Central Park

Valerie Edwards is a Parkie who is constantly "on the go." Her excellent work in both the Queens Recreation Office and Central Recreation’s Teens at Parks Program (TAP) is testament to her ability to handle many tasks with skill and grace. Edwards, an extremely up-beat person who is willing to try her hand at just about anything, has been the TAP coordinator for Queens and Manhattan since the program’s inception in 1999. Valerie works closely with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), the agency which provides funding for Teens at Parks. She bridges the gap between ACS’s congregate care sites and Parks’ 19 recreation centers in Manhattan and Queens.

What interests New York City teenagers? It’s Valerie’s job to find out; knowing what kids ages 14 to 21 want and need comes with the territory. While making sure they have "cool" and safe places to hang out and socialize, Valerie sees to the fact that they learn life skills in a recreational setting. You name it, Valerie has planned it. Dances, fashion shows, life-size murals, roller skating parties, computer classes, pool tournaments, job fairs, community service projects, and even luaus are all part of her Parks legacy, a legacy which began in summer of 1992. All these events make for long hours and late evenings at work, which Valerie takes in stride. Valerie constantly inspires her co-workers with her ability to keep her cool as she gets her job done. She’s always willing to lend a hand, and always the first to give other people credit for the good work that they do.

Bill Cosby
(b. July 12, 1937)