Step it Up NYC 2016 at the Apollo Theater was a spectacular night of music, dance, social messages and community empowerment. Check out coverage from NY1; photos on DYCD’s Facebook; participant-produced social documentary shorts on YouTube; and performance clips on Instagram. A special thanks to Warner Brothers recording artist Giovanni James, whose performance can be seen on YouTube. And congratulations to all of our Step it Up NYC Finalists 2016, who put on a great show! Through Step It Up NYC, dance and step teams from across the City are showcasing their on-stage talents and raising awareness in their communities through youth-led anti-violence campaigns.

June 9 – July 28, 2016
Flatiron, Manhattan, NY
Free for all ages
June kicks off FREE kid concert season and while there are rocking family bands playing throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, Madison Square Parks’ 14th annual series is the toast of tot town. Dance, jump, clap and sing-along at the weekly interactive music series for kids, featuring an eclectic line-up of musical acts every Thursday morning at 10:00am for eight weeks. After the concerts, stick around and explore with self-guided activities organized by six Madison Square Park themes: Art in the Park, Science and Nature, Playground Adventure, Stepping Through Time, Park Patrol, and Lawn Games. For more information, visit madisonsquarepark.org.

June 16 – June 26, 2016
Various locations
Lower Manhattan, NY
Free for all ages
Each summer the River to River Festival takes over downtown Manhattan for around 10 days of free performances, exhibitions and events. Last year’s highlights included a performance by the Trisha Brown Dance Company, a site-specific work performed by Japanese artist Eiko Otake at the Fulton Center, the popular Bang on a Can Marathon and the Night at the Museums spectacular, which offered free admission to 14 neighborhood cultural institutions. Visit rivertorivernyc.com for updates on this year's participants and performers.

Sunday, June 19, 2016, 12:00pm – 4:00pm
The Museum at Eldridge Street
12 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002
Free for all ages
Celebrate the Jewish, Chinese and Puerto Rican communities of the Museum’s Lower East Side/Chinatown neighborhood at the Museum’s annual block party. What to expect? Lots of fun, including klezmer, cantorial, Peking opera, bomba and plena music; Hebrew and Chinese scribal art, yarmulke making, Chinese and Puerto Rican mask making; games of Mah Jongg; community arts and crafts; and, of course, kosher egg rolls, egg creams, empanadas and other tasty traditional foods! For more information, visit the The Museum at Eldridge Street.

Sunday, June 19, 2016 and Sunday, June 26, 2016
Red Hook & Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY
Free for all ages
Every year, SummerStage sponsors special Family Days throughout the season when kids can enjoy no-cost entertainment in NYC parks. The series kicks off in Red Hook’s Coffey Park on June 19 with live performances by DJ Rich Medina, award-winning teen rap collective RAAA (Rebellious Against All Ahead) and up-and-coming hip-hop artist Ziearre. On June 26 in Brownsville’s Betsy Head Park, catch sets by C3 Music Group, a traveling, musical ministry with a multicultural vibe; Mr. Reed and his genre-busting 10-piece band (of America’s Got Talent fame); tap by the Boots Step Team and a live DJ. Afterward, be sure to check out the park’s recently opened Imagination Playground. Visit cityparksfoundation.org for event details.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Various locations
Free for all ages
Mark the official first day of summer by hearing (or making) beautiful music. From morning to night, hundreds of no-cost concerts take place in public spaces like parks and plazas throughout the five boroughs. Some acts encourage you to bring your own instruments and join in. Be sure to check out the organization’s website for the lineup as the date gets closer, or just head out and wander around NYC with your ears open.

June 1 – June 30, 2016
Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
Free for students
Making the grade pays at this Coney Island amusement park. Throughout the entire month of June, Luna Park is giving kids with good marks free rides! Students in kindergarten through college can present their most recent report cards at guest services and receive up to 20 ride credits. Every A gets you four credits, each B, three and two per C. Please note, a few of Luna Park’s most popular attractions (the Cyclone, Thunderbolt and the B&B Carousel) still require a cash payment. On the last day of the deal, the park promises an all-out School’s Out Celebration with entertainers, live music, treats and other specials. For further details, visit lunaparknyc.com.

