The holiday season is here, which means the return of the DYCD Smiles of Love Holiday Gift Drive! The goal this year is to collect a minimum of 2,000 gifts. Thanks to the generosity of DYCD staff, our external donors, and support from our sister agencies (Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, Department of Small Business Services, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Chief Medical Examiner), we have met and exceeded that goal with a collection of over 2,500 gifts. On December 17, DYCD will culminate our 2016 holiday gift drive with distribution events in each of the five boroughs.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for media covering the distribution events.

(Photo courtesy of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.)

In recognition of National Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Prevention Month in November, the Department of Youth and Community Development hosted a conference on November 17 at the New York Law School. The national theme for Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention Month this year was Friends Helping Friends. The goal of the conference was to raise awareness of issues that vulnerable young people face, as well as to provide information, share research and findings about solutions and the role we can play to support this population toward the goal of ending youth homelessness. Additionally on November 18, the annual DYCD Open Mic event offered young people from RHY programs the opportunity to perform poetry and music in front of their peers, and a fun night of bowling was held on November 30 at Bowlmor Lanes.

For the second consecutive Thanksgiving, El Diario La Prensa profiled someone who has benefited from DYCD’s funded programs…this time a feature on Interagency Coordinating Council on Youth (ICC) member and RHY advocate Kevin Quiroz for National Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention month. Visit the DYCD Youth Connect Facebook page to view images from the Friends Helping Friends, Open Mic and Bowling Night RHY events.

2016 was a record breaking year for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The program connected 60,113 young adults with job opportunities at over 10,000 diverse worksites, including 1,538 students through Ladders for leaders, a competitive professional internship program.

For more information about the 2017 Ladders for Leaders application cycle, please contact 1-800-246-4646 or apply online now.

Download SYEP Annual Summary
Download Ladders for leaders Annual Summary

December 21, 2016
Various Locations
Free for all ages
The cold-weather edition of Make Music New York takes place on the winter solstice and features a dozen musical parades and gatherings in which participants play an integral role in creating the music. Celebrations occur across the boroughs in sites such as Brooklyn Bridge Park, the High Line, Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. Make Music Winter, now in its sixth year, is a free, outdoor musical celebration each December 21st that turns audiences into music makers. With a diverse array of talent and themes, Make Music Winter transforms New York’s cityscape with thirteen participatory musical parades on the winter solstice. To view the parade schedule visit, makemusicny.org.

Friday, December 30, 2016, 12:00pm – 3:00pm
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024
Free with museum admission
Monday, December 26 through Sunday, January 1 marks Kwanzaa, a weeklong commemoration of African heritage and culture. At this family-friendly fest hosted by Dr. Linda H. Humes, Museum festivities kick off with an international marketplace and a dynamic opening performance by students from the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music. American Idol champion Ruben Studdard ushers in a year of faith, love, and unity when he makes his Museum debut in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. Free with museum admission, vendor and food prices vary. Please visit the museum’s website for additional information.

Saturday, December 31, 2016, 11:00pm – 12:00am
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
Free for all ages
Join the Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for this annual fireworks celebration, this year with a twist! Help kick off the celebration of the Park’s 150th anniversary with more fireworks fun, live music and more. Locations for viewing the fireworks include Grand Army Plaza, the Park’s West Drive, and along Prospect Park West between Grand Army Plaza and 9th Street. Please RSVP for this free event at prospectpark.org.

Friday, January 6, 2017, 11:00am – 12:30pm
El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10029
Free for all ages
For four decades El Museo del Barrio has celebrated and promoted the Three Kings Day tradition with an annual parade. This upcoming year’s parade begins at 106th Street and Lexington Avenue and travels to Third Avenue to end at 115th Street and Park Avenue. Experience the live camels, colorful puppets, parrandas and dancing on this magical day. School groups, community members, local businesses, and families are encouraged to participate. For more information, visit elmuseo.org.

Currently on view through March 11, 2017
Metrotech Commons, Brooklyn, NY
Free for all ages
Talk about a tree grows in Brooklyn: A miniature redwood forest has sprouted at Brooklyn’s Metrotech Commons courtesy artist Spencer Finch. Partnering with the Save the Redwoods League, Finch has created a 1:100 scale version of a section of the Redwood National Park in California, complete with surrounding topography. Lost Man Creek is a miniature forest. But rather than growing naturally and of its own accord, this undulating landscape populated by some 4,000 Dawn Redwoods is a recreation. Artist Spencer Finch partnered with the Save the Redwoods League to identify a 790-acre section of the protected Redwood National Park in California. Significantly scaling down the topography and tree canopy heights, he reimagined this corner of the California forest for MetroTech at a 1:100 scale. While the original trees range from 98 to 380 feet — taller than the buildings that surround the plaza — the trees in the installation are just one to four feet in height. For more information about this public installation, visit the Public Art Fund.

Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 3:00pm
Apollo Theater
253 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027
In celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, WNYC’s annual Martin Luther King Day celebration will return to the Apollo for a special edition of the Apollo’s Uptown Hall series. The series brings together community members, leaders, scholars and activists to engage in conversation about Dr. King’s legacy and how his teachings affect us today. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer will co-host this free event. For more information, visit the apollotheater.org.

