Parsons Student Reaches Out to Local Youth

Taji Ameen, a 19-year-old photography major at Parsons, along with pro skateboarder Billy Rohan, 29, an education major at New York University, gives skateboarding lessons to youths across the city at various events. Last year Ameen was hired by Paula Hewitt, founder of Open Road, a nonprofit organization that has a background of working with the New York City Parks and Recreation department to design and construct new parks, build playgrounds, and create public art. In 2008, Open Road partnered with New Design High School to provide skateboarding as an alternative to gym class.

 

Hewitt wanted Ameen to give skateboarding lessons during the Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn last July. It’s an annual event featuring afro-centric music and extreme sports. Skateboarding companies Zoo York and CCS gave generous donations to Open Road to conduct skating lessons for kids during the event. “Basically they donated a ton of skateboards and equipment and every day we brought them to Afropunk," said Ameen. "If we saw kids we would just say 'Hey, want to learn how to skate?' Many of them we’ve taught would [have] probably never skateboarded if it weren’t for these clinics.”

 

 

Ameen got into skating at a young age. “At my [elementary] school, P.S. 234, I saw two skaters and thought it was really cool. I begged my parents to buy me a board so I could skate,” said Ameen, who now has more than 11 years of experience. “We’re increasing the opportunities for kids to start."

 

Hewitt believes that her organization is learning from the volunteers and students it's involved with. “What’s different... is [Ameen], he’s been [skateboarding] professionally for so long that he had the authority, we just followed,” said Hewitt.

 

Billy Rohan, director of skateboarding and skate park development for Open Road, teaches students how to skateboard. He gives lessons weekly with help from teachers and fellow skateboarders. New Design joins East Side Community High School as the second school to offer skateboarding as an alternative to gym class through Rohan and Open Road. "I told [Hewitt] look, I'd really like to do a skateboarding class," said Rohan. "She had all the non-profit know-how to set it up."

Open Road has also been involved with the construction of a new Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Skate Park. The $500,000 Volcom Street Park will be built over the now non-functioning Astral Fountain. It will host the Maloof Money Cup, a skate competition coming to New York City for the first time. The winner of the competition will receive a $100,000 prize. It will take place on June 5-6; then the skate park will be donated to the city through the adopt-a-park program.