New York Launches Free Summer Camp Program for High School Students: How to Apply

The City of New York has announced a groundbreaking new initiative that appears to be bringing together summer school and summer camp as a means to further help children cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their schooling, emotional health and socialization. Writes about it NBC New York.

The Summer Rising Initiative is a free program that combines academic support from the NYC Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development programs. It is a comprehensive student-centered program that is integrated with social-emotional learning and is available to all students, not just those who may require additional academic support in a specific subject, according to city officials.

According to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, the idea for the Summer Rising Initiative came about after ongoing negotiations with students and their parents.

“We take care of our children and families. We need to remember what we went through with COVID-19, said de Blasio. “And we have heard from so many parents and so many children that they have gone through such great difficulties and need all the help we can give them. We have to do something big this summer - something completely different that you have never seen before in a summer in New York. ”

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De Blasio said the program is designed to reach as many children as possible, especially as they have been dealing with injuries over the past year due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions on face-to-face communication.

“So many of our children have been traumatized. Many have really missed the opportunity to be close to their friends. We need to do something completely new, ”said de Blasio. "This is a truly innovative summer camp for this city."

The Summer Rising Initiative will bring together academic, cultural, educational and recreational programs so that children have the opportunity to do something great, to keep making progress and getting out of all the situations and challenges they had in the past year. ”

New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter echoed de Blasio's point, adding: “Every child deserves access to learning opportunities and social emotional support. Summer programs, which include both academic and complementary components, have proven their worth. "

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Applications will open Monday, April 26th for K-8 students. Acceptance of applications for the rest of the students will open a little later. Applications can be found on the Department of Youth and Community Development website or go to link.

The mayor went on to say that the city hopes the new initiative will be successful and, in effect, replace the traditional summer school.

“This is a model for the future. What we do in the summer of 2021 will be a model for the future of New York City, ”de Blasio said.