Many New York City museums, institutes, colleges, and non-profit organizations offer free and low cost programs to New York City kids. Their programs provide extra support to high achieving students and struggling students, students who have a passion for a particular subject, or students who are so excited about school that they want to study on Saturdays. And for even more listings, see our page on after school programs.

On this page: High School and College Prep | Arts | Math/Science | Essay Contests | History, Politics, and Journalism | Homework Help | Environmental Studies

High school and college prep

A Better Chance (ABC) places top middle and high school students of color in highly ranked independent day schools, boarding schools, and public schools. Students with at least a B+ average who are ranked in the top 10 percent of their class are eligible. Candidates must apply one year in advance.

Breakthrough New York at the Town School is a tuition-free, year-round enrichment program for highly-motivated middle school students with limited educational opportunities. There is a two-year commitment, including a rigorous academic summer program and enrichment classes, museum trips, mentoring, and high school placement guidance throughout the school year.

The Center for Leadership and College Preparation, affiliated with the Bank Street College of Education, offers educational opportunities both to high achieving students and to struggling students. The program serves kids in 5th through 12th grades, giving them access to a wide range of academic resources, college prep classes, counseling, mentoring, and activities, as well as individual attention and support. Students are admitted in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades.

College Now is designed to prepare New York City's public high school students for college. In most cases, a public high school teams up with one or more of the 17 City University of New York (CUNY) colleges. The program offers eligible students a number of ways to improve their high school performance and get a head start on college. College Now offers academic courses, campus-based tours and cultural events, and scholarships.

The Development School for Youth introduces students to the worlds of finance, culture, communications and other leading industries through a series of 16 weekly workshops led by senior executives from some of New York City's leading corporations and law firms. Students, who must be at least 16, also learn public speaking, how to dress for success, and how to write a resume. All students who graduate from the program are placed in paid summer internships provided by sponsoring companies.

The Double Discovery Center at Columbia University houses two educational programs serving low-income and first generation college-bound students: Talent Search, is a career and college counseling program for students in 7^th through 12^th grade, and Upward Bound, is an intensive, year-round college preparatory program for high school students who have been underperforming. New applicants to Upward Bound must be in the 9th or 10th grade.

Harlem Education Activities Fund (HEAF) offers intensive academic enrichment courses, test preparation and social and personal development activities for students after school, on Saturdays, and during the summer. The goal is to assist college-bound students from educationally and/or economically disadvantaged communities in developing intellectual and life skills. Programs are specific to middle school and high school aged students.

Monroe College Jumpstart allows high school juniors and seniors to earn three college credits for free. In a 15-week course, the students study with professors in a college setting and earn credits. Courses are offered in accounting, business, criminal justice, culinary arts, allied health professions, hotel and restaurant management, marketing, web design, and information technology. Students who complete the program are eligible for freshman scholarships if they choose to matriculate to Monroe for college, and the credits are transferable for students who go elsewhere.

The Posse Foundation identifies, recruits, and trains student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams called "posses." These teams are then prepared, through an eight-month pre-collegiate training program, for enrollment at top-tier universities and colleges nationwide. The Posse Program has placed 1,850 students into colleges and universities during the past two decades.

Prep for Prep, a non-profit group, helps high-achieving minority students attend top colleges, including Ivy League schools. There are programs for 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th grade black, Latino, and Asian students. The program includes a seven-week summer session and weekly Wednesday and Saturday classes.

REACHPrep recruits academically talented black and Latino 4^th grade students from the Bronx (and Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and prepares them for 5^th and 6^th grade admissions to competitive college preparatory independent schools in New York and Connecticut. Their goal is to comprehensively support students who want to be the first in their family to graduate from college. Only 20 students are admitted each year.

Summer on the Hill at Horace Mann is an enrichment program for academically talented public school students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Students start in the second grade and continue until placed in high school, participating in Saturday morning classes during the school year and a six-week summer session. They study language arts, math, and science and learn study skills. Summer programs include fine arts, recreation and an overnight trip to the John Dorr Nature Laboratory in Connecticut. Summer on the Hill continues to offer support through 12th grade.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) works with motivated youth to help them develop throughout high school, college and their careers. The organization provides services through three major programs: the Career Program, the Scholars Program, and Alumni and Philanthropy Programs.

Teak Fellows supports students seeking to gain admissions to top high schools and colleges. Students who are citizens or permanent residents, have proof of financial need, and have scored above 90 percent on tests and in class may apply by October of their 7^th grade year. The program runs from the summer after 7^th grade until college placement. Only 25 students are accepted each year.

