Opportunities for Students (February 2025)

Published February 7, 2025

This February, opportunity is in the air...

With the second month of the 2025 in full swing, there's a great number of truly spectacular programs and events available for NYC public school students throughout February and beyond across the five boroughs. From free family-oriented arts and crafts meetups for children of all ages, to paid internships for high school students seeking to hone their skills in particular industries, there are scores of learning opportunities and activities available throughout the month that City students can apply for and secure for themselves!

Check out the following list of student opportunities available to City families and students throughout February, see which ones you fall in love with, and apply/register for them today!

For over 40 years, NYC Parks' Urban Park Rangers have helped thousands of young New Yorkers discover New York City's outstanding greenspaces. Check out the Urban Park Rangers' "Events" webpage to see what outdoor programs and events are available near you, and consider joining them for their Kids Week events, which are set to take place during our Midwinter Recess (February 17–21) later this month!

Opportunities for Students in February 2025

The opportunities listed below are ordered by their submission/registration deadline dates, with the most urgent deadlines listed first. For more information about any of these listings, please click through the corresponding links embedded in each entry.

Learn How to Produce Podcasts at the Paley Center for Media

For students in grades 9–12
Available programs run in February, March, and April
Cost: Free
Contact: Susan Natoli (snatoli@paleycenter.org)

Registration Deadline: ASAP; space is limited

The Paley Center for Media is offering high school students the chance to learn how to produce podcasts, or audio recordings for storytelling. Participating students will have access to microphones, recorders, and digital audio workstations to record, write, and design their own audio stories, which can consist of interviews, music, sound effects, and field recordings.

Visit the Paley Museum's website to learn more about the program, and register for either the Midwinter Series (2/18–2/21), the 8-Week After School Intensive series (Wednesdays, beginning March 5), or the Spring Break series (4/14–4/17).

Enjoy an Afternoon of Franz Kafka-Inspired Storytime and Art Making with the Kids During Midwinter Recess

For children aged 4–8 years old
Event takes place on February 19, 2:00–4:00 PM, at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan
Cost: Free with museum admission (Museum admission free to children 12 and under)
Contact: Nicole Leist (nleist@themorgan.org)

No registration required

Enjoy a Kafka-inspired family-friendly afternoon at The Morgan Library & Museum on Wednesday, February 19! Taking cues from the museum's Franz Kafka exhibition, this family event will feature art making, exhibition tours, and readings of the picture book, Kafka and the Doll, written by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Rebecca Green.

Access to Kafka Storytime and Art Making will be free with paid museum admission; The Morgan is free to children 12 and under.

Visit the Morgan Library & Museum's event webpage to learn more.

Discover New York City's Great Outdoors through the Urban Park Rangers

For students of all ages
Events run through March 2025
Cost: Free

Registration Deadlines Vary; See 'Events' page on NYC Parks' website

Since 1979, NYC Parks' Urban Park Rangers have helped New Yorkers and visitors of all ages discover and explore the City's natural world through environmental education, outdoor recreation, wildlife management, and active conservation.

Check out the Urban Park Rangers' Events webpage to learn about events happening at City parks near you, including events during this month's Midwinter Recess—sign up directly for your desired events through NYC Parks' webpage.

Improve Your Writing through Creative Workshops at Uptown Stories

For students of all ages
Various workshops available at different sites through late February and early March 2025
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can; no proof of income required
Contact: Dorkys Ramos (dorkys@uptownstories.org)

Registration Deadline: ASAP

Expand your writing capabilities with Uptown Stories, an Uptown Manhattan-based nonprofit organization dedicated to offering afterschool, weekend, and summer creative writing workshops for children aged 8–18 years old. Participating students learn the art and craft of writing while also learning how to revise their work, give and receive constructive feedback, and finally, publish a paperback anthology.

Uptown Stories' tuition is "Pay-What-You-Can;" visit Uptown Stories' webpage to learn more about the workshops, and register for a class ASAP, as seats will be limited.

Join NASA and Celebrate Girls in Science and Engineering Day for Free at the Intrepid Museum

For students of all ages; teens under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Event runs on March 8, 2025, 11:00 A.M.–3:00 P.M.
Cost: Free (with advance registration)
Contact: youthleadership@intrepidmuseum.org

Registration Deadline: ASAP

Stop by the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan on Saturday, March 8, 2025, to celebrate the 11th annual Girls in Science and Engineering Day! This free annual festival celebrates girls and young people who are actively engaging in STEM, and this year's event is part of NASA Explore Day, which encourages youth and their families to explore and connect with NASA missions through Museum-related content and NASA-generated educational activities.

