Broadway Stages Gears Up for Earth Day!

Earth Day is only one week away!

The Earth is more than 4.5 billion years old and has supported eight million species, with many more yet to be discovered. The magnificent Mother Earth has cultivated incredible biomes that have lasted billions of years.

Let's help Mother Earth continue to live in environmental prosperity by each doing our part to keep her healthy this Earth Day.

One of the best ways to give back to nature is to start gardening. It's time to start increasing your green footprint right in your backyard. Simply planting vegetation or trees in your backyard can have a tremendously positive effect on the local environment. By recycling the carbon dioxide in the air, plants help increase your green footprint by producing cleaner, more oxygenated air and depleting carbon dioxide. Your actions, in unison with your fellow neighbors, will make a significant real-world impact if everyone does their part.

Planting in your garden is as easy as a three-step process. All you have to do is dig, plant, and water! It's that simple. What are you waiting for? Go help save the Earth today!

Incredible Year for Hunter College!

It has been another amazing year for Hunter College, one of New York’s leading educational institutions. This year alone Hunter College jumped from the 48th spot to the 28th "Best Regional Universities, North," a testament to its commitment to continuously improve its educational criteria.

Gina Argento, President of Broadway Stages, encourages residents to support local educational institutions. Empowering our students with quality educational resources can lead them to a life of success beyond the academic scope. Having always been a contributor to local colleges, like Hunter College and Kingsborough Community College, Gina wanted to express her belief in making education accessible to everyone. Donations like hers help make scholarship programs that open doors to learning opportunities possible. Scholarships provide students with critical educational resources that can transform their academic studies into career paths.

Gina hopes that fellow New Yorkers join her in supporting and providing undergraduate scholars with the educational tools necessary to transform their lives.

Broadway Stages Supports Local Students Through Angels Program

What better way to start off the New Year than by supporting education for New York City students! As a participant in the Futures in Education Angels program, Gina Argento, CEO of Broadway Stages, helps young scholars in elementary and intermediate schools get the necessary educational resources to continue to receive a quality Catholic education.

Her contributions as an Angel significantly reduce or in some cases completely subsidize a child's educational cost. Recipient families are relived of most or all financial obligations from school tuition for their children. Gina sees her support for the Angel program as more than just helping students receive a quality education. It is a positive investment in each child.

In fact, Angels and student recipients interact on a personal level through handwritten letters and artwork. Angels can then personally see the success of each student that they support and can be more involved in helping each student be the best they can be.

Gina encourages everyone to join her in participating in the Angel program offered by Futures in Education this year and make a difference!

Broadway Stages Supports New York City Audubon to Benefit Local Wildlife

Protecting. Conserving. Revitalizing. 

New York City Audubon ensures the proper treatment and management of New York City's beautiful natural ecosystems. Responsible for organizing surveys, species assessments, biodiversity research, public education, and public outreach programs of New York native wildlife species, the New York City Audubon Society concerns itself with establishing strict conservation practices and connects members of the community to take action together to fortify native and migratory bird habitats as well as other wildlife.

Broadway Stages believes that conservation practices and educating on biodiversity of native bird and wildlife species in New York is critical to preserving the natural environment for years to come. That is why Broadway Stages provides necessary funds for the continued environmental programs needed to expand and establish local ecosystems. Going beyond just sponsorship, Broadway Stages has also donated our rooftop space at 520 Kingsland Avenue, now known as Kingsland Wildflowers, to be used as an interactive habitat space designated for local wildlife in partnership with New York City Audubon.

Not only a sponsor to New York City Audubon, Broadway Stages also follows similar environmental behaviors by heavily engaging in environmentally conscious efforts and programs across Brooklyn and New York City for the purpose of keeping our environment clean for local wildlife. Our environmental stewardship and conservation practices range from utilizing eco-friendly solar-powered initiatives to cleanup programs to keep garbage off Brooklyn streets. Not only do these initiatives and programs benefit the local environment, ecosystems, and wildlife, but also our fellow Brooklynites who can enjoy a cleaner living environment.

