Mr. Andy in the News!
Flushing teacher brings Little Free Library to school community
QNS, October 19th, 2022
Andy Yung, a pre-K teacher at P.S. 244Q in Flushing, is getting more books into the hands of children by installing a Little Free Library at two public schools in the community. In 2019, Yung helped the Queens Botanical Garden get a little library to allow community members to share books with each other. Recently, he was able to bring a little library to his alma mater, P.S. 24Q. The library is located in the school’s playground and anyone is welcome to take a book or bring a book to share. Yung’s second little library will be placed at P.S. 120Q.
“I love that it’s free and anyone can participate either by taking a book or sharing a book,” Yung said. “I grew up in a household that didn’t really put a priority on reading. I loved books growing up, but I never had books of my own.”
Click HERE for the Article
Andy Yung, a pre-K teacher at P.S. 244Q in Flushing, is getting more books into the hands of children by installing a Little Free Library at two public schools in the community. In 2019, Yung helped the Queens Botanical Garden get a little library to allow community members to share books with each other. Recently, he was able to bring a little library to his alma mater, P.S. 24Q. The library is located in the school’s playground and anyone is welcome to take a book or bring a book to share. Yung’s second little library will be placed at P.S. 120Q.
“I love that it’s free and anyone can participate either by taking a book or sharing a book,” Yung said. “I grew up in a household that didn’t really put a priority on reading. I loved books growing up, but I never had books of my own.”
Click HERE for the Article
DonorsChoose helps provide supplies, resources for cash-strapped teachers
ABC7NY Eyewitness News, September 27th, 2022
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- A campaign to help teachers provide resources for their students they can't afford on their own is providing support for supplies that are usually paid for out of pocket.
It's called DonorsChoose, and the beneficiaries are the teachers who can least afford to pay for the items themselves.
"If I had not used DonorsChoose, I don't know where I'd be," pre-K teacher Andy Yung said.
It was a career changer for Yung, who works at PS 244 in Flushing.
The website was founded by another New York City teacher more than two decades ago, and DonorsChoose quickly became a regular space For Yung, who is now a master at getting amazing teaching tools -- including puppets that proved to be a huge help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click HERE for the Article
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- A campaign to help teachers provide resources for their students they can't afford on their own is providing support for supplies that are usually paid for out of pocket.
It's called DonorsChoose, and the beneficiaries are the teachers who can least afford to pay for the items themselves.
"If I had not used DonorsChoose, I don't know where I'd be," pre-K teacher Andy Yung said.
It was a career changer for Yung, who works at PS 244 in Flushing.
The website was founded by another New York City teacher more than two decades ago, and DonorsChoose quickly became a regular space For Yung, who is now a master at getting amazing teaching tools -- including puppets that proved to be a huge help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click HERE for the Article
Flushing educator honored with ‘Changemaker Challenge’ award
QNS, June 7th, 2021
A Flushing educator received the “Changemaker Challenge” award from Students Rebuild, a Bezos Family Foundation program that mobilizes young people to take action on the world’s most critical issues.
Andy Yung, a pre-K teacher at The Active Learning Elementary School in Flushing, was recognized ahead of a special virtual award show at the culmination of Students Rebuild’s latest initiative, the Changemaker Challenge.
Click HERE for the Article
A Flushing educator received the “Changemaker Challenge” award from Students Rebuild, a Bezos Family Foundation program that mobilizes young people to take action on the world’s most critical issues.
Andy Yung, a pre-K teacher at The Active Learning Elementary School in Flushing, was recognized ahead of a special virtual award show at the culmination of Students Rebuild’s latest initiative, the Changemaker Challenge.
Click HERE for the Article
Flushing teacher teams up with Queens Botanical Garden to introduce the community’s first Little Free Library
QNS, September 5th, 2019
A Flushing school teacher along with Councilmember Peter Koo and Queens Botanical Garden introduced the first Free Little Library at the Garden with a green ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Located at the Pebble Yard by the Education Building, the Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share. The goals of the Little Free Library are to build community, spark creativity, and inspire readers.
Click HERE for the Article
A Flushing school teacher along with Councilmember Peter Koo and Queens Botanical Garden introduced the first Free Little Library at the Garden with a green ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Located at the Pebble Yard by the Education Building, the Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share. The goals of the Little Free Library are to build community, spark creativity, and inspire readers.
