Loisaida Inc.

Ecolibrium 2024 Exhibition
2024-12-02 10:00 - 2024-12-04 18:00 (America/New_York) | NY
Date: October 4 ~ December 4, 2024
Hours: 10 AM ~ 6 PM, Monday ~ Friday (Sat, Sun Closed)
Location: Loisaida, Inc. Center (710 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009)

Senior Day at Loisaida Center
2024-12-06 10:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | NY
2024 Senior Day at the Loisaida Center
Location: 710 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
When: First Friday of the Month from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Activities: Art Workshops, Zumba/Aerobics, Educational Panels, Live Music, Snacks, Coffee and more!
Questions? Contact Angel Santini (917-634-6963) or Loisaida Inc. (646-726-4715 / info@loisaida.org)
2024 Calendar:
Friday, December 6, 2024 (Holiday Celebration)

Artisferio
2024-12-07 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Artisferio is hosting an art and culture event at the Loisaida, Inc. Center, on December 7th, 2024, at 7pm.
Location: 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009
Join us for a Latinx-driven multimedia showcase, where artists from various disciplines present their original works. Let’s celebrate Latinx cultural heritage, identity, and art!
Follow Artisferio on Instagram!

OLDER ADULTS' TABLET CLASSES
2024-12-09 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-12-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-12-23 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | NY
OLDER ADULTS’ TABLET CLASSES
AT THE LOISAIDA CENTER
710 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009
To register, please call the Loisaida Center at 646-726-4715.
Or email: info@loisaida.org
9 Sessions
Each Monday from 10 AM – 12 PM
October 28th – January 15th 2024
Free Tablet!
*Limited to first 5 registrants
This program prepares older adults to use the Alcatel 3T 8 tablet as a tool to facilitate day-to-day tasks and connections.
Learning objectives include: using tablet applications to assist with everyday tasks, connecting with family & friends, audio & visual skill development, and more! Participants must commit to all 9 classes to keep their complimentary tablet at the end of the program.
Led by bilingual (English/Spanish) instructor, Elizabeth Bermudez.

50 Years of Bimbo Rivas’ “Loisaida”
2024-12-10 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
50 Years of Bimbo Rivas “Loisaida”
December 10, 2024, 6 ~ 7:15 PM
The Loisaida Center710 E 9th StNew York, NY 10009

Co-sponsored by The Loisaida Center
Bimbo Rivas was a Puerto Rican artist and activist who lived and made his mark on the Lower East Side. He played a key role in the Nuyorican Movement and authored the poem “Loisaida,” which popularized the term and reinforced a sense of cultural identity in the neighborhood. To mark the 50th anniversary of that poem’s publication, this event will celebrate Bimbo’s life, work, and legacy.
The program will feature a live performance of the poem by one of his daughters, with live music by one of Bimbo’s mentees, Daso, and a photo montage by the great East Village photographer Marlis Momber. This performance will be followed by an overview of life in the neighborhood at the time of the poem’s publication, a discussion of Bimbo’s various artistic efforts, and an assessment of his influence on the Nuyorican Movement. Participants will include some of Bimbo’s relatives, friends, and colleagues, as well as artists who followed in his wake.

Maraluna Rivas
Maraluna Rivas Mico, daughter of iconic poet Bittman “Bimbo” Rivas, grew up as the middle child in a family deeply rooted in culture, activism, and community. Today, she is a devoted wife, mother, and recent grandmother. A passionate educator with the Board of Education, Maraluna inspires her community while also working as an actress, dancer, and performer. She frequently collaborates with the families and friends of her father’s close companions, such as Chino Garcia. Deeply influenced by places like Charas/El Bohio, Maraluna is committed to ensuring these cultural hubs remain accessible, empowering future generations to connect with Loisaida’s vibrant spirit. Whenever possible, she loves to recite her father’s poems, keeping his spirit alive and close to her heart and voice.

