Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey: “Excited about this opportunity”
NEWBURGH – A large crowd gathered in the Newburgh Armory Unity Center on Saturday to watch Newburgh City Mayor and schoolteacher Torrance Harvey unveil a grant from Charter Communications’ New York State Broadband Access and Learning Grants program.
The almost $26,000 grant will support classes in the center’s Saturday Morning Enrichment Program. The program provides 89 hours of academic enrichment and STEM-related classes throughout the year to 500 children between preschool and sixth grade.
Mayor Harvey praised for the contribution.
“We are excited about this opportunity,” he said. “Everything and anything we can do to enhance what’s going on, especially for our young people, we are here to do.”
Harvey credited State Senator William Larkin with being instrumental in establishing the community center.
Larkin, who is retiring from public office at the end of the year, said the funding cements his legacy of improving the quality of life in the City of Newburgh.
“This grant is another piece of the pocket,” the senator said. “What we’re doing is creating an atmosphere for our young people. Five-hundred kids are out here today, and they’re preparing themselves for higher education.”
Harvey noted science and technology education matter for today’s youth.
“The fastest-growing industry throughout the world is cyber-security and technology,” he said. “We’re in the 21st century, and we want to make sure our young people are learning technology, especially coding.”
Harvey’s son was in attendance. As an alumnus of Newburgh Free Academy, Harvey Jr. could not be more enthused about the progress that is being made in the community.
“I’m so proud of everything Newburgh is doing to bring the city into the future,” he said. “To see that there are places like this for the youth, it allows people to do something productive and get off the streets. I’m excited for this opportunity.”
The Newburgh Armory Unity Center was established as a community center to address specific needs of City of Newburgh residents. The center provides programs in athletics, naturalization and academics and is aimed at people of all ages, but mainly offers supports for youth in the city.
Charter Communications, which operates as Spectrum, has provided a million dollars in grants via its Broadband Access and Learning Grants program to support 21 New York-based nonprofit organizations that help connect residents to the digital world.
