February may be the shortest month of the year but DYCD made sure to fill it with a calendar of fun events. Click on the name of each event to check out photos on our Facebook page.

Recipe Rescue: A cooking competition that promotes healthy eating by challenging young chefs to take their family recipe and “rescue” it by making it healthier.

Step it Up Wildcard Battle: More than 100 community members joined DYCD at the Williamsburg Community Center on February 9 for the Step It Up NYC Wildcard Battle. Fifteen youth dance and step teams competed for the chance to secure a wildcard slot among this year’s top teams.

Skate Day: The 14th annual Skate Day took place on February 22, when nearly 500 NYC young people learned to skate and grabbed hot chocolate with their friends.

DYCD Mentoring Basketball: On February, 22 middle school mentoring participants across the City came together for a fun-filled day of basketball drills and healthy competition.

On March 2, hundreds of youth from across the City joined DYCD for a Day of Heroes—the culmination of the fourth annual DYCD Heroes Project comic book initiative. Elementary and middle school youth showcased their original comic books, learned from professional authors and artists, and took part in art lessons, contests, and more. Each attendee received a copy of this year’s DYCD Heroes Project, written by a group of young women from LEAP’s #TellerStrong SONYC afterschool program in the Bronx. For more on the project, visit the DYCD website.

Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the past, present and future impact of women in the United States and across the globe. From the ordinary to the extraordinary, women have been creating change and making a difference in the lives of those around them. Visit our Facebook page as throughout March we will be highlighting women of note.

Winter will soon be behind us and it’s time to plan for summer. The NYC Parks Experience Summer Day Camp program is an exciting chance for children ages six to 13 to have a fun-filled summer! Campers engage in sports, fitness, and outdoor adventures while taking part in many of New York City’s rich cultural and educational opportunities. The camp runs from July to August 23; however, lottery registration is now open. For more details and enter the lottery, visit the official Park and Recreation website.

What will you explore this summer? With STEM Matters NYC programs, students currently in grades 9 to 11 can meet and work with field experts and have real life, hands-on learning experiences this summer! Get your hands dirty in the garden, care for animals, or assist teachers during camp through our internships. Tell digital stories using Adobe or explore the history of New York while learning to code. Take a college-level biology course or become an expert on climate change.

Starting Monday, March 18, apply for one of these exciting summer opportunities at the NYC Department of Education’s Genovesi Environmental Study Center and New York City Center for Aerospace and Applied Mathematics, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and New-York Historical Society. All participants receive a daily metro card. Apply by Friday, April 5, 2019. For questions, e-mail Camps@schools.nyc.gov.

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is offering a tuition-free summer program that will run Monday through Fridays from 8:30am to 5:45pm throughout the summer. The program will operate from P.S. 189, located at 1100 East New York Avenue in Brooklyn, and participants will take field trips to the Museum and other cultural institutions across the City. For more information and to submit your application, visit the Brooklyn Children’s Museum website by Friday, March 22, 2019.

New York Drives is currently recruiting applicants for their next class which will take place in April 2019. New York Drives is a five-week full-time training program that offers professional development training and helps you earn your driver’s license so you can qualify for BWI’s “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program. If you or someone you know may be interested, visit the official New York Drives website and sign up for one of their info sessions.

Immerse yourself in Irish culture at the 20th annual St. Patrick’s Open Day at Irish Arts Center on March 10. Visitors of all ages can join in a céilí, have their faces painted, do arts and crafts, learn words as Gaeilge, try a traditional Irish instrument like the tin whistle or bodhrán—or simply grab a seat and delight in the day’s live music and dance performances. For more information, visit the Irish Arts Center’s website.

Spring is around the corner, and while it may not feel like it, you can still revel in forthcoming warm weather at the annual Macy’s Flower Show. Get ready to explore the heavenly flora and beautiful blooms in the upcoming “Journey to Paradisios.” Visitors to Macy’s Herald Square will embark on a space odyssey to a colorful paradise that’s beyond this world. The Macy’s Flower show will run from Sunday, March 24 through Sunday, April 7, 2019. For more information, visit the flower show official website.

Are you interested in a potential career in art? Lincoln Center Education invites high school students to their College + Career Fair, Sunday March 24, 2019. Attendees will learn about scholarships, ways to refine their portfolio, and much more.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Located in New York City, the Met is home to over 5,000 years of art from around the world and they are looking for high school students in the tri-state area to intern with them this summer. To apply before the April 1, 2019 deadline, visit the MET's offical website.

National Grid believes that a diverse STEM strategy should be at the forefront of their current and future workforce. With their Engineering Pipeline Program, high school students have the chance to learn more about National Grid and the engineering profession as a whole through a structured six-year program. It is a chance to translate their interest in science, technology, engineering or mathematics into a future career of their choice. If you or someone you know is interested in enrolling in the Engineering Pipeline Program, visit their official website before the April 15 deadline.

The Edward & Ellen Roche Relief Foundation was established in 1953 to support organizations serving disadvantaged women and children. Specifically, funding will be provided to nonprofits that help ensure the well-being and self-sufficiency of low-income women and their families. Recognizing the diverse array of programs that serve these populations, the Roche Relief Foundation has chosen to focus its limited resources on programs that serve the following populations:

• Unemployed or underemployed women
• Immigrants
• Victims of domestic or sexual violence

In addition, organizations providing the following will be prioritized:

• Financial assistance and counseling
• Job training and placement
• Comprehensive support services to a distinct disadvantaged population

The application deadline for the Edward & Ellen Roche Relief Foundation is June 30, 2019. Grant decisions will be made by October 31, 2019. The typical grant range is between $15,000 and $25,000. For more information, 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.