David Soto
Renowned singer, songwriter, community organizer, and youth advocate David Soto, known artistically as DāSo, embarked on his musical odyssey during his formative years, gracing stages alongside his mother in the esteemed Puerto Rican folkloric dance ensemble, Grupo Cemí. Raised in the vibrant tapestry of Loisaida, New York City, amidst the effervescent cultural milieu of Nuyorican poetry in the early ’70s to ’80s, DāSo imbibed wisdom from luminaries such as María Hernández, Bimbo Rivas, Tato Laviera, and Luis Guzmán, refining his artistry through electrifying performances at iconic venues like the Nuyorican Poets Café, Tompkins Square Park, intimate community garden soirées, and CHARAS fundraisers.

Caridad De La Luz Caridad De La Luz “LA BRUJA” won an Emmy in 2022 (for ABC’s Cultural Short – Legacy of Puerto Rican Poetry) after becoming the Executive Director of the NUYORICAN POETS CAFE where she began her career in 1996. Winner of the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship and David Prize finalist, Caridad balances a career of activism, education, entertainment, and motherhood. She has been one of America’s leading spoken word poets for over 20 years and has received The Edgar Allan Poe Award from The Bronx Historical Society. She was honored as a Bronx Living Legend by The Bronx Music Heritage Center and was named “Top 20 Puerto Rican Women Everyone Should Know”.

Jesus Papoleto Melendez
Jesus Papoleto Melendez is one of the founding poets of the Nuyorican poetry movement. Melendez’s poetry collections include Casting Long Shadows (1970), Street Poetry & Other Poems (1972), Concertos on Market Street (1993), and the bilingual volume Hey Yo! Yo Soy! 40 Years of Nuyorican Street Poetry: The Collected Work of Jesús Papoleto Melendez (2012, volume 1). His work has also been featured in numerous anthologies. His honors include a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Louis Reyes Rivera Lifetime Achievement Award, an Artist for Community Enrichment Award from the Bronx Council on the Arts, and a joint fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and Combined Arts of San Diego.

Bob Holman
Bob Holman is a spoken word performer, professor, impresario, activist, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club, filmmaker, and host of Language Matters (2015 Documentary of the Year, Berkeley Film Festival). He has been a central figure in redefining poetry as it exists on, off, and beyond the page. Dubbed a member of the “Poetry Pantheon” by the New York Times Magazine, Holman is the author of over 20 poetry collections. He has taught at Princeton University, Columbia University, N.Y.U., Bard College, and The New School. As an arts administrator, he has served as coordinator and curator at St. Mark’s Poetry Project and was the original Slammaster and a director of the Nuyorican Poets Café. A scholar of oral traditions in West Africa and beyond, Holman co-founded the Endangered Language Alliance, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors.

Event Info/RSVP

Nuyoricans in Loisaida Celebrate 120 Years of the Tompkins Square Library
2024-12-17 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | NY
Nuyoricans in Loisaida Celebrate 120 Years of the Tompkins Square Library
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe and the Loisaida Center converge to celebrate the cultural and community significance of both iconic LES institutions and the Tompkins Square Library. This one-night-only event celebrates the diverse voices of our city through spoken word, music, and visual arts, showcasing the raw talent that makes the Lower East Side a beacon of artistic innovation.
Site: Tompkins Square Library, Community Room (331 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009)
Date: Tuesday, December 17th
Duration: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Participants:
Nuyorican Poets Cafe:

Sumbodies Mama & Brittany Barker
cap

Loisaida:

