Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment Collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection contains materials concerning the activities of the Brooklyn Center for Urban Environment (BCUE), a non-profit, environmental-education program focusing on the parks and urban life in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in 1978 by John Muir and a group of like-minded individuals that wanted to restore the Park Slope neighborhood back to its former glory. The collection is comprised of organization records, writings, lesson plans, photographs and negatives documenting the programming done by the Brooklyn Center for Urban Environment.
Historical Note
The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment (BCUE) was first founded in 1978 as the Prospect Park Environmental Center or PPEC. Its founder John Muir started the organization with a few volunteers as a response to a growing urban crisis. He served as executive director and president until December of 2001. Its original intent was to teach environmental stewardship and protection in Prospect Park and its nearby neighborhoods; the center expanded to serve every neighborhood in Brooklyn and parts of New York City. The staff of BCUE led many school programs, workshops for teachers, and walking tours for adults.
The organization called several places its home; from its initial headquarters at the Picnic House and later move to the Tennis House on Prospect Park West, to Floyd Bennett Field and finally Gowanus. The organization dropped "Brooklyn" from its name some time in 2008 and became the Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) as it provided programing and workshops throughout New York City. The nonprofit organization abruptly announced it was closing its doors on April 6, 2009.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series: Series 1: Newsletters "City Green" are arranged in chronological order. Series 2: Educational Planning is arranged by school number or community school district number and program or original folder name. Series 3: Attended Workshops are arranged chronologically. Series 4: Empire State Partnership Project/PS 139 is organized in chronological order. Series 5: Photographs and Negatives are arranged alphabetically by name of program or place.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes newsletters, documents, photographs, negatives, and ephemera dating from 1979 to 2001. Newsletters, documents, photographs, and negatives make up a sizable portion of the collection and are especially rich in materials from the 1990s. Ephemera is a small portion of the collection but there are some significant materials that include flyers of events held by the center.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Due to sensitive personal information, certain materials in box 11 are restricted. Other materials open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items in the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply copyright, licensing, and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment Collection, BCMS.0066, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Amy Peck, 2019.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The majority of the materials in this collection are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org at least two weeks prior to research visit.
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Repository
Series 1: Newsletters
City Green, 1979-1989, inclusive
City Green, 1990-1999, bulk
City Green
Environmental Education Advisory Council, 2000-2001, bulk
Series 2: Educational Planning
Arches and Bridges Program at PS 321, 1996-1997, bulk
Programming for Community School District 16, 1998-1999, bulk
Documents for Community School District 20, 1997-1998, bulk
NYSCA - Application CSD 20, 1997-1998, bulk
PS 99 - Asimov School for Science, 1998, bulk
Research on Albemarle and Kenmore Terraces
Project Resources - Brooklyn Bridge and Old Stone House, 1997-1998, bulk
Decorative Art Examples
Storyboards
Carrie Isoldi Documents, 1997, 1998, inclusive
Invoices, 1994, 1999, inclusive
Notes, 1989, 1996, inclusive
Community School District 13, 1997-1998, bulk
School Program Delivery Plan for CSD 13, 1998
Community School District 18, 1996-1998, bulk
School Program Delivery Plan CSD 19, 1998
Community School Districts 24, 25, 28, 1998
Community School District 32, 1998
Flyers - Public Programs, 1979-2003, bulk
Bibliography, 1998
Reference Resources, circa 1998
Hiring Documentation & Notes, 1998
Program Mockups, 1990-1997, bulk
Instructional Manuals & Teacher Packets, 1997
Dan Wiley Notes, 1994-1995, bulk
Feedback Notes, 1982, 1992, 1998, inclusive
Teaching Resources, 1990-1991, bulk
CSD/BCUE Proposal, 1998-1999, bulk
Arts in Education, A+B, SPIN
Photographer Contacts and Miscellaneous Photographs, circa 1995, inclusive
Flyers
Oversize Pamphlets
Goal
Series 3: Attended Workshops
Teacher's Manual - American Landscape Painting, 1990
Subjects
Genres
Topics
Workshops at Cooper-Hewitt Museum: Introduction, 1992, bulk
Paper and Forms, 1992
Session 1: Using Architecture in the Classroom Workshop, 1992 February 8
Session 2: Architecture of the Neighborhood, 1992 February 28
Session 3: Mapping Neighborhood History
Series 4: Empire State Partnership Project/PS 139
Conditions Governing Access
Due to sensitive personal information, certain materials in box 11 are restricted. Other materials open to researchers without restriction.
Proposal and Budget, 1997-1999, bulk
Proposal Notes, 1997-1999, bulk
ESP Summer Seminar, 1998-1999, bulk
ESP Summer Seminar, 1998
New York State Council Arts/ ESP Project, 1999-2000, bulk
NYC Partnership for Arts and Education (NYCPAE) - PS 139, 1997, bulk
ESP Website and Web Seminar, 199 October 15
Lesson Plan: Decorative Art, 1992 July 1, bulk
ESP/ PS 139 Attendance sheets, 1998, bulk
ESP Planning Meeting and Notes, 1998, bulk
ESP Spring Meeting, 1998 May 5
Empire State Partnership Project/PS 139 Culminating Event, 2001, bulk
ESP Summer Seminar, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Funders, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Goals and Objectives, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Course Description Schedule, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Affiliation List, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Participant Contact Information, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Faculty Biographies, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP NYS Learning Standards, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Peer Review through Reflective Practice, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Statewide Peer Review, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Resouces, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP Guest Information Sheets, 1999 July 25 - July 30, bulk
ESP, 1999-07-28, bulk
ESP/PS 139 Curricula Schedule, 2000 January - May, bulk
ESP/PS 139 Memos and Agenda, 2000 January - May, bulk
ESP/PS 139 Evaluation, 2000 April 18
Support Literature, 1999, inclusive
Invoices, 1999-2000, bulk
Lesson Plans, 2000 January - May, bulk
BCUE Forms, 2000 January - May, bulk
ESP Forms Literature, 2000, bulk
ESP Instructors, 1999-2000, bulk
ESP Calendar, 2000 September - 2001 June, bulk
Memos/Letters, 2000-2001, bulk
Program Outlines, 2000-2001, bulk
Curriculum (K-5)
NYC Standards
Program Planning
Program Assessment
Program Report, 1999-2001, bulk
Surveys, 2000-2001, bulk
ESP Literature, 1999-2001, bulk
ESP Workshops, 2000-2001, bulk
Consultant Contract, 1999-2000, bulk
Consultant Contracts, RESTRICTED, 2000-2001, inclusive
Conditions Governing Access
Due to sensitive personal information, these materials are not open for research.