United Neighborhood Houses has a complete list of neighborhood houses and community centers in New York City, many of which offer college counseling.

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Arts

Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and its regional affiliates reach out to schools across the nation to identify accomplished artists and writers in grades 7 through 12^. About 1000 students earn national awards, including more than $1.5 million dollars in scholarships. Student work is exhibited, published and presented to a national audience.

All Stars Project, Inc runs two 16-week programs for older students interested in leadership roles in the arts. Youth on Stage offers opportunities for students to create and perform in plays. The Production of Youth by Youth, also 16-weeks, shows students the world of producing culture through theater, television, museum, and other cultural events. There are behind the scenes visits and lectures, and a culminating project that produces a cultural forum and unpaid summer internships.

Cool Culture provides families who fall under federal poverty guidelines with a Family Pass, that provides free entry to more than 71 museums, botanical gardens, and zoos, and a subscription to Family Time, a quarterly borough-by-borough listing of cultural attractions, as well as a calendar of events geared toward families and young children.

Cooper-Hewitt's Lehman Scholars program for high school students in 11^th and 12^th grades introduces students to the fundamentals of design through hands on workshops and internships with design professionals. The program includes portfolio reviews, studio visits, and college visits to local and out-of-state schools. Juniors receive a stipend of $750 and seniors receive a stipend of $1,500.

The CUNY Creative Arts Team (CAT) Youth Theatre creates original productions from the ideas of its young members. They aim to amplify the collective voice of the group while creating social and culturally relevant theatre of the highest possible standard.

Free Arts NYC uses painting, dance, drama, writing, music, sculpture, photography, and other creative outlets to help children express themselves and gain confidence and self-esteem through Free Arts Days, Weekly Mentor Program, Parents and Children Together with Art (PACT), and Cultural Enrichment Opportunities.

High Five is dedicated to making the arts affordable for teens by offering $5 tickets to hundreds of dance, music, theater, film, museum, and spoken word events. Its Teen Reviewers and Critics Program (TRaC) includes weekly seminars and attendance at performances where kids learn how to evaluate and write about what they see.

Manhattan School of Music Summer Camp is free to New York City public school students completing 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade who demonstrate musical potential. The camp is a joint project with the New York City Department of Education.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers students a program of free classes held after school and on weekends. Both middle school and high school students study original works of art with museum instructors. Seniors attending New York City high schools may apply for a paid Saturday internship. Interns work behind the scenes, meet members of the museum staff, and participate in gallery, studio, and museum learning projects.

MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) offers several programs for high schools students: MoMA After School encourages high school students' active engagement with works of modern and contemporary art. Students participate in studio projects, conversations, and debates with peers and museum staff, while learning about careers and practices within the visual arts. All programs are free, and MoMA provides the supplies and materials. In the Making: Summer at MoMA is a six week summer art-making program for high school students. Students participate in studio activities as well as conversations with artists and MoMA staff, field trips special tours of the museum's collection, writing exercises, and art instruction by MoMA educators. Student artwork is shown in a small culminating exhibit. Tenth through 12^th graders may apply, and there is no need for previous art experience. The MoMA high school summer internship is a six-week paid program that exposes high school students to museum work and practical job skills. In addition to their work in a museum department, students attend lectures by museum staff and visit other arts organizations. There is limited space, with preference to students who have prior museum or administrative experience. Open to students of New York City public high schools who will be entering eleventh or twelfth grade in fall or who have recently graduated.

New York Pops Orchestra gives free Saturday music lessons to talented students. In addition, the orchestra invites students to its rehearsals at Carnegie Hall and offers an opportunity for students to speak with the conductor and musicians.

NYC Kids Arts, sponsored by the Alliance for the Arts, lists arts and cultural activities available to kids and families, including many neighborhood institutions, after school activities and more..

The Summer Arts Institute is a tuition-free, intensive, four-week arts program for New York City public school students entering 8^th-12^th grade held at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. Students major in dance, theater, vocal music, instrumental music, visual art, film, or photography. Admission is by application and audition.

Urban Word provides free and uncensored writing and performance opportunities to youth in all five boroughs of New York City. The workshops are designed to develop critical thinking skills, leadership, and to ignite a personal commitment to growth and learning which leads to heightened in-school performance and a greater interest in pursuing higher education.

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Math/Science

The American Museum for Natural History offers more than 40 free after-school courses for high school students. Topics range from space exploration to the microscopic world of DNA and include classes in biodiversity, earth science, anthropology, genetics, and astronomy. Each course lasts for a five-week session and classes, which are held once or twice a week, usually include a field trip. The museum also offers scholarships and other programs for New York City students.

