floor office space in the Creative Factory 

During the weekends the Creative Factory hosts one of Rotterdam's more popular night clubs. I was in awe at the many different ways that unused spaces can be redesigned to be effective and productive both culturally and economically.

STUDENTS INTERACT ON RDM CAMPUS

After lunch our group once again boarded the convenient Aqua Liner ferry that took us to RDM Campus where we would engage in a one on one group discussion with the students of Rotterdam University.

The students of Pratt Institute represented NYC excellently and were professional and informative with their impressive presentations! Then everyone (including the Rotterdam students) split into groups to discuss individually and construct their own sustainability flow charts. After brainstorming how the challenges and potential ways sustainability could be achieved in each respective communities the groups came together and presented what they had come up with.

Watching the large group of young people engaged and hearing everyone's collective input just showed the success of such a program. We were the future community leaders, architects, urban planners, and engineers. This experience prepared us for the real work of making a positive impact and contributing to our communities. We ended our night with a full meal and conversation in the RDM dining hall. The international exchange taking place that evening was a unique kind of kinship and what connected us all was the pride and determination to protect and support our homes.

Our Rotterdam Adventure Group Picture