During the month of June, DYCD is bringing you even more virtual events to stay connected to your friends and community during this time of social distancing. This month, music, art and more is available on a screen near you. Check out the opportunities on our website, sign up for the activities that interest you, and text (347) 349-4361 to get updates directly to your phone. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to get the most up-to-date announcements via social media.

The DYCD Film Festival is the coolest student film festival in New York City. Celebrating our filmmakers of tomorrow…today, the festival offers an unparalleled experience designed specifically to promote and empower the future of film. With this year’s festival moving to a virtual format, we introduce the DYCD at Home Filmmaking Series, featuring special guests sharing filmmaking tips. To learn more about the 2020 festival and to submit one of your films, visit our official website.

With New York State Primary Day right around the corner (June 23, 2020), we’ve partnered with Democracy NYC and NYC Votes to help spread information on voting remotely. To download information on how to enter the challenge, check out our official website site. To request your absentee ballot before June 16, visit nycabsentee.com.

Dance has long been a form of self-expression, and with everything going on in our communities we are introducing our first DYCD Step It Up NYC Dance challenge. The goal is to bring us together as we prepare for the New York State primary on June 23 and help spread information about remote voting.

The Test & Trace Corps fights COVID-19 so that New Yorkers can get back to school, work and living their lives. It is a program run by the City of New York through NYC Health + Hospitals and in collaboration with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, the Taxi and Limousine Commission, and many more.

Through its robust and citywide partnerships, the Corps connects New Yorkers to free and easy testing for COVID-19. It ensures that anyone with the virus receives care, and can safely isolate to prevent the spread. To help New Yorkers navigate this process, the Corps has activated a specialized group of Contact Tracers to provide resources and support every step of the way. For more information, visit the official Test & Trace Corps website.

In response to COVID-19, remote learning and social distancing, our COMPASS team put together a collection of online resources that align with COMPASS program principals. These resources are suggested remote learning tools and should be used at your agency/individual discretion.

COMPASS: The team at Fresh Youth Initiatives collaborated on their COVID resource page, highlighting community resources specific to their neighborhood, food and COVID-19 testing access, activities and videos for young people to complete at home, and vital SEL resources for both youth and families. Also, they’ve created a virtual activity hub for youth to view, along with their remote check-ins and activities, and staff office hours.

Cornerstone: Directions for Our Youth Inc. (DFOY) at Butler and its community partners/volunteers distributed 66,500 meals to families and individuals as of today. They continue to distribute 1,000 meals per day, seven days a week. Their first NYC Food Bank distribution was a huge success. The DFOY staff, Butler Tenant Association members, MAP stakeholders, Bronx Parent Housing Network Work plus interns and volunteers aided in the distribution of 120 boxes of fresh produce. Remote staff continues to conduct wellness checks, tele-homework help, and sharing of resource information on a daily basis with program participants. We continue to supply program participants with PPE protection.

NeON Summer is a six-week remote learning summer immersion program connecting New York City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with paid learning opportunities designed to build skills to succeed in workplaces, strengthen community, and support young people and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about the program, visit the official NeON Summer website.

As we get ready for the second half of the year, we want to hear from you. Please take three minutes to submit a quick survey to tell us what kind of information you would like to see in our new bi-weekly format.

Can’t wait until our next newsletter for more great information? Follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn) where we post opportunities and resources for youth, families, and service providers daily.