The wait is over! The 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) applications are available NOW! SYEP provides New York City youth with paid summer experiences for up to six weeks in July and August. This year we've made some changes to the program: teens 14 - 15 take part in project-based activities that help them explore different careers while young adults aged 16 - 24 can work in a variety of industries throughout the City. For more information, and to apply for this year's program, visit the official SYEP website.

Join us on May 11 for DYCD's annual youth leadership summit! We're celebrating the civic engagement, and social justice work #NYCyouth are doing across the city. Apply now to attend and share how you're taking action in your community, school, online, or around the world!

Back by popular demand, it’s Spring into Health Week! From May 14 through May 18, DYCD, in conjunction with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), and the Interagency Coordinating Council on Youth (ICC), will host health fairs at 47 locations across the City. For more information on the Spring into Health fair near you, visit our official website.

On March 16, hundreds of NYC youth explored the American Museum of Natural History’s exhibits after hours at our annual DYCD Night at the Museum. Youth played flashlight tag with the T-Rex, met the museum’s resident animals and participated in other fun events. Check out more images in our Facebook album.

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week is a joint effort of community partners, afterschool programs, youth and child development workers and individuals who have committed to declaring the last full week of April each year as a time to recognize and appreciate those who work with youth during out-of-school hours. Learn more about ways to celebrate and display your appreciation to thank afterschool professionals who make a difference in the lives of young people by visiting their official website.

Play classic low-tech games like hula hoops, yo-yos, pogo sticks, ultimate disc, and obstacle course on Saturday, April 27, 2019, during the 12th Annual Street Games at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem. Brought to you by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and the Walt Disney Company, enjoy this day of FREE fun open to all ages while introducing your loved ones to games from the 1960s and 1970s. For more information and event updates, check out NYC Parks and Recreation’s website.

The Octavia Project Summer Institute is a FREE month-long program where young women and trans, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming youth from Brooklyn explore their love of science fiction and fantasy through art, writing, science, and tech projects with a community of creatively-minded peers. Workshops take place four days a week and are held at the Pratt Institute MFA in Writing Community Space. For more information, visit the official Octavia Project website before the April 15 deadline.

The Apollo Theater Academy Summer Internship Program provides high school students with opportunities for professional and personal development as they explore managerial and production careers in the performing arts and entertainment industries. Interns learn about non-performance careers and what takes place behind the scenes at the Apollo Theater. Interns are assigned to work alongside staff members of the Apollo Theater for six weeks in various production departments to learn about lighting design, videography, audio engineering, carpentry, and prop creation; interns will also be exposed to careers in arts administration while learning what it takes to produce live shows. Visit the Apollo Theater website to apply before the April 19 deadline.

Join the New York Hall of Science for their fourth annual STEM Career Expo to learn about the full range of careers in STEM. At this free event, you can engage in fun hands-on activities, hear from leaders in STEM through career conversations, and network with STEM professionals. Refreshments will be provided. This event is geared toward middle school, high school and college students and their guardians who are curious about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). To RSVP for the May 17 expo, visit their website.

One is the loneliest number. Three is a crowd. Then there is five. What’s so special about five? Well, for starters, this lucky number could help you win a $1,500 scholarship. It would take more than just one hand to count all the reasons why the number five is special, and Unigo wants to know what you think! What is it about the number five that’s so significant to you? May is the fifth month of the year. Write a letter to the number five explaining why five is essential. Be serious or be funny. Either way, submit your letter by May 31 at Unigo’s website.

The Harry S. Black and Allon Fuller Fund was established in 1930 to support quality health care and human services programming for underserved populations. The grantmaking focus is on health care and physical disabilities. The Fund supports access programs for physically disabled individuals; disability policy analysis and advocacy; workforce development programs; and programs that improve quality of life for the disabled. Applicant organizations must both serve and be geographically located within New York City. The Harry S. Black and Allon Fuller Fund has a deadline of June 30, 2019. Grant decisions will be made by October 31, 2019. For more information and restrictions, please visit the grant page.

Looking for an afterschool program in your neighborhood? Need information on improving reading skills or finding the nearest community center? The web application discoverDYCD allows you to search in multiple languages for DYCD-funded programs. You can search by borough, neighborhood or zip code, and discoverDYCD provides contact information, activities offered, and a mapping feature with navigation.

Categories of services include: Afterschool Programs, Family Support, Literacy Services, Youth Services and so much more! We hope you find discoverDYCD useful as you take advantage of the diverse resources and opportunities that New York City has to offer.