David “Daso” Soto
Maria Dominguez
Marlis Momber, CHICO

David Soto aka DASO is a Singer, Songwriter, Youth Development & Community Organizer. A few of his accomplishments include: Music Artist As Daso El Afro Caribeño, Founder of the PIRAGUA clothing brand, Owner of the PIRAGUA ART SPACE, Founder of the yearly multicultural New Village Music Festival and Production Company DeKora Digital, Founder of the New Village Foundation engaging youth through the arts and connecting artists to community.
Jesica “Sumbodies Mama” Blandon is a multifaceted artist hailing from the vibrant Bronx, NY, celebrated for her roles as a poet, spoken word artist, and actor. Her list of accolades is impressive, including being crowned the February 2024
Nuyorican Poets Cafe Final Friday Slam winner and securing 2nd place in the 2024 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Her journey to success began when she was named the 2009 Nuyorican Poets Café’s Youth Poet of The Year and continued when she won the 2010 Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry slam as a member of the Urban Word NYC team. She has shared stages with luminaries such as Georgio Armani, Oscar Award-winning Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Savion Glover. Sumbodies Mama’s artistry is a force to be reckoned with, inspiring audiences far and wide with her compelling narratives and poignant performances.
Brittany Barker is a poet and educator from Harlem, NYC. She has impacted hundreds of youth and adults as a creative leader and advocate for community wellness. Brittany was most recently ranked 3rd in the world at the 2023 Womxn of the World poetry slam. Currently, she is the Executive Director of Creative Soul House, a community-development organization that designs and facilitates people-development workshops, programs and events for youth and adults. As an educational consultant, she has served a diverse set of communities, including NYU, Columbia Business School, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Twitter, NBCU Comcast, Girls Write Now and DREAM Charter network, etc. Brittany finds inspiration through God, deep interpersonal connections and art spaces.

Holiday Party and Booksale (Surrealist Gypsy Artist and Illustrator Margarita Deida Petri)
2024-12-20 16:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | La Sala de Pepe y Foto Espacio, 73 Loisaida Avenue, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Surrealist Gypsy Artist and Illustrator Margarita Deida Pietri
invites you to a holiday party and booksale
featuring the works of the famed Loisaida Poet
Pedro Pietri
Date: Friday, December 20th, 4 ~ 7 PM
Location: La Sala de Pepe y Foto Espacio (73 Avenue C, between 5th and 6th St)

Presentación del LIBRO DÉCIMAS POR SACOS (De: Teófilo Torres, Edición: Maritza Rodríguez-Marrero)
2025-01-31 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Presentación del LIBRO DÉCIMAS POR SACOS
De: Teófilo Torres, Edición: Maritza Rodríguez-Marrero
Viernes 31, De Enero, a las 7:00 pm
en el Loisaida Center (710 E 9th St, NYC)

————————————–
Book Presentation : DECIMAS POR SACOS
Author: Teófilo Torres, Edited by: Maritza Rodríguez-Marrero
January 31st, Friday, at 7:00 pm
at the Loisaida Center (710 E 9th St, NYC)

Loisaida x Whitney ART INSPIRED BY YOU for super adults (60+)
2025-02-04 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-02-11 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-02-18 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-02-25 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-03-04 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-03-11 11:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Loisaida x Whitney Museum of American Art
ART INSPIRED BY YOU
Guided super-adult (60+) art-making workshop
with Jeannette Rodríguez-Piñeda
Talleres guiados de arte (gratuitos) en Español
In this 4 week program for seniors (age 60+), participants will explore personal narratives through the hands-on art processes of papermaking, printmaking and bookbinding.
We will look at examples of contemporary and modern art while thinking about our personal stories and respond through artmaking. Participants will learn how to make their handmade paper out of natural materials and create relief prints through the use of language and symbols. Each participant will hand bind their work into a one of a kind chapbook.
All materials will be provided.
Program schedule:
Tuesdays from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm starting on February 4th and ending on March 11th.
6 sessions on Tuesdays (11:30 am – 1:30 pm)
Dates: February 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, March 4th, and 11th
Location: Loisaida, Inc. Center (710 E 9th St, NYC)
<<Registration link>>

SENIOR DAY at Loisaida Center
2025-02-07 09:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
SENIOR DAY at the LOISAIDA CENTER on February 7, 2025!
Activities include art workshops, educational panels, live music, snacks, coffee, and more!
Senior Day always takes place on the first Friday of the month (except for the month of June), from 10AM to 1PM.
Location: Loisaida, Inc. Center
710 E 9th Street, New York, NY 10009
Questions? Contact Loisaida, Inc. at
(646) 726-4715
or
info@loisaida.org

