Last Monday evening in the heart of Greenpoint, Town Square had the pleasure of unveiling our website, Go Green Brooklyn, a new online hub that organizes local environmental stories, events and resources into one dynamic platform.

This project is made possible with funding provided by the Office of the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation through the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund.

At the launch event at T.B.D. Brooklyn, Town Square Secretary & Go Green Brooklyn Hub Director Charlotte Binns, Town Square Chairperson Susan Anderson and Go Green Brooklyn Festival Director Melissa Elders spoke about the hub as means to map out resources for the local green community and make them readily accessible online via the platform’s website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages. By sharing interesting content — local heroes’ stories, events and concrete ways for citizens to get involved in North Brooklyn’s myriad of green organizations — Go Green Brooklyn will support green advocates, galvanize all residents and bring neighbors together to benefit the community.

Through partnerships with Blue State Digital, VICE, local green community groups and elected officials, NYS Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, NYC City Council Member Stephen Levin, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, the hub will leverage the latest digital strategies to gather data about what channels are most effective at fostering connection within the community. Lee Ballin, Sustainability Manager at Bloomberg L.P. spoke at the event about the importance of hard numbers, saying, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”. Tracking engagement and developing a blueprint for best digital practices will be paramount to the hub’s success, said Rachel Quinter of Blue State Digital, noting that the hub could very well “roll out in other communities in the months and years to come.”

As a next step from the event, the Go Green Brooklyn team are reaching out to the community at large. Please share GoGreenbk.org with everyone you know who lives in Greenpoint and Williamsburg and be sure to have them sign up for local eco news here.

We also hope that you’ll join us at the upcoming Go Green! Brooklyn Festival on Saturday, June 4th in McCarren Park. Now in its 9th year, the Festival is a fantastic place to learn about local sustainability initiatives while sampling local food, art and music. More details follow below. 

We can hardly wait for the 9th Annual Go Green! Brooklyn Festival in beautiful McCarren Park in early June. Go Green is a fun and informative day of exhibits and activities promoting Earth Day values for the thousands of park-goers who traditionally enjoy McCarren Park on a nice summer day. Does your mission help our environment? Do your products or services feature recycled, upcycled, organic materials or are otherwise fitting in with an Earth day theme? Are you interested in reaching a broad audience in exciting Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Brooklyn? Go Green! is the festival for you!

Please stay in touch!

• RSVP for the Festival at:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1014659235275480/
• LIKE us on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/town.square.7
• FOLLOW us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TownSquareBK
• FOLLOW us on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/townsquarebk/
  
• And please share far and wide! 

To exhibit at Go Green! Greenpoint 2016, please apply at https://go-green-bk-2016-exhibitors.eventbrite.com. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come basis.  For more information, contact us at gogreen@townsquareinc.com or visit www.gogreenbk.nyc. 

For those of us who don't avidly follow chess happenings, the IS 318 took 3rd place in the National Middle School Chess Championships 2016 last month in Indianapolis.  And without taking a breather, the IS 318 Girls took 2nd place in the National Girls Chess Champsions 2016 in Chicago.  So very proud!  Tax deductible donations for IS 318 can be made here: https://goo.gl/007Zhj.

Next step? Elementary School Nationals for local PS 31 this weekend in Nashville! So very proud! 

Town Square received a Small GCEF Grant to create a Go Green Hub for Greenpoint!  Our vision includes a Sustainability Map and infographic (please see below), generously designed by VICE.  This is an evolving work-in-process and we'll be looking to you for your input. 

Long awaited AFTERSCHOOL CHESS is happening now! Click here for more info & to register for afterschool. We'll arrange for pick up if there're at least 4 students from your school who sign up for the Spring Session.    

You can also sign up for the awesome Greenpoint Chess Holiday Camp (every NYC public school holiday) & Summer Camp are available. Matches, lessons, games like musical chess, playground time, pizza, ice-cream and more! Click here for more info & to register. 

AMAZING FLEXIBILITY!  Sign up for a day or even half day! Great way to try it out.