Did you know: Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year? If all of these young people lived in one city, it would be the fifth largest city in the United States. In New York City, DYCD funds services for Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) that include Drop-in Centers, Crisis Shelters, Transitional Independent Living programs, and Street Outreach and Referral Services. For more information on these RHY services, call Youth Connect at 1-800-246-4646.

On October 26, DYCD observed Lights on Afterschool with the students and staff at PS 6 Norma Adams Clemons Academy in Brooklyn, one of 11 new Beacon sites added this year. Joining in on the fun were Deputy Mayor Richard Buery, DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong, Council Member Mathieu Eugene, and representatives from Medgar Evers/CUNY, which operates the Beacon. There are now a total of 91 Beacon Community Centers located throughout the five boroughs, operating in the afternoons and evenings, on weekends, during school holidays and vacation periods, and the summer. More photos can be found at DYCD’s Facebook page here.

This pre–Turkey Day ritual, held near the American Museum of Natural History, has become almost as crowded as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Taking place on Wednesday, November 22, inflation will occur between 3:00pm and 10:00pm. Click here for a guide to the event.

If you are in New York City for Thanksgiving, you do not want to miss the 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 23. A New York staple, this parade is one of the most famous holiday events in the world. Millions line the streets of Manhattan to watch celebrities, Broadway performers, clowns, marching bands, floats (notably Santa himself, riding his reindeer-powered sleigh) and the true headliners of the day: the all-star roster of floating balloons. Click here for all the information.

Enjoy New York City’s holiday lighting ceremonies! Live entertainment, caroling, and pictures with Santa are all in store for you this holiday season in NYC:

On Monday, November 27, 2017 the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District and presenting sponsor, Time Warner, Inc., will host the Eighteenth Annual Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square – New York’s largest holiday festival! Join legendary artists, up-and-coming musicians, dancers, street performers and more as they welcome the holiday season and light up the Upper West Side with an evening of music, food, dancing and fun for everyone.

The Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting has been one of New York City’s most celebrated events for over 80 years, and a worldwide symbol of the NYC holiday season. This year, the 2017 tree will be lit for the first time on Wednesday, November 29 at Rockefeller Plaza. After being lit, the tree will remain on display on the plaza between West 48th and 51st Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues until 9:00pm on January 7, 2018.

The tradition of lighting trees on Park Avenue began seventy years ago when several Park Avenue families wanted a special way to honor those men and women who died in World War II. Today the illuminated trees – which appear on the Park Avenue Malls between 54th and 97th Streets – remain a symbol of peace and a reminder of the sacrifices made to attain it. This year the tree will be lit on Sunday, December 3, at 6:30pm, following a ceremony outside the Brick Presbyterian Church (Park Avenue & 91st Street) that serves as a reminder of the original meaning of the lights and a celebration of the holiday season. For event details, click here.

BoardServeNYC trains individuals to become effective board members and connects them to local nonprofits interested in strengthening their boards. The initiative utilizes a variety of methods to facilitate matches between trained candidates and trained nonprofits, including bimonthly board fairs. In 2015, BoardServeNYC provided 125 volunteers with comprehensive board service training and 35 nonprofits with workshops designed to help them effectively recruit, engage and utilize new board members. This effort resulted in 15 trained volunteers being placed on nonprofit boards. Click here for more information.

North Star Fund is New York City’s community foundation working to create a more just and equitable city. The purpose of the Rapid Response Grant is to support organizing and activism responding to urgent threats or breaking opportunities for needs that could not have otherwise been anticipated. This grant is designed to support successful applicants to achieve a specific outcome within 3-6 months. Organizations may receive only one rapid response grant per year. For full details, click here.

Each year the New York Women in Communications Foundation, the charitable arm of New York Women in Communications, awards 15-20 scholarships to graduating high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students who intend to pursue or further a career in communications. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, need and a demonstrated commitment to the field of communications. New York Women in Communications is committed to inclusion and diversity. Scholarships are generally in the amounts of $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000. Application open on Saturday, November 18. For more information, click here. In addition to their general scholarships, they offer sponsored scholarship with specific qualifications.

Breakthrough New York (BTNY) is currently seeking exceptional 6th grade students to select the next cohort of 100 students to become the Class of 2028! Breakthrough New York transforms the lives of talented kids from low-income backgrounds by providing free educational support from middle school through college into careers and inspires talented young people to enter careers in education through their students-teaching-students model. The deadline to complete the 2018 student application and join the Breakthrough New York class of 2028 is December 1, 2017.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs announces its fifth annual International Student Photography Contest. The topic for this year’s photo contest is Climate Change. The contest will be conducted on Carnegie Council’s Global Ethics Network, their social media platform for exploring the role of ethics in international relations. Check out previous winners on this theme, and click here for details on how to participate. Deadline: December 31, 2017.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs announces its ninth annual International Essay Contest; open to teachers and students anywhere in the world. From climate change, to refugees, to terrorism, many of the greatest problems facing us in the 21st century transcend national borders. All involve ethical issues, such as fairness, rights, and responsibilities. In your opinion, what is the world's greatest challenge, and how does it affect your local community and/or the world? What are the ethical issues involved and how can we work together to overcome this problem? Deadline: December 31, 2017. For more information, click here.

Citizens Committee for New York City awards micro-grants of up to $3,000 to resident-led groups to work on community and school improvement projects throughout the city. They prioritize groups based in low income neighborhoods and Title I public schools. Neighborhood Grants fund everything from arts programs to tenant organizing to community gardens. Check out past grantees to get inspiration and ideas; these grants are for unstaffed, volunteer-led projects that address issues which communities deem important to them. Attend a grant information session to learn about the application process and have your questions answered. Visit their website for a list of information sessions. Applications are due January 22, 2018.

Ascend Educational Fund (AEF) awards scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to immigrant students and children of immigrants who are graduating from a New York City high school to attend public or private colleges and universities, regardless of ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status. Applicants must have been born outside the United States or both parents born outside of the United States. Click here for more information.

Roothbert Fund scholarships are open to all in the United States regardless of sex, age, color, nationality or religious background. While the Fund does not emphasize any particular form of religious practice or worship, it seeks to provide support to persons motivated by spiritual values. The Fund has awarded grants to persons entering a wide range of careers. However, preference will be given to those who can satisfy high scholastic requirements and are considering careers in education. Applications are due on February 1, 2018; click here to sign up.

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.