Broadway Stages, Kingsland Wildflowers Green Rooftop Honored at NYC Audubon Fall Roost

At the 2017 New York City Audubon Fall Roost, Broadway Stages was honored for their support of the Kingsland Wildflowers Green Rooftop Project, and their dedication to sustainability and commitment to environmental stewardship.  

In 2016 Broadway Stages collaborated with the New York City Audubon, Alive Structures, and Newtown Creek Alliance to create a large-scale, half-acre green roof. Located atop a sound stage at 520 Kingsland Avenue in Greenpoint, Broadway Stages donated the space, matched initial funding from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund, and continue to provide financial support for the infrastructure and garden maintenance.

The design of the rooftop garden by Alive Structures features native grasses and wildflowers intended to attract birds and other wildlife species; it also serves to divert rainwater runoff. The New York City Audubon manages the project and oversees the wildlife monitoring through bat and bird microphones and swallow houses installed on the green roof. The New York City Audubon is also responsible for managing year-round educational programs.

Broadway Stages's commitment to the environment and its community is summed up by Tony Argento, founder and Managing Partner: "We are happy to share this rooftop with the neighborhood and with the people interested. We are very devoted to our community; it's our duty to give back."

See what folks are saying about Broadway Stages and the Kingsland Wildflowers Project in the video commissioned by the New York City Audubon above.

"We would not have been able to do this project without a partner like Broadway Stages."
⎯ Kathryn Heintz, Executive Director, New York City Audubon

"It's become a real hub of environmental activity and education, and that wouldn't have been able to happen without the Argentos letting it." 
⎯ Marni Majorelle, Principal and Green Roof Specialist, Alive Structures

"The Kingsland Wildflowers roof is fantastic for the creek. Broadway Stages has been a great example of how a company that is not in the business of cleaning up the creek can go above and beyond to help out with these larger issues."  
⎯ Willis Elkins, Program Manager, Newtown Creek Alliance

Broadway Stages and North Brooklyn Boat Club Provide Environmental Education

Row, row, row your boat! That was exactly what 100 fourth-grade students did down the Newtown Creek advised by staff from the North Brooklyn Boat Club (NBBC). The boat ride at Broadway Stages' Boatyard is part of an educational program designed to teach students about the history of the creek and how to keep it clean for the future.

The local creek was once a high-density highway for transportation between New Jersey and New York and a common destination for dumping waste. It eventually became a Superfund site marked for environmental cleanup. However since then, in part thanks to the Newtown Creek wastewater treatment facility and increasing awareness and government intervention, it has become considerably cleaner and safer. Though the water has significantly improved, there is a continuous need to educate locals and boost communal efforts to prevent it from reverting back to how it was.

As a Brooklyn business, Broadway Stages believes that it is part of our duty to the Brooklyn community to increase awareness about the environmental importance of the iconic creek. Believing it is important for future generations to appreciate and preserve the natural ecology of our shared creek, Broadway Stages wishes to improve the Newtown Creek for all Brooklynites to enjoy and works to achieve that dream by setting up educational programs with NBBC. By working with NBBC, Broadway Stages has invited many Brooklynites, with a focus on students, to come to the Broadway Stages Boatyard to learn about the ecology of the Newtown Creek.

Leading the success of the partnership program between NBBC and Broadway Stages are the fun but educational teaching methods. To allow students to thoroughly enjoy the creek, staffers take them on 12-man boat trips down the creek to experience firsthand the amazing ecology of the creek, in the hopes of inspiring them to preserve its current state and work to improve it even more in the future.

Broadway Stages and NBBC hope to restore the Newtown Creek to its natural beauty completely and can only do it with the help of Brooklynites of the next generation. Let's keep Brooklyn clean and eco-friendly!

Broadway Stages Excited to See Neighbors Allied for Good Growth in Brooklyn

Broadway Stages is excited to see our fellow Brooklynites Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) and the Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning (GWAPP) partner together to establish an even greater civic presence in North Brooklyn.

Having already accomplished great things, including shutting down an illegal garbage transfer station and acquiring more land for the soon-to-be-completed Bushwick Inlet Park, NAG now enjoys the help of GWAPP to accomplish even more for Brooklynites. With the two organizations sharing the same civic duty to empower local residents to help define public spaces and increase the quality of life in Brooklyn, the momentum for an environmentally clean, safe, and resident-focused Greenpoint community is now stronger than ever!

