Mayor Eric Adams' Community Op-Ed: Summer Rising: A Free Program for Grades K Through 8

Summer is a great time for children, but it’s a challenging time for working parents. No parent wants to leave their child at home if they don’t have family or trusted friends to look after them. Learning loss also happens over the summer. Studies have shown that during the summer students can lose about 40% of what they have learned during the school year. Summer Rising—a free program for New York City public school students in Grades K through 8—provides a safe, fun, and enriching alternative.

Summer Rising includes a full day (8am to 6pm) of in-person academics combined with social-emotional learning, art activities, field trips, and sports. Last summer, students participated in a variety of programs including “World Explorer,” which focused on the food, language, and culture of different countries. They played ping pong and kickball; took part in nutrition classes and learned to cook with fresh vegetables; they went on trips to the Bronx Zoo, the Aquarium, Lincoln Center, NY Liberty basketball games, and visited the BioBus.

The Summer Rising session runs from July 5th to August 18th for students in Grades K-5, and from July 5th to August 11th for students in Grades 6-8. Students receive breakfast, lunch, and a snack, and students with disabilities receive the supports they need. Priority for the 110,000 Summer Rising seats will be given to students in temporary housing, foster care, and with 12-month IEP.

You can enroll your child now at: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer/grades-k-8

The deadline to apply is May 1st, and you will find out whether your child has received a seat via email about a week afterward.

I cannot emphasize how important it is for our young New Yorkers to be in a safe environment learning and socializing with their friends, and experiencing the attractions of our city, instead of sitting at home and surfing the internet. Summer Rising makes that possible—and our city offers it at no cost to you. As the child of a mother who had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, I wish I had a program like Summer Rising to keep me and my siblings learning and engaged.

I hope you will apply, and please spread the information to other parents you think will be interested in this wonderful opportunity.

And if your child was born in 2020 and lives in New York City, they are eligible to attend one of our city’s free 3-K programs this Fall. You can apply now at www.myschools.nyc