Amazing things to do for free in NYC... Check out opportunities in our local parks!

Are you only going to be in New York for a month? Why not make the most of it! Brood II cicadas love the outdoors, and at NYC Parks, we want to give all of our visitors the best outdoor experience possible! If you are a cicada reading this, please enjoy these travel tips as you come to our city. Humans are welcome to try out any of these activities as well!

1) Enjoy an Outdoor Concert
If you're a cicada, we know that there's one thing you enjoy most of all. Making noise. So while you're here, why not take in a show and see how the professionals work? With signature concert series such as SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn beginning this month, and outdoor concerts all summer, there's bound to be something for every type of fan, from the classical music loving cicada, to that cicada hip hop head among you. Just remember, when you're at a concert, keep it down.

Find a Free Summer Concert near you.

2) Most Romantic Locations in Parks
Although we're sure that you've come to New York for many reasons, we know that you probably have one thing on your mind. Why not find the best park to court your potential mate? This is your chance to be choosy! You can court your lover while looking out over New Jersey's Palisades at Fort Tryon Park, or ride the carousel together with your sweetheart at Willowbrook Park and remember what it was like when you were just a larva back in 1996.

Browse our list of Romantic Parks locations.

3) Go Birding
You know. Just for your own safety.

Learn more about Birding events.

4) Alley Pond Adventure
So maybe you can fly, but now you can find out what it's like to fly like a human does. With high-ropes courses and low-ropes courses, you can give your wings a rest and take a ride on our zip line. We suggest going on Sundays, when the adventure course is free to visitors. Sure, you don't use money, but that's no reason not to be frugal!

Visit the Alley Pond Adventure course.

5) Play Cricket
Okay, we know you're a different kind of noisy insect, but some of us thought this sounded right for you.

Join a Cricket league.

6) Meet the Rangers

You may not know them yet, but they know a lot about you! This month, Our Urban Park Rangers are going to be learning a lot about you, and hosting impromptu cicada events when they see you! Why not head to a park or a Nature Center and meet them for yourself?

Find a Nature Center near you.

7) Check Out a New Park
There are some new parks that you may have heard about, even if you've been living under a rock for the last 17 years. Now's your chance to see them! When your parents were here, the High Line was still an abandoned railway, and Brooklyn Bridge Park was just a mass of shipping piers. From Elmhurst Park in Queens, to Freshkills Park in Staten Island, to Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx, now is your chance to see something new!

Browse our List of Parks.

8) Join a Recreation Center
We know you haven't been doing much over the last 17 years, so now is the perfect time to start working out! Our recreation memberships are free to anyone 17 or younger.

Learn more about Recreation Center Membership.

9) Take a Tree Care Workshop

While you're here, you're going to be spending a lot of time in trees. Did you notice how much your real estate market has improved? We've planted over 750,000 new trees since the start of MillionTreesNYC in 2007! You can become a tree steward, and take care of your favorite tree. After all, it's practically a home repair class!

Come to a TreeLC Workshop.

10) Adventures NYC
With 29,000 acres of parks to explore, you’ll be tired by June 22, but there may be time for one last activity. So why not pack it in all at once? Stop by Central Park for a free day of outdoor adventure, including kayaking, fishing, rock climbing, paddle boarding and more! It's a great event for the whole family! Bring the whole brood!

Learn more about Adventures NYC.

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

“I read part of it all the way through.”

Samuel Goldwyn

(1882 - 1974)

Stella Adler Outreach Summer Shakespeare FREE! Due: ASAP

http://www.stellaadler.com/outreach/summer-shakespeare/

Summer Shakespeare Program

The Stella Adler Outreach Division’s Summer Shakespeare program

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM!

Who: NYC High school students who are interested in acting and who qualify as low-income. You must be enrolled and already attending high school (students that are currently attending 8^th grade are not eligible).

What: A five-week summer training program that culminates with a public performance. Twenty-four students will be selected to participate. This is a free program for qualifying students.

