Should her family computer break down one of these days, Keyani thinks she's got it covered.
 
That's a lot of confidence for a nine-year-old girl who didn't know the difference between a breadboard and a breadstick before she signed up for an engineering class at the CAMBA East New York Beacon Dream Chasers summer camp at I.S. 166 in Brooklyn.
 
By summer's end, Keyani and her classmates had turned their breadboards into bases for an electronic keyboard, light and temperature sensors, robots, zoetropes and more.  They also learned how to program the computers that made their devices work.
 
Seventy-two students at CAMBA Beacon 166 and 60 at CAMBA Beacon 269 in Flatbush took part in this engineering program during the 2013 summer session.  Working in groups of four, they were instructed by staff members and Midwood High School apprentices trained to teach this course.
 
A partnership between CAMBA and The After-School Corporation (TASC), this ExpandEd Apprenticeship Program trained and provided high school apprentices for both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) classes and art classes this year.
 
A key goal of the robotics class was to introduce young people to engineering and encourage them to enter the field, says the Beacon's Director Wesner Pierre. Gauging by students' enthusiastic responses, the program has created a big crop of future scientists.
 
"Technology's for me," says Emmanuel, 10. "This has inspired me to build a real computer and to learn more stuff about technology and science."
 
Rachel, also 10, says that "I always wanted to know what's inside a computer.  Now I want to go into technology."

Join us at our annual gala, CAMBA Casino Night Out, for an evening of games and raffles, food and drink, all in support of our clients and services. Join a dynamic group of leaders in business, politics, development, community, arts and human-service... all committed to empowering low-income New Yorkers. This year's gala is on October 24 at Brooklyn's Steiner Studios. Be part of this great night... learn more about tickets and sponsorship opportunities here. 

When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program went into effect a year ago, a generation of young undocumented immigrants saw a door open for them---a door to legal employment in the U.S. Since then, attorneys at CAMBA Legal Services have been helping immigrants in New York City navigate the waters of the new Federal program.
 
Started in August 2012, DACA allows undocumented immigrants under 32 years old stay in the U.S. for two years and legally apply for work. While DACA offers an enticing new opportunity, it has many requirements and a lengthy application process. That's where CAMBA attorneys have stepped in, helping applicants understand the requirements, obtain necessary documents, fill out forms and work their way toward the temporary work authorization.
 
"The requirements can be onerous, but most people who come in are eligible," says Nick Klein, a CAMBA attorney who's been working with DACA applicants since the program started.
 
CAMBA attorneys have helped more than 100 clients seek work authorizations through the program, with 75 eligible clients completing applications. A number of former clients have come back with work authorizations in hand and, while some applications are still pending, Klein expects that all of their clients will soon be able to work.
 
Klein adds that he and the other attorneys are becoming more efficient as time goes on. "After a few (clients), you realize what the government is absolutely looking for---in terms of exact documents, requirements, etc."
 
Nationwide, more than a half-million people have applied to DACA, with the vast majority having received work authorizations. As Klein sums up the program's first year: "Now there are all these people allowed to work who weren't before."
 
Learn more about the DACA application procedure and requirements here.

CAMBA friends, staff and supporters spent an evening in Coney Island early this month, to cheer on the Brooklyn Cyclones and support our clients. It was CAMBA's third annual Night at the Ballpark and everyone had a blast. Thanks to all who made the night possible... and enjoy these scenes from the game.