The 2016 Community Needs Assessment (CNA) is now available for viewing on the DYCD website. DYCD introduced the assessment to hear directly from New Yorkers and document their views on what is needed to improve the well-being of their own communities. The findings demonstrate that programs and services in the categories of education, employment/career advancement, and basic needs are the top priorities. DYCD's recent program integration, systems upgrades and new analytics platforms support efforts such as this survey and the Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB) process, allowing the agency to use community feedback to inform program design and assess program success as part of our continuous quality improvement process. Given the results of the 2016 CNA survey, DYCD will broaden its efforts to partner with other NYC agencies and community organizations to reduce barriers and better connect participants to existing resources, particularly in high-need communities.

On June 8, First Lady Chirlane McCray joined DYCD and the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC) for the fourth annual "Healing the Hurt" conference at the New York Law School's Impact Center for Public Interest. The all-day event brought together nonprofit and agency leaders and professionals for a panel discussion and workshops to gain a greater understanding of trauma and to help communities apply new approaches to overcome trauma. This year's theme, The Power of Storytelling, helped participants identify strategies to examine the narratives presented by the community, the media and others, and to learn practical techniques to hear and share stories that are difficult to voice. Photos from the day are available on DYCD's Facebook site.

On June 7, DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong and former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn visited the afterschool SONYC Program at the Women In Need (Win) Homeless Shelter in Brooklyn. The site offers an array of activities such as the Win Academy, Income Building Program, Children's Afterschool, Mentorship and Recreation. The Win SONYC Program provides STEM, literacy, health, drama therapy, fitness, photography, sports, recreation and homework assistance. On May 16, in observance of Jewish American History month, the Commissioner visited the SONYC NPS Girls program run by the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island in Brooklyn. Photos of the Win event can be viewed on the DYCD Facebook page.

The Beyond the Voice competition engages youth across Beacon, Cornerstone and SONYC programs with the goal of challenging them to write, create a beat, and sing a song about growing up in NYC. The program uses components of literacy and presentation skill building. Seven acts performed in this year's final concert, with the following performers taking home the top prizes. 1st Place: Advantage Music Group from LIU Advantage at IS 113; 2nd Place: Lydia Echevarria from MMCC at Evander Campus Beacon; and 3rd Place: Nicholson Pierre and the Q City Soundz from Quest Youth Organization. View photos from the showcase on our DYCD Facebook Page.

On May 24, in collaboration with 4th Family Incorporated, Gifted Athletes, and Make A Play, DYCD held the Rise and Shine youth basketball clinic hosted by Educational Alliance in Manhattan. The focus of the clinic was to teach young people the game of basketball through proper footwork, passing and dribbling techniques while improving their self-esteem, team work and sportsmanship. Photos from the day of fun can be viewed at DYCD's Facebook page.

More than 4,000 young people from the Beacon, Cornerstone and SONYC programs are engaged in DYCD Soccer for Success. At the end of the program year, the participants are invited to participate in soccer skills & drills and nutritional workshops. Photos from this year's events are available on the DYCD Facebook page.

If you're a small nonprofit or belong to specific programs of larger organizations, DYCD invites you to Stronger Together: Nurturing Collaborative Leadership. Stronger Together is a one day conference taking place on June 22, during which experts and experienced practitioners will share strategies and tips on strong program collaboration, motivating staff, and much more. Click Here to register.

NYC's FREE outdoor pools will open Wednesday, June 28, and most will be available through Labor Day. The great news again this year is that NYC Parks will extend the beach and pool season until Sunday, September 10, at the City's six most popular beaches (Rockaway Beach in Queens; Coney Island and Brighton Beaches in Brooklyn; Midland and South Beaches in Staten Island; and Orchard Beach in the Bronx) and at all Olympic and intermediate-sized outdoor pools. Year-round indoor pools require a recreation center membership. Judging by the rising temps, kids (and their chaperons) are going to need to cool off, so check out this roundup of favorite places to take a no-cost dip. And before you go, be sure to read about public pool rules — some of them might surprise you.

Join the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for the 16th annual River to River Festival, through June 25! The 2017 edition presents 12 days of dance, music, theater and the visual arts — 100 + performances and events spanning 17 projects at 31 unique sites across Lower Manhattan and Governors Island. The Festival also offers opportunities for audiences to interact with artists, socialize, and experience multiple facets of artists' work and the creative process. For a list of events and performances, visit their website.

Make Music New York Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission celebrates the musician in all of us, connects New Yorkers to their communities and with each other, brings bold new artistic creations to life, unites diverse communities in a spirit of celebration, and energizes the shared social spaces that make NYC a cultural capital. On June 21 they will kick off the summer by holding more than 1,000 musical performances across the City. To find the concert nearest you, visit their offical website.

Stonewall's mission is to strengthen the LGBTQ Movement by making smart, values-driven investments in dynamic organizations, projects, and leaders. And as a public foundation, they do so in close partnership with donors and the very people working on the front lines of progress. They fund over 100 nonprofits a year, in more than 30 issue areas. They also house seven scholarship programs, including the largest in the country created to support LGBTQ refugees or asylum seekers. Through Empowering Local Communities, they are looking to award $14,000 to local non-profits that are working to build bridges between LGBTQ people and broader communities. Proposals are due by July 11, 2017. For more information, visit Stonewall Foundation website.

The Brooklyn Community Foundation envisions a fair and just Brooklyn built on dignity and respect and where all residents have the opportunity to participate and prosper. To achieve this vision, the foundation places racial justice at the center of all it does and focuses on removing structural barriers that diminish opportunities and positive outcomes for young people, especially youth of color. To that end, the foundation is accepting Letters of Interest for its Invest in Youth Grantmaking Program. The program supports Brooklyn-serving nonprofit organizations that are working to enable the social and economic success of young people, ages 16-24, by expanding opportunities for positive youth development and leadership, increasing educational and economic opportunities for court-involved youth, reducing school suspensions and youth arrests, and increasing access to resources and services that empower immigrant families. Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded in three areas of focus: Youth Development & Leadership, Youth Justice, and Immigrant Youth and Families. LOIs must be received no later than July 7, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by September 6, 2017. For more infomaion, visit the Brooklyn Community Foundation website.

David Bohnett and the David Bohnett Foundation are committed to improving society through social activism. The Foundation's mission is to provide funding, state-of-the-art technology and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions that, in addition to meeting the funding guidelines, share the Foundation's vision. All eligible organizations must have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation and must fit within the David Bohnett Foundation planned giving categories of: LGBT Community; CyberCenters; Gun Violence Prevention; Leadership Initiatives or Animal Language. Please also note that the David Bohnett Foundation does not accept grant applications or inquiries from individuals, film productions or organizations outside the US. The deadline to submit a letter of interest (LOI) is June 30, 2017, and the online application deadline is July 31, 2017. For more information about the qualifications and application process, please visit the David Bohnett 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.