New York City announced a new initiative that aims to combine summer school and summer camp to help city children make up for some of the learning and socialization that they missed out on while schools were shuttered.
The Summer Rising Initiative will be a free program combining the NYC Department of Education's academic support and the Department of Youth and Community Development's programming.
City officials say it is a comprehensive student-centered program integrated with social-emotional learning. It's available for all students, regardless of whether they need further academic support in a particular area.
Mayor Bill de Blasio says the Summer Rising idea sprouted from conversations between students and parents.
"A recovery for all of us means that we are taking care of our kids and families. It means really being mindful of what everyone needs after everything we’ve been through with COVID," de Blasio said. "And we’ve heard from so many parents and so many kids that they’ve been through so much difficulty and they need every kind of help we can give them… And the more we’ve talked about it the more we said, 'We have to do something big this summer — very different, like nothing you’d ever seen in summer in New York City before.'"
De Blasio hopes the program reaches as many children as possible, especially since so many kids have been dealing with trauma from the pandemic experience and the onerous restrictions of the past year.
NYC Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter added that, "Every child deserves access to enrichment opportunities, academic acceleration and to social emotional supports. Summer programs that are designed with both academic and enrichment components have proven benefits. And that is what Summer Rising is all about."
Applications for Summer Rising will open Monday, April 26, for students K-8. Applications for the high school level will open at a later date.
You can fill out an application here.
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