The Challenge

Improper garbage disposal is one of those problems everyone sees and nobody explains. Neighbors know the block looks bad — they don't always know what actually goes in which bin, when to put it out, or what to do with a mattress, a battery or a bag of food scraps. And most people don't go looking for support resources until the exact moment they need them.

What I Built

Two things. First, a visual guide — 'Explore How to Dispose of Garbage Properly in NYC' — that walks through six steps from knowing what goes where to reducing and reusing, plus a clear 'what not to do' section and special-item handling for e-waste and batteries, household hazardous waste, bulky items, clothing and textiles, and food scraps. Second, a Resource Guide for Better NYC Trash Disposal: a Google Sheets list of websites and programs that can assist people who need support.

My Role

Mine start to finish. For the resource guide I went past just the AI overview — I did a deep dive into each website so the list would actually hold up. For the visual guide I handled the research, the layout and the QR sticker plan, and I fine-tuned it round after round on feedback. For the Report Back, magnets secured with Allyson put the work on the table as something people could pick up and take home.

Skills Used

Environmental Research · Information Design · Canva · Google Sheets · AI Literacy · Community Engagement

Impact

Presented at the EcoPower '26 Community Report Back with physical deliverables — magnets and a scannable QR guide — designed to keep the information on the block after the event ended.

The Challenge

What isn't documented can't be defended. The Flats holds a 40-year-old Caribbean market, a playground with roots in the 1990s, substations serving thousands of residents, green spaces and institutions people walk past every day without knowing what they are. And emergency plans get written for an average person who doesn't exist — when a real disruption hits, the people who fall through are the ones the plan never pictured.

Mapping with Ground3D

Using the Felt platform, our track mapped energy infrastructure — National Grid and ConEd substations — plus local institutions, green spaces, historical sites and community resources, multiple Operators dropping points into one shared live map at the same time. Every point got annotated in full narrative sentences so someone could pull it up on a phone and get a story, not coordinates. It published as The Green Book: Energy Resilience Edition — 11 stops across East Flatbush, Remsen Village and Canarsie.

Street Interviews & Route Fieldwork

The Community & Civic track ran street interviews near Brooklyn College. The script took rounds of practice — you can't open with 'do you live here?' in New York City — and had to work for youth, seniors and longtime residents alike. We walked the route on foot documenting shade cover, water access and flood risk, and started identifying corridor businesses for a community pact: places that could be cooling, charging, water and information sites during a blackout or storm.

My Role & Contribution

Worked alongside Jay, Victoria and Carlisha. I supported field interviews, tested soil and checked for lead contamination in backyards, mapped desolate lots and used NASA ARSET remote sensing tools for environmental monitoring. In the Thrash analysis I refused to talk about victims in the abstract — I named Lisa, Uncle Dave, Ron and the girl with anxiety, traced exactly where a generic plan failed each of them, and argued for specialized support for people with hearing disabilities and disorders instead of one plan stretched over everybody.

Story & Media

Co-produced a Rain Activated stenciling video guide for future interns and community members, and appeared in the Community Network Video, hopping on a huddle with Jay, Victoria and Krissa.

Impact

The map is live and phone-navigable, hosted by Ground3D. The next phase is community pact outreach to corridor businesses willing to be designated climate emergency resources.