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Diving Deep in the Zone is Zone 126's monthly newsletter featuring stories and highlights from across our community in Astoria and Long Island City's zip codes 11101, 11102, and 11106.
This summer is in full swing, and we are currently in the midst of both academic and enrichment programs for children and youth within the Zone. These opportunities are part of Zone 126's efforts to stop summer learning loss, "the phenomenon where young people lose academic skills over the summer, and one of the most significant causes of the achievement gap between lower and higher income youth and one of the strongest contributors to the high school dropout rate," (National Summer Learning Association) in our community.
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Summer Advantage
Children participating in the Summer Advantage hosted at PS 112Q this summer consistently gain over two months of skills in reading and math over the five-week program. Program participants enter the next school year with a new level of confidence, stronger skills and excitement about learning. This summer, 120 students from PS 76Q and PS 112Q are enrolled in the program.
Katey Ray, the Zone 126 Community School Coordinator on site to support Summer Advantage notes that the program has been going very well so far this summer. "Parents were very interested in the program from the beginning of our recruitment period. In the program, the students are having a great time as they focus on academics in the mornings and engage in creative arts activities in the afternoons. Students have also learned about how to select and prepare healthy snacks as part of their nutrition education. This past Friday morning, Summer Advantage hosted a very successful Painting in the Park event which enabled students to finger paint, sponge paint, spray paint, and use other mediums to create their own unique pieces of art work. Dr. Rivers, the Site Director, and the Summer Advantage staff will be hosting more exciting events in the weeks to come!"
For more information, read the full press release about Zone 126 + Summer Advantage in Astoria and Long Island City.
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Session 1 campers & Counselors-in-Training (CIT)
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Camp Herrlich
by Michelle Makabali, Community School Director - Long Island City HS, Zone 126
Zone 126 has recruited children and youth to attend three sessions of Camp Herrlich's 13 day sleep-away camp in Patterson, New York. We are currently in the midst of the second session, and all of our campers are having an amazing time learning and having fun in a different environment.
"It was exciting to see our 14 campers arrive on time and ready to go on their 'vacation.' With their luggage, pillows and sleeping bags in tow, the students greeted old friends and introduced themselves to new campers and left very quickly. Many family members old and young waved good-bye and look forward to their return."
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Students at the JetBlue HQ in Long Island City
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Legal Outreach
by Sanetta Ponto, Managing Director of Academic Programs, Legal Outreach
This summer, Zone 126 students in the Law & Justice Institute at CUNY School of Law have enjoyed acting as attorneys and learning about criminal law, including lessons on search and seizure and stop and frisk policies. Every morning, a guest speaker has introduced the students to new areas of practice.
Highlights have included a debate about a hypothetical case involving Kanye West and Justin Bieber led by Attorney Peter Wilson of Proskauer Rose LLP and a discussion by Attorney John Meringolo about his case representing John Gotti and his work with Muhammad Ali. Students also went on a field trip to JetBlue, where they received an overview of the company, a tour of the Long Island City Headquarters, and a few students even won free round-trip tickets for correctly answering questions.
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Summer Bridge
by Michelle Makabali, Community School Director - Long Island City HS, Zone 126
This year's Summer Bridge Program has over 125 students from the rising ninth grade class in attendance. The students are eager to make connections with new and old friends, as well as the teaching staff. They are diligently working on the coursework and are very motivated to obtain their three High School Credits.
Many parents have told me their children were the ones who were motivated to register for the program. Families have even delayed their summer plans until the program is completed on August 16th, in order to take full advantage of the program.
The Summer Bridge program for Long Island City High School students is part of the NYC Department of Education's Renewal School Summer in the City initiative.
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Cents Ability is our 23rd Implementation Partner and will start facilitating programming Fall 2016. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating and empowering high school students to achieve their goals through the prudent and informed management of their financial resources. Cents Ability's innovative and interactive financial literacy curriculum is taught in high schools and community centers throughout New York City. Cent Ability's financial literacy workshops are taught by trained volunteers, many of whom work in financial services.
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Links
- READ: The legacy of a Queensbridge Houses resident who advocated for revamp of Queensbridge Park in the New York Times.
- PARTNER SHOUTOUT: City Growers's honeybee education field trips are featured in the Smithsonian Magazine online.
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