Runway Green Education Collective

Dear Friends,

Imagine if we could advance bold solutions to the biggest problems—the climate crisis, educational inequality, the green skills gap, economic injustice, and more— through a once-in-generation project, right here in New York City.

Imagine a project that transforms education and workforce development as we know it. A project that provides world-class resources and access to 21st-century careers, empowering the next generation to create a better world.

Well, you don’t have to imagine it.

The opportunity is here, through a pioneering public-private partnership, at Floyd Bennett Field.

A coalition of leading nonprofit and industry partners, with significant support from elected officials and government agencies, is creating a landmark education campus called Runway Green that’s like nothing else in our city or country. Each year, 50,000 public school students will learn skills and mindsets focused on sustainability while earning credentials in the green careers of the future.

And that’s just the beginning. Located on 1,300 acres of National Park Service land, Runway Green will be a catalyst for an even larger reimagining of Floyd Bennett Field as a preeminent hub of K-12 education, sustainability, research, workforce development, and green technology—on an unparalleled scale.

We invite you to join the Runway Green Education Collective of organizations, elected officials, Brooklyn community members, educators, parents, and students. Together, we can create the most impactful education and workforce development project to ever exist in New York City.

With gratitude,

Jonathan Harber

Rick Segal

Jonathan Harber and Rick Segal Co-Chairs, Runway Green Education Collective

was New York City’s first municipal airport, the starting point for the world’s first international flights.

TODAY IT’S A BLANK CANVAS.

1,300 ACRES

300 ACRES

are poised to become home to the largest and most innovative education project in the last century — right here in New York City.

175 ACRES

35 ACRES

AN UNPRECEDENTED

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

At Floyd Bennett Field, exceptional public- and private-sector partners are creating Runway Green, the first education and workforce development campus to be built on National Park Service land.

PHASE 1

Our transformative vision begins with a seven-acre experiential learning campus supporting 50,000 STUDENTS FROM HUNDREDS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL PARTNERS.

Sitting in a classroom is no longer enough to prepare students for the careers of the future.

Open year-round, Runway Green will provide K-12 students opportunities to learn, work, and intern with an ecosystem of exceptional partner organizations, solve real-world problems, and earn credentials for careers in the growing green economy.

3.6 billion people live in areas highly susceptible to climate change.

Half a million New Yorkers will be directly threatened by flooding by 2080, more than doubling the current number.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES ARE MOUNTING

Black individuals are 50% more likely to live in areas with coastal flooding.

At Runway Green, nonprofits already providing environmental education and green career training to 350,000 New York City students each year will expand their reach and deepen their impact.

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION TO SAVE OUR PLANET

Runway Green will provide direct pathways to tens of thousands of career opportunities in the green economy.

9 nonprofit and industry partners

13 training programs offered

36 industryrecognized credentials offered

73K potential job and career placements

Certified Training Programs

Aquaculture

Basic Green Construction

Controlled Environment Agriculture

Green Building Operations

Green Team Workforce

Marine Biology Research

Marine Policy Advocacy

Marine Systems Technology

Ocean Engineering

Professional Diving

Solar CTE

Solar PV Installation

Vessel Operations

Badges and Credentials

GPRO Operations and Maintenance

GPRO Electrical

GPRO Mechanical

Building Performance Institute Multifamily Building Operator

Building Performance Institute Multifamily Building Analyst

NABCEP PV Associate

US EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (Lead)

EPA 608

OSHA 30

NYC Department of Buildings Site Safety Training (SST)

Lab Safety

Safe Boating

Seafood HACCP

ARC GIS Certificate

GEF Institute course: Advanced Concepts in Sustainability

WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Certificate

NOCTI Natural Resource Systems

Digital Quest SPACE Geographic Information Systems

SUNY Albany Science Research Project

NOCTI Marine Mechanics

Ocean Engineering 10

Ocean Engineering 11

Ocean Engineering 12

Career and Financial Management

Professional Association of Diving Instructors

(PADI) certifications

Divers Alert Network (DAN) first-aid medical training

American Academy of Underwater Sciences

(AAUS) Scientific Diver Final Exam

NYS Safe Boating Certificate

US Power Boating Certificate

FCC Marine Operators Permit

Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED

USCG Limited Masters License

Controlled environment agriculture

PHASE 2

Workers will need new skills throughout their lives to meet the accelerating demand for green goods, services, and technologies.