When: July 8 - August 9, 2013 – Five days a week
Group A: Monday through Friday from 12 noon to 2:30pm
Group B: Monday through Friday from 2:30pm to 5pm
Final Performance: Friday, August 9, 2013
Students must be available for ALL classes and performances.
Lateness and absences will not be tolerated.

Where: The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, 31 W. 27th St. (between Broadway and Sixth Ave), New York, NY

How: Enrollment by interview only. Please call the Stella Adler Studio at (212)689-0087 to schedule an interview with Tommy Demenkoff. Be sure to mention Summer Outreach when you call. This program is free and open to the public.

Select students will be invited to a callback and will be asked to perform a one-minute Shakespeare monologue.

Call back dates:
Tuesday, May 28 at 4pm
Wednesday May 29 at 4pm
Thursday, May 30 at 4pm
Friday, May 31 at 4pm

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization accredited by the National Association of Schools for Theater. 

Girls Write Now! Due: June 15, 2013

http://www.girlswritenow.org/get-involved/be-a-mentee/mentee-requirements-and-application/

Girls Write Now offers two distinct mentoring programs: the Writing Program and the Digital Writing Program. Each is designed to provide mentees with the tools and support to critically develop their writing skills and explore new modes of creative expression.

In the Writing Program, you will:

• Form a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a professional woman writer
• Attend monthly, half-day writing workshops that feature guest speakers who are published authors in all genres
• Receive college prep support
• Read your original work in a widely publicized reading series
• Publish your work in our annual, award-winning anthology

In the Digital Writing Program, you will:

• Form one-to-one mentoring relationships with New School graduate students with digital media skills
• Attend monthly, half-day digital workshops with guest speakers who are experts in new media
• Receive college prep support
• Publicly showcase your original work
• Publish your work in an annual e-anthology

It’s your turn! You are:

• A New York City girl from any of the five boroughs
• In grade 9-12 for the 2013-14 school year at a public high school
• A native or non-native English speaker with mature English writing & speaking skills
• Able to make a commitment to weekly in-person mentoring sessions, monthly Saturday workshops, and special events from September 2013 through June 2014
• Passionate about writing in any genre or savvy in new media

Questions?Email mentee@girlswritenow.org or call 212-336-9330.

Deadline extended to JUNE 15! Apply now to be a Girls Write Now mentee.

Feminist Day Camp Due ASAP

http://www.soapboxinc.com/feminist-day-camp/

At Feminist Day Camp, rising high school juniors and seniors hone their leadership skills, meet inspiring activists, and tackle the real issues that impact their lives. Each day sounds a different theme—from media to mentoring—and participants will leave recharged and ready to positively impact the future.

WHEN: June 24-28, 2013 / 9am – 3pm daily
WHERE: All around NYC!
WHO: Rising high school juniors and seniors from NYC and surrounding areas
HOW MUCH: $1000 for the week! (Program fee does not include housing)

ELLA Fellowship at Sadie Nash. Due: August 17, 20130

http://www.sadienash.org/programs_ella.htm

ABOUT ELLA FELLOWSHIP

The ELLA Fellowship Program is based on SNLP’s central philosophy that opportunities for community leadership are integral to addressing issues affecting young women. ELLA is named for social activist, Ella Baker, and stands for Engage, Learn, Lead and Act. It is also means “she” in Spanish.

This Fellowship – the only one of its kind for young women that we know of – offers a 9-month, in-depth leadership training. Fellows are supported in designing and implementing a project to address a social justice issue in a community with which they identify. Program goals are to expand young women’s understanding of leadership, to deepen their program management skills, and to enhance young women’s confidence, resourcefulness, and creativity, as well as their potential for effective community leadership.

We are currently seeking applications for the 2012-2013 ELLA Fellowship Program. The application deadline is Friday, August 17th, 2012. 

Please read through our program overview, tips sheet, and submit theapplication to Laura@sadienash.org.

