You are reading

City to Launch Summer School Program, Open to All Students

Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

April 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin

The city is launching a summer school program that is open to all students to attend — not just those who have fallen behind academically.

The free program, offered by the Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), will combine school instruction with extracurricular activities for students in grades K through 12.

Dubbed “Summer Rising,” the $125 million program will offer students academic classes along with activities like field trips, arts programs and outdoor recreation.

“After a year of heroic work on the part of our families and schools, we are embarking on an unprecedented reimaging of what summer needs to be for our children and school communities,” Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter said at a press conference alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio Tuesday.

“After a such a uniquely challenging year, I’m so excited to give our students something to look forward to,” she added.

Nearly half of all school buildings will be open for the summer program. City officials expect an estimated 200,000 students to participate and said the program will continue in years to come.

“With Summer Rising we’ll be able to provide students across the city with a holistic summer experience,” Porter said. “This will include academic support, social emotional learning and exciting enrichment opportunities.”

Remote programming will also be available for interested families whose children are required to attend summer classes to advance to the next school year, as well as children who have a 12-month Individualized Education Program or IEP.

In-person programming will follow coronavirus safety protocols and include COVID-19 testing.

School staff will notify families by June if their child is required to participate in summer learning. They will be placed in the same Summer Rising programs as students who independently opt into the summer classes.

Applications for in-person K-8 Summer Rising programs will open on Monday, April 26. Interested families can sign up here.

High school students will be able to sign up soon after, though the city didn’t announce the exact date on Tuesday. They will also have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), as well as the Public Schools Athletic League.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards praised the city’s announcement and urged Queens students to enroll in the summer program.

“It has been a tumultuous year for our City’s youth and Summer Rising is critical for our return to normal,” he said in a statement. “Our students deserve every opportunity available to thrive and learn, and I encourage Queens families to take advantage of this innovative program.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Suspect wanted for shoving E train rider onto the tracks at Sutphin Boulevard station in Jamaica: NYPD

Police from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica and Transit District 20 are looking for a suspect who shoved an E train rider onto the tracks at the Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue–JFK Airport subway station on Thursday morning.

The 39-year-old victim was standing on the southbound platform at around 4:40 a.m. when a stranger approached him and pushed him onto the track bed below in an unprovoked attack, police said Friday. The suspect fled the station onto Sutphin Boulevard and ran off in an unknown direction. EMS responded to the scene and transported the injured man to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

Bellerose man arrested in fatal collision that killed his neighbor on Jericho Turnpike in December: NYPD

A Bellerose man was arrested and booked at the 105th Precinct in Queens Village on Tuesday, May 20, five months after he struck and killed his 78-year-old neighbor with his vehicle at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and 91st Avenue.

The fatal collision occurred just after 6:40 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, 2024, as Benjamin Jean-Baptiste, 39, of Ontario Road, was behind the wheel of a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup truck traveling northbound on 91st Avenue.

Glendale man indicted for slapping 9-year-old, biting NYPD officer’s finger during arrest: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted a Glendale man on charges of assault in the first degree and other crimes for slapping a 9-year-old girl in the face, which was caught on camera, and then biting off the fingertip of an off-duty NYPD sergeant during his apprehension earlier this month.

Feliz Enrique, 31, of 68th Street, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court Wednesday on an indictment charging him with assault in the first, second, and third degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and harassment for the attacks. Enrique was remanded into custody without bail and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.