Currently on view through May 16, 2017
Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
227 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
Free for all ages
Drawing from its permanent collection, the Museum at FIT presents an exhibition that brings to light the issues of diversity within the fashion industry by celebrating black designers and models and their important contributions. Roughly 75 pieces from 60 designers will be on display, with some items dating back to the 1950s. Mid-century evening dresses by Anne Lowe and vintage 1980s pieces from Patrick Kelly are presented alongside items from current designers like Maki Oh and Charles Harbison. To learn more about the exhibit Black Fashion Designers, please visit the FIT Museum website.

The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) on behalf of the Division of Human Resource and Talent — HR School Support — and the Office of Scholarship and Incentive Programs releases this Open-Ended Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking proposals from New York State accredited graduate colleges/universities to participate in the NYCDOE’s Scholarship Program. Vendors must offer Master’s and/or Doctoral degree programs in any of or all the various areas/disciplines of Special Education and its related services. It is anticipated that no more than 20 contracts will be awarded. Services will commence in the Fall of 2017. The contract term is five years. There is no fee for this RFP. The RFP deadline is January 9, 2017 by 1:00pm. To review this Request for Proposal, please visit schools.nyc.gov.

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation partners with Youth Service America (YSA) to provide grants for youth-led service projects that engage young people in the fight against hunger on Global Youth Service Day and beyond. One in five children in America are at risk of hunger. This is a problem that can be solved, and kids are a part of the solution! Youth Service America and Sodexo Foundation are looking for 125 of the best ideas from young people about how they can help end childhood hunger in their communities. Four-hundred dollar grants are available for youth leaders ages 5–25 across the U.S. to turn their ideas into action and make an impact on the issue of childhood hunger on Global Youth Service Day — April 15–17, 2016 — and beyond. Sodexo is seeking youth-led community service projects designed to address childhood hunger. Sodexo is especially interested in projects that bring together young people, families, Sodexo employees, and other community members. Youth ages 5–25 that live in the United States are eligible to apply. Applications are due by 5:00pm on January 15, 2017. For more information, please visit ysa.org.

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that members can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans. Grant awards generally have two components: operating funds and AmeriCorps member positions. Grant award amounts vary — both in the level of operating funds and in the type and amount of AmeriCorps member positions. Unless otherwise specified, the grant generally covers a three-year project period. In approving a multi-year project period, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation. In most cases, the application is submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation funding is not guaranteed. The deadline for applications to the 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is January 18, 2017 at 5:00pm. Visit the Corporation for National and Community Service website for further details.

The Citizens Committee for New York City awards micro-grants to resident-led groups to work on community and school improvement projects throughout the city. The Committee prioritizes groups based in low income neighborhoods and Title I public schools. Past funding has enabled neighbors to come together to make healthy food available in their communities, transform empty lots into community gardens, organize tenants to advocate for better housing conditions, and start school recycling drives. Through our Neighborhood Grants, Citizens Committee awards micro-grants of up to $3,000 to resident-led groups to work on community and school projects throughout the city. The Committee prioritizes groups based in low income neighborhoods and Title I public schools. Recent awards have enabled neighbors to come together to make healthy food available in their communities, transform empty lots into community gardens, organize tenants to advocate for better housing conditions, and start school recycling drives. The deadline for this grant is January 23, 2017, 11:59pm by email, fax, or online form. Mailed applications must be postmarked by January 23. For complete grant and application details, visit citizensnyc.org.

The purpose of this scholarship is to assist financially those migrant youth who have the potential and the desire to further their education to achieve their personal and career goals. To honor a migrant farmworker student from New York State needing post-secondary scholarship assistance. Grant amounts are determined by the application screening committee on the basis of background in migrant farm-work, financial need, and potential of the youth. In addition to the completed application, each student must submit a letter of recommendation from a school, community or educational agency representative with a personal knowledge of the applicant’s character, educational commitment and financial need; a personal essay including his/her background, career, and personal goals and indicating why he/she should receive this assistance; proof that he/she has been admitted to the school chosen; and a copy of his/her current or most recent Migrant Education Program Certificate of Eligibility (COE). The deadline for this grant is April 1, 2017. Applications are available by request from the Geneseo Migrant Center. Information about obtaining an application can be found on the center’s website.

The Public Welfare Foundation supports efforts to advance justice and opportunity for people in need. The Foundation looks for strategic points where its funds can make a significant difference and improve lives through policy and system reform that results in transformative change. The Public Welfare Foundation has a two-step application process that includes both a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and a full proposal. They invite full proposals after reviewing letters of inquiry and only consider full proposals we have invited. The Foundation also only funds works that fits within three program guidelines: Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice and Workers’ Rights. The Foundation’s Criminal Justice Program supports groups that are working to end the over incarceration of adults in the U.S. while also aiming to reduce racial disparities. The Juvenile Justice Program supports groups working to end the criminalization and reliance on incarceration of youth in America. The Foundation’s Workers’ Rights Program supports policy and system reforms to improve the lives of low-wage working people, with a focus on securing their basic legal rights to safe, healthy, and fair conditions at work. Letters of inquiry are accepted throughout the year. For more infromation, please visit publicwelfare.org.

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.