Summer@theCenter architecture studio programs run Monday through Friday, 9am - 4pm at the Center for Architecture. Due: ASAP!

http://www.cfafoundation.org/summer

Architecture Camps at the Center for Architecture

Summer@theCenter architecture studio programs run Monday through Friday, 9am - 4pm at the Center for Architecture. Each week explores a different topic in architecture and design through art and building activities, walking tours, and special site visits. Students bring their own lunch daily.

Programs are for students entering 3 - 12 grade in the Fall. Classes are limited to 18 students; 10 students for Digital Design classes. Tuition is $500/week; $400 for 4-day program Aug 26 - 29.

A limited number of need-based partial scholarships are available. To apply for a scholarship, submit your Scholarship Application, proof of financial need and also register online using the links below as a  "Scholarship Applicant" by May 1, 2013.  You do not need to send in payment with your application in order to reserve your spot. Applicants will be notified by May 15 of any scholarship award. At that time, the balance of full payment will be due.

We have moved to an online registration system and are no longer accepting paper registration forms.  To register, click on the registration link listed at the end of each camp description for the particular camp you have selected. You must register for each camp week separately. On the registration site,choose your "registration level" - we accept payment by credit card and check - then follow the prompts.

Your registration includes your acceptance of our Terms & Conditions. 

June 17 - 21
DIGITAL DESIGN: INSPIRED BY NATURE: Grades 6 - 8 SOLD OUTHow can a maple leaf or ripples on water relate to the built environment? The elements of design are found throughout the natural world and have inspired architects for generations. Students will explore these ideas, then design a nature-inspired shelter using the 3-D rendering program Sketch-Up. Drawing and model-making activities will help make connections between digital and physical designs. Class is limited to 10 students to allow for individualized instruction and pacing. SketchUp is a free, downloadable program that students can continue to use at home for school or personal projects.
 

June 24 - 28
MY DREAM HOUSE: Grades 3-5 - SOLD OUT
Would your dream house be a penthouse apartment, modern beach house or a castle in the hills? Create a model of your own personal dream house or apartment in this design and model-making studio. Examples of amazing houses from around the world and local trips to unique apartments will provide ideas and inspiration, but the final design is up to you!
 

July 8 - 12 
DRAWING ARCHITECTURE: Grades 9 - 12 SOLD OUT
Develop your drawing abilities and new portfolio pieces as you get to know some amazing spaces and places in our city. Students will learn the basics of perspective drawing and free-hand sketching through lessons at the Center and sketching trips to notable buildings and sites. Topics will include techniques for showing light, shade, shadows, and rendering different building materials.
 

21st CENTURY SKYSCRAPER: Grades 6 - 8   SOLD OUT - wait list closed
Skyscrapers define a city’s skyline and New York City is no exception. Learn how to blend art and science as you design a skyscraper for 21st century NYC that incorporates “green” design ideas and a strong structural system. We will tour city skyscrapers, meet with structural engineers and look at the latest “supertall” towers being built abroad. As a final project, students create their own model skyscraper from the ground up, drawing on what they have learned.

July 15 - 19
PLAYGROUND DESIGN: Grades 3-5 - SOLD OUT
Kids are the experts in this week-long studio focusing on the design of playgrounds. We’ll visit several unique playgrounds in the city to explore their design features by playing (of course!), interviewing other users and rating their success as play spaces. Back at the Center, kids use these examples and their own imaginations to create their own unique playground designs and models.
 

UP ON A ROOF: Grades 6 - 8   SOLD OUT - wait list closed
Design your own penthouse apartment and rooftop garden in this architecture and landscape design program that will transport you to NYC’s empty rooftops. Learn about solar panels, wind turbines, urban farming and other “green” technologies that can power your apartment and help reduce pollution and global warming. Students will create a scale model of their design, complete with furnishings, interior décor and outdoor landscaping. Site visits to unique urban apartments and a working rooftop farm will provide inspiration and new ideas. 