Celebrating the amazing merger between two fantastic organizations, NAG announced the upcoming partnership at its seventh annual gala and fundraiser. Among enthusiastic sponsors and supporters were Gina Argento, President of Broadway Stages, and Tony Argento, founder of Broadway Stages. Gina and Tony were incredibly excited to be on board as "Friends" sponsors to NAG's and GWAPP's missions. Gina and Tony strongly believe in creating a safer and cleaner North Brooklyn, seeing reinvestment in environmental stewardship as one of Broadway Stages's core values. Gina, Tony, and the rest of the family at Broadway Stages look forward to NAG and GWAPP sharing a vision of an environmentally conscious future for North Brooklyn.

Broadway Stages Celebrates Opening of NY Sun Works Project Farm House

Celebrating alongside sponsors and supporters, NY Sun Works revealed its new Project Farm House location yesterday. Among the attendees were members of the Broadway Stages family, who came to show their support and learn from students how hydroponic education has changed their learning experiences. Broadway Stages was happy to hear from students that they were able to design their own scientific experiments involving hydroponic systems and test their hypotheses. Seeing the students' excitement in presenting their findings inspired the Broadway Stages family to do even more for New York City students. 

As a strong supporter of science education accessibility, Gina Argento, President of Broadway Stages, is enthusiastic about NY Sun Works's incredible dedication to introduce an innovative and interactive style of education to students. In fact, Gina, along with the Broadway Stages family, did not hesitate to sponsor and donate to NY Sun Works's Greenhouse Project and Youth conference when first partnering with NY Sun Works. After all, Gina and NY Sun Works both share the same goal of providing access to innovative and quality educational resources to students without any costs. Seeing the fruition of her dedication and commitments to NY Sun Works last night was truly a treat that only further strengthens her commitment to education. We hope to see NY Sun Works continue to do great things and will always be supporting them as your family at Broadway Stages!

Broadway Stages Supports Hydroponic Education

Over the summer, hydroponic education and STEM education sprouted in dozens of new schools and local communities across Queens and Brooklyn. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez welcomed five new partnerships between schools in Brooklyn and Queens through federal grants. She was able to allocate these federal funds to build new hydroponic labs, provided by NY Sun Works, to teach city students about urban agriculture.

Moreover, the biggest hydroponic news story of the summer came from Brooklyn and the "Growing Brooklyn's Future" initiative set forth by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. His new educational initiative will create new hydroponic classrooms in over a dozen schools in Brooklyn communities including Brownsville, Bushwick, and East New York. With an outstanding budget of $2 million to be used on labs built by NY Sun Works, students will now have unparalleled access to hydroponic and STEM resources like never before.

Broadway Stages President Gina Argento is grateful that city officials share her passion and advocacy for greater access to and greater quality education for students in Queens and Brooklyn. As a sponsor to and financial supporter of NY Sun Works, Gina wants to express her gratitude toward city officials who share her goals to add new educational resources to New York City's school curriculum. The additional support from city officials will ensure that greater funds will be allocated to allow interested students to learn about innovative urban agriculture, sustainability, and STEM education that was unprecedented before.

Broadway Stages Hosts Kingsland Wildflower Festival

Last Saturday, Broadway Stages held the second Kingsland Wildflower Festival in honor of the continued commitment to transform 30,000 square feet of roof space into floral gardens. The event was open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. with refreshments and meals provided by Broadway Stages and Broadway Stages staff. Participants for the festival included local Brooklyn conservation groups, who set up booths to teach attendees the importance of sustainability and responsible environmental stewardship. In addition, nearby residents were able to climb atop the roofs of Broadway Stages' 520 Kingsland Avenue location to experience firsthand the beauty of the Kingsland Wildflowers.

The Kingsland Wildflower Project was created in partnership with GCEF, Alive Structures, New York City Audubon, the Newtown Creek Alliance, and Broadway Stages, who provided the space and infrastructure costs. The project was created to achieve a shared goal between its members, which is to preserve natural greenery and introduce new green infrastructure in Brooklyn. Set to be an example of sustainable conservation practices and infrastructure, the Kingsland Wildflower Project provides a cohabit space between different natural wildlife species as the first of its kind, hoping to inspire many more to follow.