1st Annual Daddy-Daughter Day at Loisaida Center
2025-02-14 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
RSVP for Daddy-Daughter Day on 2/14 at the Loisaida Center!
Time: Friday, February 14th, 4pm-6pm
Location: the Loisaida Center (710 East 9th Street in Manhattan’s Alphabet City)
Join families to celebrate Daddy-Daughter Day alongside The Lower Eastside Girls Club’s Center for Wellbeing and Happiness, the Loisaida Center team, and New Leaders Council-NYC!
The day will provide respite for young and working fathers, including those who have limited access to support, so that they can enjoy Valentine’s Day with their daughters in a meaningful way, complete with food, giveaways, arts and crafts projects, entertainment, and more!
Register for free through the <<RSVP link>>

PIPIRIS NIGHTS FEST 2025 at the Loisaida Center
2025-02-21 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
PIPIRIS NIGHTS FEST 2025 Schedule at Loisaida Center
Welcome to Pipiris Nights Fest! This festival celebrates the rich musical and cultural traditions of Venezuelan Joropos, right here in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn. Happening on February 21, 22 and 23; save the dates! Register to attend!
Feb 21, 6:00 pm
Loisaida Inc, 710 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Screening / Talk
Archivo Sonoro del IIEt: Cantos de ordeño en Altagracia de Orituco (Ven). A 50 años del trabajo de campo de Elena Hermo.
Mg. Carlos Balcázar (Arg)
Mariangeles Pacheco (Ven)

RSVP Link

PIPIRIS NIGHTS FEST 2025 at the Loisaida Center
2025-02-22 14:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
PIPIRIS NIGHTS FEST 2025 Schedule at Loisaida Center
Welcome to Pipiris Nights Fest! This festival celebrates the rich musical and cultural traditions of Venezuelan Joropos, right here in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn. Happening on February 21, 22 and 23; save the dates! Register to attend!
Feb 22, 2:00 pm
Loisaida Inc, 710 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Book Presentation
Formas del Joropo Llanero Vol 1. Guía didáctica musical.
Trina Herrera, Creator
Editta, Publishing House
Video Presentation + Q&A
Joropo tuyero: ¿Cómo nace una canción?
Dr. Katrin Lengwinat (Ven)
Short Film Screening + Q&A
Mi Retorno: Mario Díaz “El Poeta de Requena”
By: Mariangeles Pacheco

RSVP Link

What is a Virtual Power Plant? 2025 Ecolibrium Presentation & Meeting at Loisaida Center
2025-02-25 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Join our Ecolibrium team at the Loisaida Center on (February 25, 6 to 8 pm) for a presentation and visioning meeting that explores the transformation of our energy system from the old centralized static fossil-fueled electric grid, to a responsive and participatory all-electric one serviced by distributed renewable energy resources (DER) and batteries.
We will present the concept of a community-scale “Virtual Power Plant” where solar and battery systems installed on buildings and in public spaces are coordinated and synchronized to behave as a single larger system. We will learn about “grid-interactive buildings”, electric vehicle-to-building-to-grid charging, community microgrids, demand reduction and response, and how these systems benefit residents, building owners, create jobs, reduce building emissions, relieve stress on the electric grid, and provide resilient power to buildings during grid outages.
This program is made possible through the generous support from Con Edison, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (Ladders for Leaders), CUNY Career Corps, NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Department of Education/Congressional Community Project Funding.
Image design by: Grace Ballo

RSVP Link

Sponsors and Partners:

SENIOR DAY at Loisaida Center
2025-03-07 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
SENIOR DAY at the LOISAIDA CENTER on March 7, 2025!
Activities include art workshops, educational panels, live music, snacks, coffee, and more!
Senior Day always takes place on the first Friday of the month (except for the month of June), from 10AM to 1PM.
Location: Loisaida, Inc. Center
710 E 9th Street, New York, NY 10009
Questions? Contact Loisaida, Inc. at
(646) 726-4715
or
info@loisaida.org

ADOMBE GANGA MONDE
2025-03-15 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
BOMBA PA’l PUEBLO – – Consagración de Barriles de Loisaida
We invite you to join us for a special batey as we consecrate the Loisaida community Barriles at The Loisaida Center (710 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009) starting at 1:00 pm. These barriles were hand-made by the talented George Oliveras (@george.oliveras.9 ) who will join us at the event!
There will be food and refreshments. Please RSVP!
We want to give a huge thanks to the following organizations who have come together to support this initiative:
– @jupi.bk / @jupi.bx
– @lasaladepepe
– Adolfina NYC
If you are interested in supporting our community barriles initiative, please visit or donations page.

