Photo credit: Kyo Morishima Photography

Every year, The Child Center of NY presents an annual report to share the stories and accomplishments of the past 12 months with our community members, friends, and supporters. We also enlist a professional photographer to document what really goes on in our programs! This year, among the sites we photographed was Ocean Bay Cornerstone Community Center in Arverne in the Rockaways.  

Cornerstone Community Centers, supported by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and private donors, are special places where community members of all ages, from children to seniors, can come together to learn new things, build bonds, and have fun!  

This Photo of the Month features Afterschool Group Leader and Creative Artist Shaymon Thomas-Simmons with two of our afterschool program participants, Jordyn (left) and Meneyelik (right), both in kindergarten. Here they are engaging with shadow puppets, which present a hands-on way to teach children scientific concepts of light and shadow, promote language development and storytelling, and hone fine motor skills—not to mention instill a sense of curiosity and wonder!