Governors Island Alliance Inc

Programs: The friends operates the following programs:o horticultural volunteer program launched in 2015 to provide labor and supplies to maintain governors islands new and historic landscape. O public engagement and education programs, including visitor services, outreach and free festivals. O harbor internship program, a paid summer work experience and career development program for public high school students. O volunteer programs including visitor services provision, public event support and gardening. - advocacy efforts to improve public access and enjoyment of the island and preserve its unique assets. Horticulture program the friends fills a critical role in helping the trust for governors island (tgi) meet the rigorous demands of caring for the islands new and historic landscapes. Together the two organizations work to balance stewardship and sustainability. The friends supplements tgis limited budget for horticulture by funding gardeners, tools, plants and equipment, and by leveraging volunteers to ensure the islands green spaces remain in world-class condition. At the same time, the friends works to document and communicate the performance of the new landscapes over time, serving as a model for sustainable and resilient building practices. To meet these goals, in 2016, the friends funded a full-time horticulture volunteer coordinator and four horticulture fellows, and increased the total volunteer hours spent on landscape tasks from 5,800 to 7,000. Harbor internship programthe harbor internship program (hip) provides a formative paid professional experience to underserved youth, focused on civic engagement and career development. In 2016, hip hired and trained 12 students from the urban assembly new york harbor school, a permanent, year-round governors island tenant and the only public high school in new york focused on marine science and technology. Through their internships, students welcomed more than 50,000 visitors to the island, offering information, historical context and ecological education. Beyond the salary they earned, the program gave students a broader perspective on careers in the nonprofit and public sectors through exchanges and workshops with other cultural and open space organizations. The curriculum emphasized skill development in public speaking, customer service and problem solving, while building on students existing knowledge of governors island and the new york harbor. In their evaluation surveys, interns reported increased confidence levels, improved collaborative skills, better preparedness for work and college, and a deeper sense of civic commitment to the city and the island. Family fun daythe friends organizes free public events, including the annual opening weekend family fun day, which attracted 15,000 visitors to the island in 2016 for a day of exciting live theater and music performances, outdoor games, arts and crafts, and education.