Students at P.S. 28 in Washington Heights are closer to their dream of having a new soccer field, thanks to their own advocacy efforts. After writing letters to their elected officials, they have secured $1 million in funding to help make the field a reality.

The announcement was met with applause from students, who had campaigned for the project for two years. Council Member Carmen De La Rosa and Rep. Adriano Espaillat joined the students at P.S. 28 to celebrate the funding milestone.

"Our motto is 'we are change makers, and kids can change the world,'" said school librarian Lauren Ginsberg. "With that kind of mantra, we began the process of securing these funds and writing our local [elected officials]."

Council Member De La Rosa emphasized the importance of the project for the community.

"This is what community looks like. It looks like creating spaces that our community can enjoy and our students can thrive," she said.

The $1 million, sourced from both federal and local funding, will help transform an unused handball court into a vibrant soccer field. The new facility is expected to improve students' mental and physical health by providing a safe space for sports and recreation. But beyond that, the project has also served as a real-life civic lesson for the students, who played a central role in securing the funding.

"They have skin in the game," said Rep. Espaillat. "They're empowered. They feel very much that this is their project, and they got this done by themselves, lobbying their officials."

Principal Luis Fernandez praised the students for their determination.

"It shows that if you care about something, if you believe in something, and you work hard and set goals, then you can achieve anything," he said.

Despite the success, the project still requires an additional $500,000 to be fully completed. However, officials remain confident that the remaining funds will be secured, and the soccer field will become a reality for the students of P.S. 28.