arrow drop search cross
Instagram icon LinkedIn icon Youtube icon Twitter icon Facebook icon Pinterest icon
Skip to Content
BKSK Architects
☰
  • Architecture
  • Interiors
  • Expertise
    • Sustainability
    • Preservation+
    • Community
    • Planning
  • Practice
    • Team
    • Allies
    • Recognition
  • Lab
  • News
  • Contact
    • Careers

Home > Lab

← Back to Lab

Lambaye Learning Center’s Positive Impact

Lambaye Learning Center and its positive effects on the community was highlighted during a segment on a Senegalese news show. The 4,000-sf community Library and Learning Center has radically changed the lives of the village residents; it has given the locals access to education, technology, and training. Center programs include robotics classes, computer coding, fabric dying, and other job training programs. Since its completion in 2020, the Lambaye Learning Center has been a place inspiring and fostering educational programs for a community that has been unserved. It is a tribute to the dedication of the Mamaroneck high school group Students for Senegal, that has constantly searched for new and different ways to benefit the community of Lambaye.

With ongoing ties to the community through Students for Senegal we know that the Center has affected and will continue to affect the community profoundly.  This group of flexible spaces have provided opportunity, even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a simple building that manages to achieve an architectural, social, economic, and cultural presence through limited means. The space holds a plethora of resources specifically for children and women to develop fundamental skills for future advancement. It is opened 7 days a week and has 2 permanent staff members maintaining the facilities for community members to come and go as pleased.

In 2021, an international competition brought computer coding education to over 50 students. About 95% of the students participating in all center-wide programming had never used a computer before. The Lambaye Innovation Challenge, an innovative cross-cultural program designed to increase access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math education created a yearlong expert-guided workshop series. Students have had access to STEAM experts and have developed solutions to local issues. Team of students developed a total of 20 projects including a mobile application for the declaration of children at birth, electronic system to fight against cattle theft, and an ecological garden based on the recycling of objects and bio fertilizers. In the second clip in this post, BKSK Partner, George Schieferdecker had a part in getting the challenge going and serves on the Board for the nonprofit that supports the Learning Center.

The Women’s Center programming is geared to uplift the women in the community and promote women’s financial autonomy through training, and overall better living conditions for the people of the surrounding communities. Many women are raising their families on their own as their husbands are away, working in the city. For this very reason, these women either do not have access to jobs or do have some employment opportunities but lack the necessary skills. Learning new fabric dying techniques has allowed these women to sell products in the local market. The Center is working on outreach to develop similar initiatives for older adults.

Prior to the Center, the community did not have a large, general gathering space; now surrounding organizations can reserve the space for events. More and more the Center has been gradually integrated into people’s everyday lives even if there are not any schedule programs or meetings. There is a middle school located around the corner from the Center and students usually trickled into the space after school to work on assignments or even just to hang out. In 2020 during the start of the pandemic, the space was used to print PPE and face shields with the in-house 3D printers—4000 to 5000 face shields were created.

Students for Senegal has turned its attention to funding efforts at establishing more cross-cultural educational programs and has succeeded in securing grants for these, including a $25,000 award from the U.S. State Department in 2020 to utilize the building as a regional center for STEAM education.  One of the key elements in the success of those efforts is the boots on the ground approach now clearly demonstrated by the physical fact of the center.

We’re excited to see this great work continue into the new year.

https://bkskarch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Compiled_Reduced.mp4
https://bkskarch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ZGeorge-Clip.mp4

Topics

  • Show All
  • Adaptive Reuse
  • Collaboration
  • Community
  • Four Brilliant Ideas
  • In Response
  • Passive House
  • Place-based design
  • Preservation+
  • Resiliency
  • Strategies In Practice
  • Sustainability
  • Understanding The Syntax

Copyright © 2022 BKSK Architects LLP.

Privacy Policy | Terms | Sitemap ↑top

230 W. 38th Street, 16th Fl, New York, NY 10018.

Hit enter to search or ESC to close
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.
By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT