Astoria, NY – The New York City I.S. 141 Beacon program will host the first Annual Goodwill-NYC Beacon Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 6, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the New York Hall of Science (47-01 111th Street; Flushing, NY; 11368). Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. operates the Beacon 141 program in Astoria. Goodwill is sponsoring the citywide event through the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Big Read Initiative.” Fifty ninth graders will compete for prizes, which include an Apple Macbook and Ipod Nano. The Big Read initiative is designed to instill a love of reading in children and adults. Beacons offer after school, evening and Saturday educational and recreational programs as well as summer camps for ages 6 and up. Adult classes include Adult Basic Education, GED studies, English as a Second Language, computer training, citizenship preparation, vocational training and career exploration. Beacon services are available to any borough resident, whether a child attends the host school or not.
Goodwill’s Beacon 141 program is located at 37-11 21st Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105.
About Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides academic enrichment, mentoring and sports programs for children and youth, and educational, training and employment services for people facing economic challenges, including people with disabilities and other disadvantages. Headquartered in Astoria, Queens, the community-based agency serves more than 136,000 persons annually. In 2008, Goodwill placed almost 13,000 individuals in jobs. To help support its programs, Goodwill sells donated clothes and other household items in 38 retail stores.
Contact: Jose Medellin Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey, Inc. (718) 777-6335 phone
Contact at event: Tahir Arshad, Goodwill Beacon 141 Coordinator, 646-267-6906 cell