ICE PAC (Parent Action/Education Advocacy Committee)

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Middle school families:

As our children showed us on Wednesday, sometimes the most powerful tactic is walking out. When you (and your actions) say, "Stop! I refuse to accept the norm--things can and should be different," it can force the powers that be to stop ignoring you and sit up and take notice. 

For years concerned parents wrote letters, signed petitions, called elected officials, even boarded buses to Albany in an effort to push the state to change its high-stakes testing policies. Nothing changed. But when families initiated a mass boycott of the NY state math and ELA tests, the state finally started to tweak its testing program and has made some important changes, including forbidding holding children back solely or primarily for poor test performance. But there is still a long way to go. These tests are still used to close schools against community wishes (mostly in under-resourced communities of color). Pressure to do well on them warps instruction in too many schools (again, mostly in under-resourced communities of color). Think about this when you decide whether or not your child should participate in this system. If you decide you're out, complete this simple form on our website. (En Español) After you fill out the form and hit SUBMIT, you'll see a screen confirming that your wish to opt out has been recorded and that notification of your refusal has been emailed to administration.

This 2-minute video features a mom from Washington Heights talking about how the tests perpetuate and exacerbate the class divide. ("What separated my kids from others? Wealth and access.") Also in Spanish.

STEM Summer in the City 2018

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STEM Summer in the City, a free, five week for current 2nd - 10th graders that is engaging and a fun summer program designed around STEM - science, technology, engineering and math.  

In addition to weekly STEM challenges, involving coding & game design, developing engineering solutions and inventing with robotics, the program also includes enrichment opportunities in the Arts, Physical Education and includes trips to NYC cultural institutions.   

  • Students are accepted into this program via a lottery   
  • Program runs from July 5, 2018 to August 09, 2018 
  • Monday through Thursdays from 8:30AM - 2: 30PM  
  • Breakfast and lunch are included  
  • Free transportation is provided, depending on students’ grade level and the distance between their residence and school. Learn more about student transportation services. 

STEM Summer in the City takes place in 11 locations across the city. To learn more about these locations, click on the school names below.

Middle and High School Sites
Bronx: M.S. 390 
Brooklyn: I.S. 096 Seth Low 
Manhattan: Art and Design High School
Queens: Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School 
Queens/Far Rockaway: P.S./M.S. 183 Dr. Richard R Green (6-8) 
Staten Island: Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School

Application will open on March 16, 2018.  Please select your application from the options below.  If you have only one child that you are applying for, select the application that matches your child’s current grade (e.g. if a student is in 5th grade, choose the Elementary School application; if your child is currently in 8th grade, select the Middle School application). If you have more than one child applying for STEM Summer in the City, use the link Sibling Application. 

When completing the application, you will need your child’s OSIS number and you must select the school your child attends from the list of options presented.  Only students from these schools are able to apply at this time. 

STEM Summer in the City 2018 Applications

Applying for One ChildApplying for More than one child

My child is currently in Elementary school- Click Here
Students Currently in Grades 2-5

Sibling Application - Click Here

My child is currently in Middle or High school- Click Here
Students Currently in Grades 6-10

Applications will close on April 27, 2018

More about the applications

  • Selection will be done via a lottery.  Besides being in the specific grades for this program, students should have at least 90% attendance during the school year and not be required to attend summer school.  It is expected that if you apply to this program, you and your child are committing to attending the full five weeks over the summer. 
  • Parents will be notified of acceptance into STEM Summer in the City via email during the week of May 21, 2018 and be asked to accept the seat and to provide additional information.  If a child is accepted into this program and is then required to attend summer school, they will not be able to attend this Summer Academy program.  Parents will be notified by their child's school if they are required to attend summer school and we will also notify you in early June if we need to retract the seat.  Any seat not accepted will move to the next student on the wait list.  Parents will be provided with a wait list number if they are not initially accepted in the lottery process.   
  • Support for the online application process can be available by contacting your parent coordinator. 
  • Please note, we are not accepting paper applications for this program.  

There are a number of enrichment programs for your children this summer. Learn about more these programs by clicking on Summer Academy programs.

Sign up for Summer in the City email alerts. 

All questions about this program should be directed to SummerSTEM@schools.nyc.gov.