Learn How to Be an Archive Detective at the Morgan Library & Museum

For students aged 15–19 years old
Event runs on March 13, 2025, 4:30–6:00 P.M.
Contact: Nicole Leist (nleist@themorgan.org)

Registration Deadline: ASAP; space is limited

The Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan is offering youth between the ages of 15 and 19 years old the chance to attend a free workshop at their institution and discover how to use primary sources to explore subjects and uncover surprising discoveries through the detective work of reading old letters and files and conducting archival research. Participants are encouraged to bring a cell phone or a digital camera for the workshop; iPads will be available for any participant without a camera.

Visit the Morgan Library & Museum's Archive Detectives webpage, and register your interest in the workshop today, as seats will be limited.

Become a Leader During Spring Recess Through the Service in Schools Leadership Institute

For students in grades 10–12
Program runs April 14–18; May 8, and May 23, 2025
Cost: Free
Contact: Service in Schools (ServiceinSchools@schools.nyc.gov)

Application Deadline: February 21, 2025

The Service in Schools Leadership Institute provides City high school students in grades 10–12 with the means to build their leadership skills and learn about issues affecting their communities. The Institute, which takes place over the course of a five-day, in-person leadership workshop during Spring Recess, culminates into the planning and implementation of a day-long Youth Service Summit for elementary school students on Friday, May 23, 2025. Participating Leadership Institute students will earn valuable service hours for their efforts.

Learn more about the Service in Schools Leadership Institute by visiting Service in Schools' program webpage, and submit your application by Friday, February 21, 2025.

The Intrepid Museum is celebrating the 11th annual Girls in Science and Engineering Day on Saturday, March 8, 2025, with free admission in honor of girls and young people who actively engage in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)! Register online to lock in your free admission today! (Photo by the Intrepid Museum)

Take Your Art to the Next Level through the Summer Arts Institute

For students currently in grades 7–11
Program runs July 7–August 1 at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens

Application Deadline: February 26, 2025
Online Audition Deadline: March 2, 2025

NYC Public Schools' Summer Arts Institute provides NYC public school students with a free, four-week intensive arts training program where they are able to develop and strengthen their artistic skills in an art form of their choosing—dance, film, vocal music, instrumental music, or orchestral strings, theater, or visual arts. The Institute, which is designed for students at either an intermediate or advanced level of study in their chosen art form, offers participants a unique opportunity to work with arts specialists, cultural organizations, and guest artists to help build their personal portfolio or improve their audition skills for their next level of study, whether at an arts-focused high school, college/university, or conservatory.

Student bus transportation will be available for students in the Bronx, South Brooklyn (Districts 17, 18, 20, 21, 22), South Queens (Districts 27, 28, 29), and Staten Island. All other participating students will receive a free round-trip MetroCard for use throughout the entirety of the program.

Learn more about the Summer Arts Institute by checking out the 2025 Summer Arts Institute Application webpage, and submit your application by February 26, 2025.

Get a Paid Job This Summer Through SYEP

For NYC youth who will be 14–24 years old by July 1, 2025
Program runs up to 25 hours a week during summer 2025
Contact: SYEP Community Connect at (800) 246-4646

Application Deadline: February 28, 2025

Discover new career possibilities this summer by signing up for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), the nation's largest youth employment program. Through SYEP, City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 can get paid work experiences this summer in structured project and work-based opportunities that help them prepare them for future careers in a variety of industries across the five boroughs. Participating students will be able to explore different interests, develop productive and positive workplace habits, earn paychecks, and engage in learning experiences that strengthen their social, civic, and leadership skills.

To be considered for placement within SYEP, students must submit an application by February 28, 2025. Once the application closes, students will be selected for SYEP by lottery. Please note that submission of an application does not guarantee an offer.

To learn more about SYEP, visit the Department of Youth and Community Development's dedicated SYEP webpage. Note that students who are 14–17 years old must get an employment certificate, otherwise known as "working papers," from their school. Visit our official "Working Papers" webpage to learn more.

Apply for Summer and Year-Long Internship Experiences at Wave Hill

For high school students aged 16 years and up
Programs range from paid summer internships to 14-month mentorships
Contact: Wave Hill Education Department (education@wavehill.org)

Application Deadline: February 28, 2025

Wave Hill, the public garden and cultural center located in the Bronx, is offering City high school students the chance to apply for three outstanding internship programs:

The Art, Community, Education, and Science (ACES) internship is a year-long paid internship that invites participating students the chance to explore the connections between community engagement, and science-informed, informal arts education. ACES interns assist with the Family Art Project, an intergenerational and multidisciplinary program for families to come together and make art inspired by Wave Hill's natural beauty.