Click HERE for the Article
This Flushing pre-K teacher uses WeChat and dumpling-making to connect with his students and their families
Chalkbeat, August 13th, 2019
It would be easy to infer that when parents don’t show up to teacher conferences or school events at P.S. 244, the Active Learning School, it is simply because they don’t care. But Andy Yung, a pre-K teacher at the school, knows better.
Yung grew up in the same Flushing neighborhood where he now teaches. When he was young, his own immigrant parents had to work extremely long hours to keep the family afloat — and he knows many of his students’ families have to do the same.
Last school year, Yung downloaded the messaging app WeChat, popular in the largely Chinese-speaking community he serves. Using the translate feature, he was able to begin texting with parents — some of whom work out of state — and to schedule video conferences with them.
It would be easy to infer that when parents don’t show up to teacher conferences or school events at P.S. 244, the Active Learning School, it is simply because they don’t care. But Andy Yung, a pre-K teacher at the school, knows better.
Yung grew up in the same Flushing neighborhood where he now teaches. When he was young, his own immigrant parents had to work extremely long hours to keep the family afloat — and he knows many of his students’ families have to do the same.
Last school year, Yung downloaded the messaging app WeChat, popular in the largely Chinese-speaking community he serves. Using the translate feature, he was able to begin texting with parents — some of whom work out of state — and to schedule video conferences with them.
94 Percent of U.S. Teachers Spend Their Own Money on School Supplies, Survey Finds
New York Times, May 16th, 2018
Andy Yung, a prekindergarten teacher in Queens, is adept at raising money online for ambitious classroom projects, but even he sometimes pays for supplies out of pocket.
And he has company. According to a federal Department of Education survey released on Tuesday, 94 percent of public school teachers in the United States reported paying for supplies without reimbursement in the school year that straddled 2014 and 2015.
And he has company. According to a federal Department of Education survey released on Tuesday, 94 percent of public school teachers in the United States reported paying for supplies without reimbursement in the school year that straddled 2014 and 2015.
Roombas, Refrigerators and Other Unexpected Tech That Teachers Actually Ask For
EdSurge, May 30, 2018
Andy Yung has been teaching Pre-K in New York City for the past six years, and he works thoughtfully to incorporate technology into his instruction in a developmentally appropriate way. “When you think of tech in the classroom, everyone thinks of iPads and SMART boards,” he says. “But with younger ages, they’re often too exposed to screens, so I had to figure out how tech would look different in a Pre-K classroom.”
Extreme Classroom Makeover
PNC
Healthy Snacks & Life Lessons
About eight hours away in Flushing, Queens – New York City’s most diverse borough – Andy Yung teaches a class of 4-year-olds at a school that’s focused on giving them a healthy start. The kids are active and moving around a lot, and their parents are encouraged to provide them with healthy mid-day snacks, like yogurt, fruit and veggies, to give them the fuel they need to stay focused on learning. But healthy food can be pricey, and some families don’t have the means to provide it.
Click HERE for the Article
Healthy Snacks & Life Lessons
About eight hours away in Flushing, Queens – New York City’s most diverse borough – Andy Yung teaches a class of 4-year-olds at a school that’s focused on giving them a healthy start. The kids are active and moving around a lot, and their parents are encouraged to provide them with healthy mid-day snacks, like yogurt, fruit and veggies, to give them the fuel they need to stay focused on learning. But healthy food can be pricey, and some families don’t have the means to provide it.
Click HERE for the Article
A section for all those times Mr. Andy made it to a newspaper or news story!
NYC teacher brings love for ‘force’ into classroom with 1st ever ‘Jedi Academy’
PIX 11 News, February 25th, 2016
FLUSHING, NEW YORK – What started out as a crowd-sourcing effort is now reality for Pre-K teacher Andy Yung and his class of Jedi’s-in-training at PS244 in Flushing, Queens. The first of its kind, the afterschool enrichment class combines the love of Star Wars and fitness. “It’s more about showing our kids that there are different ways to stay fit and active,” Yung told PIX11 News. “Other than the standard that they know, that they’ve learned in gym class or anywhere else.” Every class starts out with a standard warm-up, which includes stretches, planks, two rounds of lunges and a few laps around the gym. The Padawans eventually duke it out with a choreographed battle that follows the principles of Tai Chi with the same movements and health benefits.
Taiwanese Orchids on Display This Weekend at Queens Botanical Garden
NY1, August 23rd, 2015
It's a "World of Orchids" in Queens this weekend.
The Queens Botanical Garden is where you can find more than 250 pots containing Taiwanese orchids, and there are numerous works of art by contemporary artists.