Bombazo Pa' Marién
2025-03-22 16:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
This Saturday, March 22nd, from 4:00 – 8:00 pm, we will be having a Bombazo for Marién at the Loisaida Center to be in the community, play bomba music, pray, and fundraise for her recovery.
Marién Torres Lopez is the founder of Taller Tambuyé and co-founder of the all-womyn Bomba group Ausuba, Barrileras de 8m, and has dedicated her life to learning and teaching Bomba dance and drum and the history of resistance that has been kept alive through this Afro-Boricua tradition.
So many have learned from her and been blessed by her cultural work and commitment to liberation. She also inherited the Encuentro de Tambores de Bomba from Norma Salazar and has been organizing the event since Norma’s passing. She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last year and is going through a very costly and difficult healing journey.
We want her to feel the love from NYC and receive more funds to support her medical bills as she has been unable to work.
This event is open to all and donation-based. We will be collecting funds to send to Marién, and all are encouraged to give what they can. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds, as Bomba and prayers are for all.

Espacio MUY de Arte - La Sala de Pepe y Foto Espacio
2025-04-01 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Dear friends and art lovers,
Gallery MUY, based in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico, is a cultural center for contemporary art by creators of Mayan and Zoque descent. It employs all media, from painting, sculpture, and photography to performance and relational art in the indigenous communities of Chiapas.

La Sala de Pepe y Foto Espacio has exhibited and is working on projects with MUY represented photographer Sasaknichim (Margarita) Martinez Perez. MUY is also currently exhibiting five painters at the Kates-Ferri Project on Grand Street through March 29*

MUY’s goal is to:

Bring a larger group exhibition to the U.S. in the near future. The exhibition “Reimagining Our Territories” can be viewed here: https://www.galeriamuy.org/en/reinventing-territories-migration-according-to-maya-and-zoque-communities/
And to form cross-border partnerships with artists and arts organizations in NYC by developing collaborative works, site-specific projects, and international exchange and residency programs

How can this happen?
With your ideas, connections, and help!

Please join us this Tuesday at Loisaida Inc. for a conversation with MUY Directors: curator Maya Juracan; artist PH Joel, and John Burstein, Gallery Co-Founder.

https://www.katesferriprojects.com/exhibitions/el-encuentro-/-the-encounter-galeria-muy-kfp-group-exhibtion

https://www.galeriamuy.org/kates-ferri-projects/

https://www.galeriamuy.org/artistas/ph-joel/

https://www.galeriamuy.org/artistas/sasak-nichim/

https://www.galeriamuy.org/proyecto-1-migracion-y-transterritorialidad/

Mucho Amor,
Lyn and Pepe / La Sala de Pepe y Foto Espacio and Galeria MUY.

SENIOR DAY (APRIL)
2025-04-04 10:00 - 13:00 UTC | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
SENIOR DAY – Friday, April 4 at 10:00 AM
The Loisaida Center’s Senior Day always takes place on the first Friday of the month (except for June), from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Activities include art or movement workshops, educational panels, demos or presentations, live music, snacks, coffee, and good company!
¡DÍA DE LAS PERSONAS DE TERCERA EDAD – viernes 4 de abril a las 10:00 AM
El Día de la Tercera Edad siempre se celebra el primer viernes de cada mes (excepto en junio), de 10:00 AM a 1:00 PM. Las actividades incluyen talleres de arte o movimiento, paneles educativos, demostraciones o presentaciones, música en vivo, refrigerios, café y ¡buena compañía!
–
Location: Loisaida, Inc. Center
710 E 9th Street, New York, NY 10009
Questions? ¿Preguntas?
(646) 726-4715
info@loisaida.org

