Summer Rising 2023 is a partnership between New York City Public Schools and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). Summer Rising is free and available to all NYC students in grades K-8, pending seat availability. Beginning April 17, families can visit this webpage to apply for a Summer Rising seat.

Students in Summer Rising will have access to both academic and enrichment programming over the course of the day, including field trips, arts activities, and outdoor recreation

. Programs will be full-day, in-person, and planned and operated collaboratively by school principals and community-based organizations (CBOs). The environment will be safe and supportive with staff prepared to respond to children’s social and emotional needs. Breakfast, lunch, and snack will be served. 

A typical day for students in grades K–8 will include a mix of academic support, social emotional learning, and enrichment activities. Academics will be provided by licensed teachers in the morning. Enrichment activities (such as art, sports, and play) will be led by CBO staff in the afternoons and on Fridays. CBOs will also facilitate enrichment in the morning, alongside academics, for K-5 programs. Students with disabilities who may require additional supports to participate in programming, such as a paraprofessional, will receive those supports as needed.

Multilingual learners/English language learners (MLs/ELLs) in grades K-8 participating in Summer Rising will engage in culturally responsive and student-centered academic opportunities in the morning and participate in afternoon enrichment sessions facilitated by trusted community-based organizations. Additionally, in the morning, MLs/ELLs will receive instruction targeting language and literacy development to support them with grade-level content. English as a New Language (ENL) teachers can provide MLs/ELLs with support through various instructional models, including small-group instruction or one-to-one support for MLs/ELLs. 

This summer, NYC Public Schools and DYCD have revised our enrollment approach based on feedback from families, CBOs, and schools. Our goal is to make Summer Rising enrollment more equitable, inclusive, and family-friendly. We know there is high demand for summer programming, and we are eager to provide Summer Rising to as many families as possible. This year’s enrollment process will:

• Prioritize students mandated for summer school for academic reasons, Students in Temporary Housing and Students in Foster Care, students in 12-month IEP programs, and students with a local connection to the school-year CBO program or school community
• Provide an application window during which families can take the time to sign up; families will not be advantaged or penalized based on when they apply, as long as it is within that window
• Utilize an application portal, so families can apply from a cell phone or any internet-connected device in a matter of minutes
• Allow families to rank multiple options in the application portal, so they are more likely to receive a seat in summer programming
• Allow families to update/change their enrollment preferences and/or withdraw their application during the enrollment window 

Please note, this year will not be a first-come, first-served approach. Families will rank multiple program preferences within the application window (April 17-May 1) and then will be assigned to a program, pending seat availability, using the prioritization described above.

Enrollment Eligibility: Any student attending school in NYC, who is currently in grades K-8 (in the 2022-2023 school year) is eligible for Summer Rising. Charter students, nonpublic school students, and homeschool students in NYC are also eligible. 

Enrollment Process

Step 1 - Application

On April 17, the link to the application portal will be posted on this webpage (nyc.gov/SummerRising(Open external link)). The application window will close on May 1. During this window, Parent Coordinators will be available to support families with their application, especially families who may not have access to the internet. Families can also reach out to their school, Summer Rising CBOs, or the summer email inbox (summer@schools.nyc.gov) with any questions. Please review these important application details: 

• For each child they’d like to enroll, families will select a building, and a CBO program within that building, serving their student’s grade band (either K-5 or 6-8). Current fifth graders can apply to K-5 programs or 6-8 programs.
• Families who speak languages other than English can use the translation widget on the top of the screen to translate the application. Their confirmation email will also be translated.
• Families should rank as many program options as possible to increase the likelihood of being placed in a program of their choice. They can choose any program or summer location that displays in the application portal.
• Families who submit an application and then would like to make updates to their preferences or withdraw their application can do so using the link included in their application confirmation email. Changes and withdrawals can only be done during the application window. When a change is submitted, the most recent application will entirely overwrite any prior versions.
• Families should have their child’s 9-digit NYC student ID/OSIS on hand when enrolling. All New York City students, including charter school and nonpublic school students, have an ID number. Families can find this ID number on their student’s report card, in their NYC Schools Account, and on most official documents from their school. They can also contact their child’s school for support.
• For students in 12-month IEP programs (ASD, ESY, and D75), please see the instructions in the Students with Disabilities section about using the application portal. 

Step 2 - Placement

Approximately a week after the application window closes, families will receive an email confirming their placement in a Summer Rising program, pending seat availability. Please review these important placement details: 

• We will not be maintaining centrally managed waitlists. However, families can reach out to a CBO program if they would like to be notified if a seat opens up later on in the spring.
• The only other action families will need to take prior to summer is to complete the DYCD Supplemental Forms provided by their CBO.
• Please note, if a student enrolls in Summer Rising through this process and then is later mandated for summer school (in late May or early June), they will need to attend Summer Rising at the site affiliated with their home school. We will notify families if their child’s site needs to change as a result.