The Forest Project is a paid summer internship that provides students with hands-on field experiences and dynamic, field-based coursework in ecological restoration and urban ecology. Since 1981, the Forest Project has been giving City high school students opportunities to learn about ecology in an urban setting, including building and maintaining woodland trails, removing invasive plant species, shoring up eroded slopes, and helping to document the process of restoring disturbed woodlands towards more balanced states.

The Woodland Ecology Research Mentorship (WERM) is a 14-month paid program that provides City students with the unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of ecological principles and science research methods. WERM interns directly contribute towards the effort of helping to improve New York City's 20,000 acres of natural areas through hands-on field work and authentic science research.

Visit Wave Hill's "Youth Internships" website to learn more about their three youth internship programs; students applying to either of those three programs have until February 28, 2025 to submit their applications.

Represent Your Borough in NYC's Minecraft Build Challenge

For K–12 students; must participate as part of a team
Contact: minecraft@schools.nyc.gov

Submission Deadline: March 7, 2025

NYC Public Schools, in partnership with Minecraft Education and C40's Reinventing Cities initiative, is hosting the Battle of the Boroughs (BOTB) Minecraft Build Challenge, an esports competition for students in grades K–12. Students register and work in teams to create inclusive, future-ready city spaces within Minecraft. These teams then compete in borough-specific, in-person competition rounds to determine champions for each borough for each grade division (elementary, middle, and high school bands). Borough champions then face one another in the Mayor's Cup final later this year.

Learn more about the BOTB Minecraft Build Challenge by visiting our official "Minecraft Education Challenge" webpage.

Share Your Love for Clean Water through the 39th Annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest

For students in grades 2–12
Contact: artandpoetry@dep.nyc.gov

Submission Deadline: March 7, 2025

NYC's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is inviting students in grades 2–12 to participate in its 39th annual Water Resources Art & Poetry Contest. As part of the contest, participating students are invited to create original art and poetry that reflects an appreciation for New York's shared water resources. This year's five central themes are "Water, a Precious Resource;" "NYC Drinking Water;" "NYC Wastewater Treatment;" "Harbor Water Quality and Healthy Marine Ecosystems;" and "Water Stewardship and Climate Change."

To learn more, visit DEP's webpage and visit DEP's official Flickr page to view student entries from previous art and poetry contests.

Become an NYC Parks Lifeguard

For swimmers aged 16 or older
Candidates must pass qualifying test before Lifeguard Training begins

Must Pass Qualifying Test by March 16, 2025

Are you ready to rise to the challenge and help keep New Yorkers safe by keeping a close watch on our pools and beaches next summer?

Consider becoming an NYC Parks Lifeguard!

Qualified candidates are placed into NYC Parks' Lifeguard Training program, where you'll strengthen your swimming technique and endurance, learn crucial lifesaving techniques, and receive certification to become an NYC Parks Lifeguard. Candidates who successfully complete the training program will then be offered full-time positions at City beaches and pools this summer.

To learn more, visit NYC Parks' "Become an NYC Parks Lifeguard" webpage, and brush up on your swimming skills at one of their Swim Prep sessions before signing up for a qualifying test.

Prepare for Careers in Media Industries through the Paley Center's Hearst High School Media Internship

For students currently in grades 10 and 11
Paid internship runs in July and August on select dates, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Contact: Rebekah Fisk (eduny@paleycenter.org)

Application Deadline: March 31, 2025

Through the Paley Center for Media's 2025 Hearst High School Media Internship, participating students will be able to be a part of a five week, paid internship program that will encompass media literacy and digital learning, media career development, and mentorship opportunities. The internship provides students with an understanding of media while offering meaningful educational and career readiness experiences that will prepare them to become the next generation of media industry professionals. Interns will gain skills in public speaking, production research, script and column writing, and audio editing/production, and they will be paid $16.50 per hour and be reimbursed for travel expenses during their program.

Visit the Paley Center for Media's official internship page to learn more about the program and apply, and submit your application by March 31, 2025.

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For more opportunities like these, check out The Morning Bell every month during the school year—and don't forget to share this post with your friends, family, and colleagues!

On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all of our students wonderful learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

Banner/teaser photos by Vanessa Loring. Original can be found on Pexels.

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