July 2024

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you're having a fantastic summer filled with relaxation and fun! As schools and communities gear up for the upcoming school year, they're also busy providing enriching programs to help students learn, explore, and grow during the summer break. I invite you to check out the newsletter below for details on statewide summer programs and other valuable resources from the New York State Education Department (NYSED). 



Sincerely,

Betty A. Rosa

Commissioner

The 2024 Summer Food Service Program, which provides free meals to approximately 400,000 young people, kicked off this month at nearly 2,500 sites statewide. It is anticipated that more than 20 million nutritious meals will be served to New York State’s children this summer.

There are several tools available to help find the site nearest you:

• The Summer Meals Finder is an interactive map that allows you to search for meal locations by address, city, or zip code. Families can find directions to nearby meal sites, as well as their hours of operation and contact information. Locations and service times are updated throughout the summer.
• Text “Food” or “Comida” to 304-304
• Call:
• USDA National Hunger Hotline 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-3-HAMBRE
• Dial 211 in New York State
• 311 in New York City

More information about NYSED’s administration of the Summer Food Service Program is available on the Department’s website.

NYSED has partnered with TEACH to launch TeachNY.org, a new digitally powered recruitment platform developed in collaboration with a wide coalition of New York schools, districts, institutions of higher education, and education organizations. The mission of TEACH New York (TeachNY) is to identify and cultivate the next generation of teachers throughout the state.

TeachNY is a centralized hub for prospective teachers to explore the profession, access free and comprehensive resources, and receive support in applying to teacher prep programs throughout the state. Aspiring educators can sign up at TeachNY.org to learn more about how they can receive 1-on-1 career advice, resources to help them compare options, and financial aid to help them apply to and enroll in a teaching program.

The New York State Museum (NYSM) announced the debut of its latest exhibition, "Canine Contrasts: Unraveling Wolves and Coyotes in New York." The exhibit features Taxidermy mounts and skulls of wolves and coyotes, both species from the Museum’s mammalogy collection. It also tells the story of a wolf that was recently mistaken for a coyote and killed by a licensed hunter near Cherry Valley, New York.

On Wednesday, August 14, starting at noon in the Huxley Theater, NYSM Curator of Birds and Mammals Dr. Jeremy Kirchman will host "BrainFood for the Curious: Canine Contrasts with Dr. Jeremy Kirchman," a short lunchtime talk during which he will discuss the natural history of wolves and coyotes. Following the talk, Dr. Kirchman will lead visitors to the new exhibit to continue the discussion.

The New York State Museum is hosting pop-up programs throughout the summer designed to spark creativity and curiosity. These family-friendly programs will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and August and will change regularly. The offerings allow children, families, educators, and students to enjoy art, science, and history in an engaging way. 

If you’re in the Albany area this summer, be sure to visit the Museum!

Let’s Learn, The WNET Group’s daily instructional learning series for children ages 4 to 7, launched new episodes this month on public television stations nationwide (check local listings).

Let’s Learn is a supplemental resource to support children’s learning at home and in the classroom. A dynamic and diverse group of educators engage kids in multidisciplinary lessons. One-hour shows have thematically linked segments that focus on where we live, transformation, five senses, water, plants, and transportation.

The Let's Learn website offers a library of more than 265 full episodes and 850 segments that can be streamed on-demand.