The successful conversion of 22,000 square feet of rooftop space has already been finished, with 10,000 square feet to be finished in the coming year. Green spaces such as the Kingsland Wildflower Project not only help the environment but also function as a great public space for New Yorkers to come and enjoy a scenic destination. Events such as this one also allow likeminded individuals to share sustainable practices and ideas.

Broadway Stages could not have asked for a better turnout for the Kingsland Wildflower event. Thank you Brooklyn for showing your enthusiasm for our project and for your continued support!

Broadway Stages Celebrates Summer Solar Success

Over the summer, Broadway Stages was excited for and thankful for the abundant days of bright sunlight. Not only did the sun bring about great weather and a lively atmosphere, but it also brought with it (from 92 million miles away) tremendous free energy. Seemingly unlimited in its energy output, the sun was the perfect clean energy alternative for Broadway Stages to use to replace our reliance on traditional energy that harms the environment. To realize our solar program, Broadway Stages, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based Solar Energy Systems, installed innovative solar panel technology, totaling over 50,000 square feet to capture sunlight and convert it into electric energy.

Since 2010, Broadway Stages has naturally sourced over 25 percent of our annual electric needs from natural sunlight. Our solar panels convert sunlight into 1,200,000 kilowatt hours of electrical power used for studio lights, back lights, air conditioning, and offices. Acting as a viable green alternative to traditional energy resources, solar energy does not release or emit any harmful substances like carbon dioxide or methane. Instead, solar energy is a clean source of energy that does not harm environment or the natural ecosystem and requires no other input other than the daily light from the sun.

Due to the tremendous success of our solar energy program at our Greenpoint location, Broadway Stages has included solar energy systems as part of our sound stage transformation across our other locations in Brooklyn and Queens. This solar commitment will naturally extend to our new and upcoming Staten Island Stages at Arthur Kill. Plans for the upcoming year include using solar energy to produce a significant percentage of electrical energy at the facility, made possible by the large size of the facility. Broadway Stages strives to become energy clean by incorporating more and more solar-powered systems.

Broadway Stages Supports Science Education for All

Broadway Stages believes in supporting science education for the advancement of green technology and energy efficiency. Over the past few years, Broadway Stages has contributed to a series of events that helped spread, educate, and inspire new recruits to join the scientific community.

Earlier this year, Broadway Stages sponsored Green Science Week at PS 110. The annual event centers around the importance of sustainable living and renewable energy resources. The educational lessons and activities sponsored by Broadway Stages teach elementary school students about solar energy, agriculture, and recycling. Students at the Greenpoint school learned also learned about nutrition, chemistry, and physics through a collection of mini experiments and activities.

Broadway Stages works with NY Sun Works to include high school students and bring the frontier of science education closer by building Greenhouse Project Labs across the five boroughs and New Jersey. Focusing on providing hands-on STEM learning workshops, NY Sun Works wants students to experience the excitement of active participation in scientific experiments that go beyond traditional classroom learning. In addition to learning about solar panels, fish farming, and composting, students also learned about hydroponic growing systems, which are a modern adaptation of farming in smaller urbanized environments. At the Greenhouse Project Labs, students are able to participate in planting hydroponic agriculture with the end goal of harvesting their plants used to create their own nutritious meals.

At Kingsborough Community College, Broadway Stages was able to help sponsor the STEM Lab to allow college students to have the needed equipment and space to conduct their scientific research. Using the lab, student researchers are able to compete at the top level of their fields and explore the frontier of scientific theories, concepts, and experiments.

Broadway Stages wants to inspire scientific learning even beyond the boundaries of a classroom by inviting New Yorkers to our Rooftop Farms location. Dedicated to addressing the benefits of urban farming, water conservation, and sustainable principles, Rooftop Farms looks to accomplish urban agricultural sustainability while preserving freshness and quality. Visitors are welcome to learn and enjoy the experience of urban farming guided by Rooftop Farm instructors and volunteers every Sunday at no cost.

At Broadway Stages, we believe science education is important in creating a better and brighter future. Join us in sponsoring or dedicating your time to create a brighter future for us all!