Our career-connected programming at Floyd Bennett Field will expand to support New Yorkers’ lifelong learning.

912,000 clean-energy jobs

per year are projected to be added to the American economy over the next decade.

Runway Green’s second phase will provide training and career pathways for adults in fast-growing industries, including:

Sustainable Agriculture

Environmental Sciences

Clean Transportation

Green Construction

Renewable Energy Maritime Systems

Marine Sciences

Together, Phases 1 and 2 will make New York City a national leader in closing the green skills gap and developing a 21st-century workforce.

LOCATED ON SOME OF THE REGION’S MOST ECOLOGICALLY RICH PARKLANDS, and within the nation’s largest school system, Floyd Bennett Field’s combination of access and opportunity is unparalleled. The site is a jumping off point for shorelines, marshlands, and open water throughout Jamaica Bay.

Runway Green will connect New York City communities to Floyd Bennett Field.

In partnership with the eco-friendly transit provider Circuit, we are committed to sustainable forms of transportation across South Brooklyn and the Rockaways, ensuring accessibility for all.

FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK

JAMAICA BAY

FLOYD BENNETT FIELD

“ “

Climate change is getting worse every day. It’s up to our generation to ensure our world is more habitable for all. The opportunities at Runway Green show students that we can be that change.

Climate change disproportionately harms Black and Brown neighborhoods. These communities should be empowered to lead the fight for a cleaner planet, with access to green jobs and schools that equip them with knowledge and skills.

GODSON BLAISE, 17, BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN

TAMIYA FOWLER, 22, BED-STUY, BROOKLYN

“ “

Runway Green will offer so many opportunities for students to discover their calling. Working with organizations like The Billion Oyster Project will teach us those skills without having to leave our campus.

It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized where you go to school as a child really matters. It’s an equity issue. At Runway Green, kids from my community will get a worldclass education that transforms the trajectory of their lives.

SADIQAH WHITTINGTON, 19, BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN

SKYLA MCNEIL, 13, CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN

We have made extensive progress collaborating with our community and coalition of partners to turn our vision into reality.

2022 BUILDING SUPPORT

2023 BUILDING SUPPORT

2024 PREDEVELOPMENT

Community Engagement

Concepts Approvals

Political Support

Design Engineering

Permitting Seed Capital

Capital Campaign

Design Development Partnerships Curriculum

2025

2026

2027

2028

WORLD-CLASS PROJECT TEAM

A team of renowned designers, architects, real estate developers, and educational program planners were selected based on their track records of creating innovative, impactful projects, as well as their commitment to our community-centered approach.

PROGRAM PLANNING

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

A LANDMARK CAMPUS

High School

3 Acre Farm

Adventure Center

Hydroponic Greenhouses

Ecological Lab

Solar Farm

$3M

$3M $4M

Community Hall Recreation Area

Flexible Art Plaza

Civic Entrance & Public Amplithearter

$65M to transform education

GOAL

with you as a partner.

We’ve gained significant momentum through public, private, & institutional fundraising.

Senator CHUCK SCHUMER

Federal City Mayor

ERIC ADAMS

Local Debt, Mortgage CSDC

City Council MERCEDES NARCISSE

Banks

Donations

Family Offices, Foundations, Individuals

For over 50 years, the vast potential of Floyd Bennett Field has gone untapped.

Join us in this once-in-a-generation public-private partnership and be a champion for a better world.

Nothing like this exists in New York City. And nothing is more urgent.

JONATHAN

Former

Former

TOM FRANCO

Senior

AT FLOYD BENNETT FIELD