P.S. 243 (Brooklyn)
When Lara Steensland became a kindergarten teacher at P.S. 243, also known as the Weeksville School, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, she knew there would be many challenges. What she had never predicted, however, was the severity of the budgeting shortfalls she would face. Lara’s budget for the entire 1993-1994 school year was $171, or about $12.43 per student. From this, she was expected to buy classroom supplies, teaching materials, books and visual aids, and provide health and nutritional education.
To help fill the funding gap, CFK began sponsoring P.S. 243 in May 1997, providing the entire kindergarten class the resources they needed. Available supplies were those that students in other schools might take for granted – drawing paper, paint, books, learning games, science kits, audio tapes, and more – but for P.S. 243's 120 kindergarten students, the materials represented real change. As the school's funding becomes increasingly endangered, we have expand our support into programs such as...
- Striking Viking Story Pirates (All Grades)
- Pearson ABC Book Program (Pre-K)
- At-Risk Literacy Tutoring (Grades 1-2)
Did You Know?
P.S. 243 is located in one of the oldest free black communities in the country, and Weeksville has been home to many well-known artists, actors, writers, and musicians, like June Jordan, Jay-Z, Chris Rock, and Mos Def.