BY JULIA MORO
The Variety Boys and Girls
Club of Queens (VBGCQ) announced
on Monday, Jan. 10,
that it received a generous
donation from the Champlain
Hudson Power Express
(CHPE) to construct a state-ofthe
art STEM lab at the Astoria
Clubhouse and bring programming
focused on climate
and energy innovation.
This project will help the
Astoria Boys & Girls Club
serve even more children,
going from 4,000 kids in the
educational programs to
more than 16,000. The new
science labs are scheduled
to open in 2026 and provide
STEM programs for children
from grades K through eighth
grade.
CHPE is a state contracted
project committed to delivering
renewable power to New
York. The CHPE project plays
a crucial role in the state’s
goal to decrease reliance on
fossil fuels by 80% by 2030.
This venture will link the
Montreal area to Astoria
through a high-voltage direct
current submarine power
cable carrying clean energy
from Canada into New York
City, which will be functional
in 2025. This undertaking is
being developed by Transmission
Developers Inc. (TDI).
“It is proof that the developer
of the Champlain Hudson
Power Express project
is here to stay, to be a good
neighbor not just by reducing
the fossil generation that
has plagued our families for
years, but by contributing
to this exciting project that
will provide opportunity to
the children of Astoria for
decades to come,” said Costa
Constantinides, CEO of VBGCQ.
“We are hopeful that
others who come into our
community to develop projects
will see this as a catalyst
for investment in our neighborhoods
which is a win-win
for everyone.”
Hydro-Québec President/
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.4 COM | JAN. 21 - JAN. 27, 2022
(From left) Thomas Grech, Richard Khuzami, Richard Khuzami, Ebony Young, Carolyn Maloney, Costa
Constantinides, Walter Sanchez, Jennifer White, Emanuel Kokinakis, Treasure Hodge, Peter Rose,
Frank “Turtle” Raffaele at the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens in Astoria, where a new state-ofthe
art STEM lab is set to be built. Photo courtesy of VBGCQ
CEO Sophie Brochu and TDI
CEO Don Jessome said that
their team is excited about its
commitment to serving the
local community.
“It’s our hope that the
partnership in this 21st-century
science lab will provide
life-changing experiences
and open career pathways
in the clean economy for the
youth living in Queens,” Brochu
and Jessome said.
The grant is the first ever
to be awarded by the CHPE
Community Engagement
Fund, which supports capital
projects in neighborhoods
that will host the buried
clean energy transmission
line. The CHPE fund invests
in projects geared toward education,
science, the environment
and social justice.
The VBGCQ was established
in 1955 and serves
more than 4,000 children
each year by providing a safe
place to learn and play.
Read more on QNS.com.
A $1.25 million grant brings
STEM programming to Variety
Boys & Girls Club of Queens
$3,200 per month
/QNS.com
/QNS.com