YOU ARE REMARKABLE!
2025-04-16 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Learn self-promotion and build confidence in this week’s workshop!
WALK AWAY WITH:↘️ Skills to promote yourself IN ANY ROOM↘️ Easy ways to maintain CONFIDENCE in work and life↘️ A FREE gift to take home
WEDNESDAY4.16.25STARTING 6:30 PMLoisaida Center710 East Ninth StreetNew York, NY 10009
DON’T MISS OUT ON FREE DINNER + TAKE-HOME GIFT!
HOSTED BY:NYJLNEW YORK JUNIOR LEAGUE
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:Loisaida Center

EARTH DAY 2025 FESTIVAL
2025-04-17 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | 14th Street – Union Square, 14th Street, New York City, NY, United States
EARTH DAY 2025 FESTIVAL
Thursday, April 17, 2025
12-6 pm
New York City’s Union Square
(East 17th Street and Park Avenue South)
Free and open to the public.
Earth Day 2025 is here! We’re coming together to go green and call for climate action. Join the climate conversation at a pivotal time.
We’ll hold our annual in-person festival featuring:

Exhibits by dozens of environmental non-profits, climate campaigns, green living experts, and sustainable businesses (see line-up below)

A special Clean Energy Exhibition, in partnership with Con Edison, featuring great green groups creating a clean energy future (see details below)

Interactive workshops

Live performances from Hila the Earth and APO HAHA CALYPSE (see schedule below)

Climate art

Kids’ activities

Sustainable foods

Ecolibrium Community Meeting: Solar and Batteries in Public Spaces
2025-04-24 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Ecolibrium Community Meeting: Solar and Batteries in Public Spaces
Date: April 24, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Loisaida Center, 710 East 9th St, NYC 10009
Join us for the next Ecolibrium Community Meeting, where we’ll explore the role of solar energy and battery storage in public spaces and their integration into a community-scale Virtual Power Plant (VPP). This initiative connects solar and battery installations in public parks, community centers, and shared spaces with residential and commercial buildings, creating a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable urban energy network.
At our last meeting, we introduced the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) concept, showcasing how distributed energy resources (DERs) can work together to support a decentralized, clean energy grid. This session will dive deeper into the practical applications of solar and battery systems in public spaces, highlighting their role in reducing emissions, enhancing grid reliability, and providing backup power during outages.
We’ll also provide an overview of Ecolibrium’s paid summer internship program, which offers hands-on experience in engineering, data science, IT & cybersecurity, environment, digital arts, media, and economics—preparing students for careers in the green economy while working with our community to create a vision for a climate resilient future in the LES.
Loisaida Center’s Ecolibrium program is committed to energy and climate justice, empowering local talent to design and implement innovative sustainability solutions. By merging technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and community-centered action, the program fosters the next generation of leaders in urban sustainability.
Be part of the conversation—help shape the future of community energy!
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of Con Edison, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (Ladders for Leaders), CUNY Career Corps, NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Department of Education/Congressional Community Project Funding.

¡Viva Puerto Rico! - Brief History of Puerto Rico 1898-Present (Part 2)
2025-05-22 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | The Loisaida Inc. Center, 710 East 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Brief History of Puerto Rico 1898-Present
Location: Losaida Center – 710 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Part 2 – Thursday, May 22nd , 2025
• Puerto Rico, from 1952 to the Fiscal Control Board.
• The struggle for independence, from the commonwealth to the present.

Part 3 – Tuesday, June 17th, 2025
• Puerto Rico in the present.
• The migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States and their struggles.

Distinguished professors (economist, historians and political science professors) and advocates for social justice and for the sovereignty of Puerto Rico; Iván F. Elías Rodríguez, Martha G. Quiñones Domínguez, Julio A. Muriente Pérez, Jose (Che) Velasquez will present a brief history of Puerto Rico.
Moderator: Oscar Ocasio, PhD
Presented by: Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano & Friends of Puerto Rico Impact