The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a highly selective program for high school students with exceptional talent in math and science. Acceptance is based upon recommendations, grades, and a three-hour examination. Students attend Saturday morning classes at Columbia throughout the academic year. Instructors are math and science researchers at the university.

Cooper Union Research Internship allows high school sophomores and juniors to work in teams on applied research projects guided by Cooper Union undergraduate teaching assistants and mentored by faculty. The program covers civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical, biomedical, and environmental engineering and mathematics, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. There are lectures, discussions and a series of workshops on oral presentations, technical writing, career choices, and college admissions. Each group presents its work to an invited audience. Sophomores may also elect to participate in a second internship at the end of their junior year.

ExploraVision encourages kids to create and explore a vision of future technology. Students work in small groups simulating research and development teams, along with a team coach and an optional mentor. Students compete in regional competitions and the top 24 teams go to a national competition. Prizes include up to $10,000 in savings bonds.

Goddard Summer Institute of Robotics (SIR), for 9^th to 12^th grade high school students, is a two-week residential program at Morgan State University in Baltimore and is hosted in conjunction with NASA. SIR explores the science and technology of robot design and operation and is for urban high school students with an interest in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Goddard Space Flight Center High School Internships offer a variety of opportunities for high school students, including recent graduates, at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland or at their other locations, including the New York City Research Initiative.

Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP) at Weill Cornell Medical College exposes high school sophomores and juniors to science-related activities. HPREP also teaches students about specific career fields and the steps needed to become a physician or other health care provider. The ten-week program for 10^th and 11^th grade high school students features lectures by physicians, health care professionals, and medical students from minority groups and small group workshops. Participants are also required to submit a short research paper on a pre-approved subject at the conclusion of the program.

The High School Student Internship Program at Cornell University immerses rising high school juniors and seniors in the new field of nanobiotechnology through a four-week summer experience on the Cornell campus in upstate New York. Students actively participate in designing and fabricating devices through teamwork with other high school students and college students. Accepted students will receive room, board and travel expenses up to $500.

Math and Science for Minority Students (MS)² is a summer program in Andover, MA at the Phillips Academy preparatory school. Open to black, Latino and Native American students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the (MS)² program spans three consecutive summers. Students apply in 9^th grade and begin the program the following summer. The program helps put students on track for possible careers in engineering, science, medicine, computer technology and other technical fields.

MITES (Minority Introduction to Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Science) is a rigorous six-week residential, academic enrichment summer program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for promising high school juniors. This program stresses the value of pursuing advanced technical degrees and careers. Members of all races and ethnicities are considered but priority is given to students who must overcome significant odds to pursue their dream of becoming an engineer or scientist.

NASA PREP, a six-week program held at Capitol College in Maryland, is designed to strengthen the academic, study, and interpersonal skills of minority students interested in astronautical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering or software engineering. The program includes field trips to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and cultural trips to Baltimore and Washington, DC. Admission is limited to eight high school juniors and seniors, with preference to graduating seniors. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have completed two years of algebra, one year of trigonometry and three years of a laboratory science, have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 and at least a 500 in the math section of the SAT. Students who complete the program may qualify for a scholarship to Capitol College.

New York Hall of Science in Queens offers free admission September through June on Fridays from 2-5 pm and Sundays from 10-11 am.

The New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF) is the city's largest high school research competition. Each year, more than 1,000 high school students from New York City present their research projects to a panel of judges and compete for a variety of prizes. The NYCSEF is an Intel International Science and Engineering Fair-affiliated regional fair.

Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) is a Saturday Discovery program that helps 9^th to 12^th graders in math, science, and technology. Students explore math, science and technology careers; visit college campuses; and prepare and present reports of scientific explorations. Many colleges and universities throughout the city and state host a STEP program, often with their own particular area of focus, and students apply separately to each program. STEP is funded by the New York State Department of Education, and parents are expected to attend at least four meetings during the year and are welcome to attend trips. The program begins in October and ends in May.

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Essay contests

Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and its regional affiliates reach out to schools across the nation to identify accomplished artists and writers in grades 7 through 12. About 1000 students earn national awards, including more than $1.5 million dollars in scholarships. Student work is exhibited, published and presented to a national audience.

Creative Communication sponsors essay and poetry writing contests for students in grades 4-12. Students compete against their peers in both age and location and winners share over $70,000 in prizes. Selected entries are published in a hard-bound anthology.

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest looks for original essays written by high school students about an elected official who has demonstrated political courage by choosing to do what is right rather than what is expedient. Winning essayists receive awards totaling up to $8,500. The first-place winner is invited to accept the award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. To encourage student leadership and civic engagement, the nominating teacher of the first-place winner receives a John F. Kennedy Public Service Grant for $500.

