PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS
"TAKE THE FIELD"

(New York, NY—February 6, 2003) The Design Workshop, a graduate design/build program within the Department of Architecture at Parsons School of Design, has volunteered to assist "Take the Field" a public-private non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding public school athletic facilities in New York City by 2004.

Beginning in Spring 2003, Parsons Architecture students will help in the design and construction of the field house and press box during the rebuilding of over 45 athletic facilities throughout the five boroughs, including public high school athletic fields.

The Design Workshop, a required studio program for second-year graduate students of Architecture, allows students to take on corporate and industry partnerships, giving them real world work experience while allowing them to give back to their community. While The Design Workshop has taken on several large projects, including the renovation of a 4000-foot space for the New York Studio Program, and the redesign of foyer spaces in the Parsons/ New School campus, this will be the program's first collaboration with "Take the Field."

"In each year since its inception, the program has grown stronger and more ambitious, and I am excited to see what the students do with this project," said Peter Wheelwright, Chair of the Department of Architecture, Interior Design, and Lighting at Parsons. "Providing assistance for a great non-profit like ‘Take the Field' is rewarding for everyone: the students, the organization, and of course the city's young athletes."

"Take the Field" was created in July 2000 by Mr. Richard Kahan, chairman of the Urban Assembly and former chairman of both the New York State Urban Development Corp. and Battery Park City Authority; Mr. Tony Kiser, president of the William and Mary Greve Foundation; and Mr. Bob Tisch, co-chairman of Loews Corporation and chairman of the New York Giants football team.

"Take the Field" has raised $90 million in its $120-plus million campaign to rebuild 45 long neglected public school athletic facilities throughout the City's five boroughs. Since its inception 30 months ago as a public/private partnership, the organization has raised more than $28 million in private contributions, enabling it to access City funding on a three-to-one matching grant basis. More importantly, it has rebuilt 26 fields with another six scheduled to begin construction in March 2003. And, the organization's efforts are benefiting some 100,000 public high school students in the five boroughs.
For more information go to www.takethefield.org.

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Parsons School of Design, a division of New School University, is one of the largest degree-granting colleges of art and design in the nation. Currently enrolled are about 2,400 undergraduate students, 500 graduate students, and 2,500 non-degree students from all 50 of the United States and from 60 countries. Parsons' main campuses are located in New York City's Greenwich Village and Midtown Manhattan. In addition, Parsons has affiliate schools in Paris, France; Kanazawa, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and at Altos de Chavon in the Dominican Republic. Undergraduate degrees are offered in Architectural Design, Communication Design, Design and Management, Design and Technology, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, Product Design. Graduate degrees are granted in Architecture, Design and Technology, Lighting Design, Painting and Sculpture, Photography, and the History of Decorative Arts.