The program's manager says the exhibit is a good example of how culture is celebrated every day at the Garden, which tries to showcase more than pretty blooms.
"We have two days of robust programing, collaborative dance perfromances, movie screenings, instlation art and what better way to ceelbrate then here at the garden with flowers? So we welcome them here with open arms," says Queens Botanical Garden Programs Manager Regina Forlenza.
The exhibit runs until 5 p.m. Sunday and is included with admission to the garden.
The Queens Botanical Garden is where you can find more than 250 pots containing Taiwanese orchids, and there are numerous works of art by contemporary artists.
The program's manager says the exhibit is a good example of how culture is celebrated every day at the Garden, which tries to showcase more than pretty blooms.
"We have two days of robust programing, collaborative dance perfromances, movie screenings, instlation art and what better way to ceelbrate then here at the garden with flowers? So we welcome them here with open arms," says Queens Botanical Garden Programs Manager Regina Forlenza.
The exhibit runs until 5 p.m. Sunday and is included with admission to the garden.
Queens Elementary School to Start a 'Young Jedi Academy' for Kids
Village Voice, June 4th, 2015
When Andy Yung first asked his boss for permission to purchase more than a dozen lightsabers, the request was met with more than a little skepticism. A pre-K teacher at The Active Learning Elementary School in Flushing, Queens — and an avid Star Wars fan — Yung was proposing his idea to start a "Young Jedi Academy" for his students. TALES was founded seven years ago with the mission of promoting health, wellness and creativity among its students, and has been no stranger to out-of-the-box learning programs in the past. But school-sponsored lightsaber fights were a tad much even for them.
Queens teacher launching first ever ‘Star Wars’ Jedi Academy to keep students fit
PIX 11 News, May 19th, 2015
A long time ago in a galaxy far – well actually not that long ago or that far away. It’s at PS244 in the Flushing section of Queens where a movement is underway.
Pre-K teacher and Star Wars fanatic Andy Yung is on a mission to launch a Young Jedi Academy, an after school program that will teach students how to get fit – the Jedi way.
Click here for full story and video!
Pre-K teacher and Star Wars fanatic Andy Yung is on a mission to launch a Young Jedi Academy, an after school program that will teach students how to get fit – the Jedi way.
Click here for full story and video!
PS 244 seeks to teach through play
Queens Chronicle, November 6, 2014
Andy Yung, a prekindergarten teacher at PS 244 in Flushing, said he believes children in his class learn better through play than through strict academics.
Yung said that is why he’s made it his mission to secure a new set of foam building blocks for the schoolchildren, so they can unlock their creativeness during recess.
Click here to read the full article.
Yung said that is why he’s made it his mission to secure a new set of foam building blocks for the schoolchildren, so they can unlock their creativeness during recess.
Click here to read the full article.
A Big Idea Pays off: Local teacher receives $1,000 grant in national contest
Queens Parent, November 2013
Andy Yung of FLushing, a pre-K teacher at P.S. 244Q The Active Learning Elementary School, was awarded first place and a $1,000 community grant in the fifth annual Clifford the Big Red Dog BE BIG in Your Community Contest, organized by Scholastic Media and HandsOn Network.
The national contest is a signature program of the ongoing Clifford the Big Red Dog BE BIG campaign. It invites people of all ages to submit a "BIG Idea" that demonstrates Clifford's BIG Ideas- share, help others, be kind, be responsible, play fair, be a good friend, believe in yourself, have respect, work together, and be truthful- for a chance to win a community grant to be used towards implementing the winning proposals.
Click here to see the Be BIG Contest winners!
The national contest is a signature program of the ongoing Clifford the Big Red Dog BE BIG campaign. It invites people of all ages to submit a "BIG Idea" that demonstrates Clifford's BIG Ideas- share, help others, be kind, be responsible, play fair, be a good friend, believe in yourself, have respect, work together, and be truthful- for a chance to win a community grant to be used towards implementing the winning proposals.
Click here to see the Be BIG Contest winners!
Flushing 244 public school pre-kindergarten teachers Edutainment
Epoch Times, November 11th, 2014
27-year-old Chinese-American teacher Andy Yung is born here, Pre-K teacher in Flushing 244 public schools. Yung said: "I want to make classes more fun, play can broaden children's thinking." From teaching nearly three years, Yung always have some innovative ideas. About six months ago, Yung plans for the children to buy large outdoor building blocks known as the "image of the force paradise" and let the children play at rest, open imagination thinking.
Click here to read the article!
Click here to read the article!