The National Peace Essay Contest promotes serious discussion among high school students, teachers, and national leaders about international peace and conflict resolution. Contest topics range from national to international conflicts. College scholarship awards of $1,000 are granted to a winner in each state and the writers of the top three essays nationally will receive scholarships of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 respectively. All state winners are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. for the awards ceremony.

The United Nations of the USA National High School Essay Contest solicits essays from high school students on a different topic each year related to the international work of the United Nations. Students research the topic, form their own views and opinions and write an essay in response to the question. First prize is a $3,000 award and airfare and accommodations to the awards ceremony at the United Nations headquarters.

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History, Politics, and Journalism

Children's Press Line produces journalistic stories created by students ages 8 to 18. Students act as a reporters and editors and learn to conduct research, interview, and edit.

The Educational Video Center offers several documentary film programs for New York City public high school students. These projects are academically rigorous and socially relevant, geared to impact not just the students but also their communities.

HarlemLive is award winning, critically acclaimed web magazine produced by teens from throughout New York City. It is a journalism, technology, and leadership program that teaches students ages 13 to 21 how to run an online newspaper. The publication includes news articles, investigative stories, opinion pieces, personal essays, poetry, photography and video documentaries. The students organize events, conduct workshops and sit on panels, increasing their networking and public speaking abilities.

Model New York City Council gives high school students the opportunity to step into the shoes of a New York City Councilperson and experience city government from the inside. During four intensive Saturday sessions, CUNY faculty mentors will guide students through the ins and outs of political representation, the legislative process and what it means to be an active member of city government. The students then put their knowledge and experience to use as they debate and vote on a piece of legislation during a "stated meeting" in the Council's actual chambers in City Hall. This is a College Now program, so students must first apply to College Now.

The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) is modeled after similar Linguistics Olympiads held in Eastern Europe. In these events middle school and high school age students learn to solve linguistic problems from dozens of the world's languages. In solving the problems, students learn about the richness and diversity of language, while exercising natural logic and reasoning skills. No prior knowledge of particular languages or of linguistics is necessary.

Schomburg Center's Junior Scholars Program for ages 11-17 offers a Saturday school geared toward students of African descent. Its primary goal is to ground young people in the histories and cultures of the African Diaspora. The program is an intensive, 26-week series of Saturday sessions, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Junior Scholars have access to resources at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. For applications or more information contact Deirdre Hollman at (212) 491-2234.

Teens Take the City is a program of the YMCA of Greater New York through which 500 teens from all backgrounds get involved in local government, civics, and politics. The program is partly supported by the New York City Council, and each council member can nominate five students to participate.

The United Nations Association of the United States offers part and full-time internships. Interns must have a strong interest in international affairs, good writing and research skills, and extensive knowledge of the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. Interns are often able to attend various United Nations meetings, briefings, and special events.

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Homework help

The Boy's Club of New York charges boys ages 6 to 20 less than a dollar a year to participate in computer classes, attend summer camp, get homework help, and receive dental services(!). The club has three locations: one in Flushing (Queens) and two in Manhattan.

HomeworkNYC.org is a website run by the public libraries. The site is designed specifically to helps students in grades K-12^th in every area of the New York City school curriculum and offers live, online assistance. Students and parents can also search for information on a varity of topics. The library site is also affiliated with the teacher's union Dial-A-Teacher, a helpline that allows students and parents to be able to talk directly with a city teacher Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 pm: (212) 777-3380.

The Liberty Leaders program at Bank Street College provides support to 5^th to 12^th graders six days a week for 11 months. Students have access to a wide range of academic resources, college prep classes, counseling, and enrichment activities.

Also see our page about after-school programs.

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Environmental Studies

The Garden Apprentice Program at Brooklyn Botanic Garden provides students in grades 8 through 12 with training and volunteer placements focused on gardening, environmental issues, science, leadership, and career skills. Apprentices become an important part of the garden's education department.

The New York Botanical Garden's Explainer Program accepts middle and high school students between the ages of 13 and 17 who want to learn about plants, nature, and science and who enjoy the outdoors. The program offers the opportunity to learn about plants, develop new skills, and receive personal mentoring. Explainers also help younger children who visit the Everett Children's Adventure Garden.

MillionTreesNYC: Students and families can participate in citywide volunteer tree planting and tree care workshops. The program is a public-private initiative launched by the City of New York Parks Department and New York Restoration Project with the goal of planting one million new trees across all five boroughs over the next decade. To find out more visit http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/programs/toolkit.shtml.

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