Bronx Students Showcase Social Justice Bench at Washington Square Park

On June 4, ten NIDC youth participants took a field trip to Washington Square Park for a special public showcase celebrating their work with the CEI Benchmarks Program, a powerful arts and social justice initiative that brings students together to explore complex issues through collaborative design.

Over the course of 13 sessions, our students dove deep into conversations around equity, identity, and community. The result of their hard work? A beautiful, functional park bench designed and built entirely by students, symbolizing the issues they care about most.

At the showcase, students from across the city came together to present their benches, each one a unique reflection of their group's shared vision and voice. Our 5th graders beamed with pride as they saw their work installed in the park, one student even stood up to deliver a moving one-minute speech about what the project meant to them.

This event wasn’t just a field trip. It was a moment of recognition for our young people’s talent, leadership, and creativity, and a reminder that when given the tools and space, youth can build more than benches… they build change!

Thank you to the CEI Benchmarks Program for partnering with us, and to our dedicated staff for guiding students through this journey of learning and expression.