On May 21st, the AMS community celebrated the grand opening of the school’s new UFT Teacher Center, a space designed to support teachers through professional development, collaboration, technology, and additional educational resources. The event brought together students, educators, union representatives, and Bronx community leaders.
The center was created with student involvement and student design ideas in mind. Students helped organize the event, present the space, and speak with guests during the opening celebration. AMS teacher and Teacher Center coordinator Kami Soverall helped lead the project and organize the event alongside UFT representatives and school staff.
Among the guests in attendance was Vanessa Gibson, the Bronx Borough President, who toured the center and spoke with students about education, college, and career opportunities. Also present was Kayla McCormack, the director overseeing UFT Teacher Centers.
Gibson explained why teacher centers are important. “I think it provides more investments and more resources and really supports teachers and students in a meaningful way,” she said, “It allows teachers to expand their impact.” She also emphasized how teachers need spaces where they feel supported both professionally and personally. “I think we should always aim to be better because we always want to aim for the stars,” Gibson said. “A UFT Teacher Center brings that added support, additional resources, and also coaches, reading coaches, and math coaches.”
The opening celebration took place in the library, with speeches given by Principal Chung and Kami Soverall. Genesis Malave, 2026, Karen de la Cruz, 2026, and Kameron Williams, 2030 also gave inspiring speeches about the importance of supporting teachers. Students also helped guide attendees through the new space.
In addition to discussing the Teacher Center, Gibson spoke with students about her own college experience at the University at Albany and graduate studies at Baruch College. She encouraged students to take advantage of opportunities available to them after high school. “Cost should never be a factor,” Gibson said, referring to many available scholarships. She encouraged students to use every available resource.
The Director of the Teacher Center, Kayla McCormack, emphasized how meaningful student participation was in creating the space. “There is so much talent here, and it’s something that we never thought about before, bringing students in to create the environment for us… We’re going to continue this in all of our teacher centers.”
Visitors were impressed with the comfortable furniture (including a bench built by History teacher Mr. Schultz) artwork and technology in the center. Students were proud to show how they helped to design the space and to help create a culture where teachers can collaborate and grow professionally.
The opening of the UFT Teacher Center represented more than just a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It highlighted the collaboration among students, teachers, and community leaders to create a welcoming environment in which educators can continue to grow and better support AMS students. “It’s a beautiful space,” said Vanessa Gibson. “It says brightness. It says energy. It says comfort. It says welcome.”
