Students investigate inflation and why the cost of living is rising in New York City.

Students

Students conduct community surveys in front of their school.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked historical spikes in the prices of goods and services, causing a 9.1% increase in the nation’s overall inflation rate between June 2021 and June 2022, the largest increase in 40 years (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). Despite slowing inflation rates, prices have stayed high. In New York City, nearly half of the city’s households are unable to afford basic needs like groceries and housing (United Way of New York City, 2023). What are all the ways New Yorkers are impacted by inflation? And how does it work? 
In the winter of 2024, CUP Teaching Artist Shifa Quraeshi collaborated with students from Battery Park City School to investigate what inflation is, and how it has impacted the cost of living in New York City. To explore this question, students talked to community members, interviewed stakeholders working on the issue, and studied digital art and sculpture. They gathered what they learned to create zines that explore the causes of inflation, who is most impacted, and possible solutions to lower the cost of living in New York City.

<h4>Panic at the Cost of Living</h4>
By Noam Max Sivkoff-Livneh<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_Noam.pdf"> Click here to download</a> 
<h4>Our Investigation: Inflation</h4>
By Tajh Kelly<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_Tahj.pdf"> Click here to download</a> 
<h4>Everything Inflation</h4>
By David Park<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_David.pdf"> Click here to download</a> 
<h4>Why does everything cost more?</h4>
By Fyodor (Fyo) Odenwald<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_Fyodor.pdf"> Click here to download</a> 
<h4>Inflation: What does it mean for an economy?</h4>
By Kaiya Morgan Stanton<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_Kaiya.pdf"> Click here to download</a> 
<h4>Woah: it's a zine about inflation</h4>
By Xu Lan<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_Xu-Lan.pdf"> Click here to download</a> 
<h4>Inflation </h4>
By Daniel Park &amp; Ramsis Antonio Ramirez<a href="https://welcometocup.org/assets/images/BPCS_Daniel-Ramsis.pdf"> Click here to download</a>

CUP
<a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/hugo-rojas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hugo Rojas</a><a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/ana-beirne-meyer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Ana Beirne-Meyer</a>

Battery Park City School
Principal: Alexis Tabor School Librarian: Basia Tov

Teaching Artist
<a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/shifa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shifa Quraeshi</a>

Project Collaborators

<h4>Students</h4>
Erin Claire Masters
Noam Max Sivkoff-Livneh
Adyn Konigsberg
Kaiya Morgan	Stanton
David Park
Xu Lan	Liu
Fyodor (Fyo) Odenwald
Ramsis Antonio Ramirez
Daniel	Park
Tajh Kelly
Liam Flemming 
<h4>Special Thanks</h4>
Samir Sonti, Assistant Professor at The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies
 
Wallace Alpern, Freeze the Rent Campaign Leader, Housing Justice for All
 
Anita Yadavalli, Senior Economist and Director of the Bureau of Tax and Economic Analysis at the Office of the New York State Comptroller
 
Mary Mueller, NYC Press Secretary for New York State Comptroller 
<h4>Fundraising Support</h4>
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and Council Member Christopher Marte. 
<h4>Sources</h4>
United Way of New York City (2023) NYC True Cost of Living. Fund for the City of New York. <a href="https://unitedwaynyc.org/true-cost-of-living/">https://unitedwaynyc.org/true-...</a>;
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022) Consumer prices up 9.1 percent over the year ended June 2022, largest increase in 40 years. The Economics Daily. U.S. Department of Labor, <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/consumer-prices-up-9-1-percent-over-the-year-ended-june-2022-largest-increase-in-40-years.htm">https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2...</a>

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Hyperakt is a purpose-driven design and innovation studio that elevates human dignity and ignites curiosity. Since 2001, co-founders Julia Zeltser and Deroy Peraza, along with the Hyperakt team, have been partnering with change-makers moving society forward. We believe in design’s power to build a future filled with courage, optimism, and honesty.

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The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement in partnership with historically marginalized communities.

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