July 22 - August 2 
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO: Grades 9-12 - SOLD OUT
High School students interested in exploring the field of architecture and developing their portfolios will get a thorough introduction to the design process in this two-week intensive studio. Students will learn how to complete a real-world design project, from site analysis and development of a design concept, to creating scale drawings and 3-D models of their designs for a final presentation. Studio class will be supplemented by visits to architectural offices and college architecture programs, architectural history lessons and design analysis activities.
 

July 29 - August 2 
BRIDGES: Grades 3-5  SOLD OUT
Bridge design and construction is one of our most popular topics. In this studio, students will explore different types of bridges firsthand by walking around, under and over some of New York’s greatest bridges. Fun model-making and sketching activities will show students how beam, truss, arch and other types of bridges work to support traffic and span great distances. Students’ final project will be to design and build their own unique bridge, incorporating their favorite bridge features.

August 5 - 9
DESIGN A CITY: Grades 3-5 SOLD OUT
What should be in a city and what kinds of things make up its built environment? Students will work together to design and build an ideal city based on their ideas about the spaces and places needed to make a city work. We’ll explore our local city neighborhood for ideas and visit a giant model of New York City on a field trip to the Queens Museum of Art. Each child will create their own city block that fits together with the others to form a large-scale model of their ideal city.
  

RAILS TO TRAILS: Grades 6-8 SOLD OUT - wait list closed
Be one of the first to design the city’s next “High Line” -- in Queens! We’ll explore the “Queensway” abandoned rail line with Friends of the Queensway and imagine how this unused elevated railway could be turned into a new city park. Students will create their own design proposals for a new Queensway Park through sketches, drawings and a 3-D model. A visit to Manhattan’s High Line and trips to other successful urban parks will provide inspiration.
 

August 12 - 16
ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY: Grades 9-12
Explore the city’s architecture from a design perspective on these one-of-a-kind tours of some of NYC’s most interesting buildings and sites. We’ll meet with architects, engineers and design professionals to get the inside scoop on design and construction issues that shape our city. Back at the Center, students will develop their own architectural designs and drawings related to the buildings and spaces we have explored.
Register for Architecture and the City

STORE DESIGN: Grades 6-8 
What kind of store would you most like to run? Whether it’s a skateboard shop, café/restaurant or fashion center, you’ll have fun creating your own architectural scale drawings and model of a storefront and store interior of your own design. Learn how designers create retail spaces that are both exciting and functional as we visit and learn from some of the city’s great retail spaces and architecture offices specializing in store design.
Register for Store Design

August 19 - 23
CHAIR DESIGN/BUILD:  Grades 9-12
Have you always wanted to design and build your own furniture? Here’s your chance! Students will explore the form and structure of well-known and contemporary chair designs through trips to SoHo design stores, then design and build their own usable, full-sized chairs out of sturdy corrugated cardboard.
Register for Chair Design/Build

August 26 - 29 (no class Friday August 30)
NEW YORK ISLAND OASIS: Grades 3-5  SOLD OUT - wait list closed
Imagine having a small island in the Hudson River all to yourself! Who and what would you bring? In this 4-day studio, you’ll design an eco-friendly home for yourself on an imaginary island in the Hudson River. We’ll visit The River Project environmental station at Pier 40 to learn about the river’s ecology and the animals that live in its waters. You’ll also learn how to create buildings and landscapes that take advantage of our climate and natural resources to make your island a “green” oasis in the city.
 

DIGITAL DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE: Grades 6 - 8 - SOLD OUT - wait list closed
How will we live in the future? Your ideas take center stage in this digital design program where you'll design a futuristic shelter using the 3-D rendering program Sketch-Up. Drawing and model-making activities will help make connections between digital and physical designs. Class is limited to 10 students to allow for individualized instruction and pacing. SketchUp is a free, downloadable program that students can continue to use at home for school or personal projects.