June 10 – July 7, 2016
Battery Park City, Manhattan, NY
Free for all ages
Kids love art they can touch, but this new public installation by Montreal-based design firm Daily tous les jours is much more interactive than that. Ten musical swings will be set up in Brookfield Place’s spacious plaza, and as children (and grown-ups) whoosh back and forth, they’ll trigger melodies played by four different instruments: piano, harp, guitar and vibraphone. The result is an ever-changing, collaborative musical play space for all ages. This piece was a huge hit when it debuted in Montreal and we expect New Yorkers will be equally smitten. Afterward, grab a bite at the recently opened Hudson Eats food court, and then explore Battery Park City, which boasts a gorgeous waterfront promenade and lots of playgrounds. The learn about the tour of The Swings: An Exercise in Musical Cooperation, visit the website.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Various locations
Free for all ages
As usual, NYC’s FREE outdoor pools open the day after public school lets out and remain available through Labor Day. Year-round indoor pools require a recreation center membership. Judging by the rising temps, kids (and their chaperons) are going to need to cool off! Check out this roundup of favorite places to take a no-cost dip but there are lots of options in all five boroughs. Most are open from 11:00am – 3:00pm and 4:00pm – 7:00pm daily, weather permitting. And before you go, be sure to read this post about public pool rules—some of them might surprise you.

The “Bee’s Fund” was created in honor of Bee Winkler Weinstein by her daughter, Dava Weinstein, and Dava’s partner, Dorothy Calvani, the Fund’s lead donors. While not a traditional scholarship, the Fund benefits young women whose own families have withdrawn emotional and often financial support because of their sexual and/or gender identity. Grants of various sizes are made to support young women in taking steps toward becoming self-sufficient in their own lives. Expenses that may be covered by a Bee’s Fund grant include: GED tutoring; work uniforms; legal name changes; college application fees; licensing and testing fees; domestic needs and vocational/technical training. Please note, the Fund does not cover direct college expenses such as tuition, books, supplies and/or equipment. Likewise, the Fund does not cover any graduate school expenses. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer women can apply to Bee’s Fund. Recipients must be between the ages of 18-25 and reside within the United States. Applications may be submitted to Stonewall Community Foundation via e-mail, postal mail, or fax. When applying, please attach a copy of any written estimate, invoice, or promotional material that verify an expense. Please visit the Fund’s website to download the application.

The Levin-Goffe Scholarship Fund was established to cover up to two years of schooling for immigrants here in New York City who identify as LGBTQI. Scholarships from this fund are intended to provide a measure of economic stability for those who stand at the intersection of marginalization that can be created by being both LGBTQI and an immigrant. Applications for the 2016 cycle are now available. Completed applications are due by noon on Wednesday, June 22, 2016. International students in the U.S. for the purpose of undergraduate study are not eligible for this scholarship. You can access the application here. For details about applicant qualifications and application process, please visit the Stonewall Foundation website.

NYCHA offers two types of scholarships to support residents as they increase their income and assets through higher education. The NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship awards a one-time $1,000 grant to eligible residents who are full-time undergraduates at a City University of New York (CUNY) college, and the Regina A. Figueroa Memorial Scholarship offers a one-time $1,000 award to eligible residents with disabilities who are enrolled in a CUNY undergraduate program. Authorized NYCHA public housing residents; full-time, enrolled undergraduate CUNY students; 30 or more credits; minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply. The application deadline is June 25, 2016. For further details, visit the NYCHA website.

The New York Ramblers Scholarship for Student Athletes was created in 2016 to support student athletes who self-identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI), or are demonstrated and committed allies. Awardees will receive a one-time scholarship, paid directly to their college, to cover tuition and fees. Up to two scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded in Summer 2016. Applications for 2016 are now available and can be accessed here. Applications are due by noon on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. For more information, please visit the Stonewall Foundation website.

Astraea’s International Fund supports groups led by LGBTQI communities working for progressive social change, addressing oppression based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression, and advancing work for racial, economic and gender justice. Astraea makes grants in the International Fund in two cycles per year. Groups are welcome to submit a letter of interest (LOI) at any time. Please note, the Astraea Foundation receives many submissions from eligible LGBTQI groups every year and submissions take up to two months to process after the submission deadline. To be considered for the December 2016 cycle, submit an LOI by July 31, 2016. To be considered for a grant, please review the criteria and priorities to make sure you are eligible. Visit the Fund’s website for more information and to download the LOI for submission.

David Bohnett and the David Bohnett Foundation are committed to improving society through social activism. The Foundation’s mission is to provide funding, state-of-the-art technology and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions that, in addition to meeting the funding guidelines, share the Foundation’s vision. All eligible organizations must have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation and must fit within the David Bohnett Foundation planned giving catagories of: LGBT Community; CyberCenters; Gun Violence Prevention; Leadership Initiatives or Animal Language. Please also note that the David Bohnett Foundation does not accept grant applications or inquires for individuals, film productions or organizations outside the US. The deadline to submit a letter of interest (LOI) is June 30, 2016 and the online application deadline is July 31, 2016. For more information about the qualifications and application process, please visit www.bohnettfoundation.org.

Looking for an afterschool program in your neighborhood? Need information on improving reading skills or finding the nearest community center? The new 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.