Earlier this month, New Yorkers got their first peek at Lowline Lab—a subterranean green space demonstrating the technology that will be used for The Lowline, coming to the Lower East Side in 2020. The finished park will cover 1.5 acres beneath Delancey Street, but for now, Lowline Lab gives visitors a glimpse of the technology in a 1,200-square-foot space, and even kids can get in on the action!
Tykes interested in exploring the depths of this innovative spot can get in on the lab's Youth Designers Program (YDP), a free program that invites kids in grades K–12 or groups (school classes, after-school programs, boy and girl scout troops, etc) to come with a chaperone to learn about solar technology, horticulture, design and engineering. The free, three-hour classes begin with a lecture from a teaching artist, followed by an interactive activity connecting The Lowline to various subjects related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). The students' work will be shared online and in a public exhibition in early 2016.
The Youth Designers Program has open enrollment on a first-come, first-served basis. Classes are available Monday through Friday from 9am–6pm in the former Essex Fair Retail Market at 140 Essex Street (between Rivington and Stanton Sts). For more information and to register, visit thelowline.org. Until The Lowline opens, explore The High Line all the other amazing NYC parks and public gardens for families.