On July 20, Deputy Mayor Richard Buery and DYCD Commissioner Chong stopped by a Modell's store in Long Island City to chat with Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) participants. Modell's is one of the largest private sector retail worksites in the program. Our recent visit to Modell's and interview of SYEP participants can be seen on our Facebook page. On August 9, DYCD joined Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia), ranking member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a tour of the Police Athletic League Center in Harlem, where they met with SYEP participants; a roundtable was aired on Facebook Live. On August 10, the Commissioner attended the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's farewell lunch and recognition ceremony for Ladders for Leaders interns, meeting with summer interns at the DNA Crime Lab. On August 15, DYCD was part of the NYPD Academy's SYEP Career Day.

July 20 was Bronx Zoo Day, when young people from DYCD-funded programs took over the Zoo for the 11th straight summer. This year, more than 2,000 participants from Beacon, COMPASS, Cornerstone, Cornerstone Mentoring, and Fatherhood programs participated in the annual day of fun. Check out photos on our official Facebook page.

On July 18, participants in the 2017 Junior Liberty League Powered by DYCD (and sponsored by Fidelis Care) came together at the Johnson Community Center in East Harlem for a night of skills development and service. The high school girls took part in a one-hour skills clinic with New York Liberty trainers, and then worked together to storm social media with positive messages and media promoting self-esteem, women's empowerment, and putting an end to cyberbullying. See their work throughout the season by following #JrLibertyDYCD on all social media platforms. Check out photos from the night on the NYC Youth Facebook page.

On August 15, more than 300 young people from the Cultivating Curiosity Summer 2017 initiative visited the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Engineer and former NASA astronaut Michael Massimino was the keynote speaker. Using the City as a learning playground, Cultivating Curiosity helps youth discover their spark with hands-on interdisciplinary approaches to STEM, literacy, performance and visual arts, leadership, and service learning. Photos can be found here.

Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City's most valuable public space—our streets. This Saturday, August 19, nearly seven miles of NYC's streets are opened for people to play, run, walk, and bike. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. Held between 7:00am and 1:00pm, Summer Streets extends from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets, with easy access from all points in New York City. For a list of activities, click here.

Sign up for low or no-cost health insurance today, with GetCoveredNYC. It's easier than ever to sign up! Why sign up for health insurance? To protect your wallet from the "what ifs" in life—anyone can get sick or have an accident. Many New Yorkers may qualify for insurance for less than $20 a month. For more information, visit GetCoveredNYC.

Pathways to Graduation is a full-time, free program that provides students with the preparation and tools needed for a successful future, by helping them earn their High School Equivalency Diploma. For a list of program locations and to enroll, click here.

Scholarships can be fun! Take a break from the boring application routine and make someone laugh. That's right—Make Me Laugh is looking for a real LOL moment. Make Me Laugh is a fun scholarship that lets you cut loose and lighten things up. Looking for a scholarship for comedians? Now is your chance to show your funny bone. Perhaps you have an embarrassing but funny story to share. Great! The point is that not all scholarships have to be serious. The only thing serious about the Make Me Laugh Scholarship is the money you could win toward your college education. Click here to laugh your way to the bank!

The $2,000 "No Essay" Scholarship is an easy scholarship with no essay required! The scholarship can be used to cover tuition, housing, books, or any education-related expenses. The monthly winner will be determined by random drawing and then contacted directly and announced in Niche's e-newsletter and on the Scholarship Winners page. If you currently attend (or within the next 12 months plan to enroll in) a high school or college listed on niche.com, you can visit their official website for rules and to apply.

As one of the nation's largest need-based college scholarship programs in the country, the Horatio Alger Scholarship Programs specifically assist high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. While many programs are directed primarily to recognizing academic achievement or leadership potential, the Horatio Alger Association seeks students who have exhibited determination, integrity, and perseverance in overcoming adversity, as well as have critical financial need. For more information, visit their website.

The Booth Ferris Foundation was established in 1957 under the wills of Willis H. Booth and his wife, Chancie Ferris Booth. Since that time, approximately $281 million has been contributed from the Foundation to worthy organizations for a variety of charitable purposes. Grants are made to charitable organizations that are exempt from federal taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and that are not classified as private foundations. In 2015, more than $11.8 million was distributed through 126 grants. For guidelines and an application, click here.

TECH360 is a free, 10 week afterschool program for 10th and 11th graders enrolled in New York City high schools. Students enrolled in the program learn the fundamentals of web development. Courses take place at companies in New York City and are taught by technology professionals. Selected students develop a portfolio of technology projects that illustrate an understanding of web development, gain priority eligibility into the Tech Flex Leaders program, and get to participate in professional opportunities at companies in New York City. Learn more about the fall 2017 program here.

The National College Resources Foundation is happy to announce its 7th annual Black College Expo coming to Brooklyn, New York. The Black College Expo brings over 50 colleges under one roof to provide college information for high school students and college transfers—with the application fee waived for on-the-spot acceptance! You don't want to miss this great opportunity on September 30, 2017 from 9:00am to 5:00pm. For more information, visit the official website.

DYCD's Youth Connect is a one-stop resource and referral service for youth, families, and community-based organizations. You can reach Youth Connect by calling 1-800-246-4646, Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 7:00pm, or by emailing youthconnect@dycd.nyc.gov. For more information on Youth Connect , visit our official website.

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.