Youth Design Center Tenth Anniversary Kickoff Celebration!

Brooklyn, NY- (May 19th, 2023)-  Youth Design Center (YDC) celebrated its tenth anniversary as a black-led organization at the Flatbush Central Marketplace with a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of Mangrove Design Studio, featuring an interactive tour for guests. The grand opening came at the perfect time, as Mangrove celebrated its first anniversary. 

The event featured a panel of Tech and Design Industry professionals, including YDC staff member Eloy Ortega, Director of Digital Media, and the Director of Mangrove FC, Abdullah Elias. The panel event was the first installment of YDC's 'Beyond The Limits Event Series: Creating a New Norm for The Future of Tech, Media, and Design,' which will continue to take place throughout the year to pay homage to YDC's ten years as an organization. The first panel, "Career Pathways in Tech and Design," focused on disrupting traditional working methods and accessing career opportunities within the tech and design industries. Other panelists included Ish Islam, Associate Creative Director at Obsidianworks, and Britney Wallace, Head of Design and Technology at The Bodega Lounge.

"We are grateful to celebrate ten years as a black-led million-dollar organization that is thriving due to the support of our stakeholders and funders who believe in our work for the young adults we serve," said Quardean Lewis-Allen, Founder and Executive Director of Youth Design Center. Our residency partnership with Mangrove has allowed us to expand our services and Creative Apprenticeship Program to reach more young people in Central Brooklyn. In addition, the partnership will enable us to work together to provide a design and technical training space for young people and other community members in Brooklyn, New York."

The Mangrove Design Studio is a design studio for digital media, multimedia workshops, soft goods, apparel, photography, and audio. It serves as a Makerspace for a community of makers dedicated to promoting creative skills development and exchanging ideas and knowledge. In addition, it is committed to supporting the development of emerging artists and makers through its residency programs.

Anyone interested in Youth Design Center programs can visit the website at https://www.youthdesigncenter.org/programs. 

In addition, YDC is currently accepting applications for its 3D Architecture program and Graphic Design Creative Apprenticeship program.