Update: "Additional programs are opening every week across the City to provide supervised learning and enrichment activities for young people who can’t be at home or in school. We will continue adding seats on a rolling basis throughout the fall, eventually reaching 100,000 young people by December,” Mark Zustovich, spokesman, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) said. As of the week of Oct 12, 18,515 students on the roster for all Learning Bridges programming, including early childhood and K-8. Seats are being added every week, and the NYC DOE expects to serve 100,000 children by December. You can learn more online.
Earlier this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City will provide free daycare to 100,000 students this forthcoming school year.
Now, it appears the wheels are in motion: The new Learning Bridges Program is expected to begin on a rolling basis at the start of the fall 2020 term. Local community organizations will host students in 3-K through 8th grade on the days they are learning remotely. The program plans to incorporate age-appropriate activities into the schedule and adhere to strict safety measures similar to what is in place throughout city schools.
Even if children's fall schedules are up in the air, the NYC DOE still encourages parents to fill out this Learning Bridges survey, which questions them about their location, their children's school, the potential learning model their kids will follow, and so on. It also covers personal information, including whether or not the children's legal guardians are a member of the DOE staff or if the family is currently residing in a shelter. It is not intended to be a formal application, rather a chance to gauge families' interest. More information about potential placement will be revealed in the coming weeks, according to NYC Schools.
Have questions about this back-to-school season? The DOE's final virtual information session will take place this Thursday. Don't forget to enjoy the last of the vacation: Check off these summer activities for kids while you still can.
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