Learning Doesn't Stop at the Bell
- Projekt NYC
- Aug 30
- 5 min read
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Back-to-school season is here, and students across Queens are preparing to get their learning back on after a summer of fun.
Many will groan at the thought sitting in the classroom may not sound appealing to kids after weeks of spending their days on beaches, in pools or at parks. Studies also have lent credence to the idea that students lose learning over the summer, so some may have a hard time getting back is the swing of things.
But many Queens organizations seek not only to supplement students’ formal education, but to take a well-rounded approach that makes learning fun and lucrative.
"I think we just bring a different perspective and aspect to school learning, and a little bit lower stakes," said Melissa Malarak, the Queens Public library’s assistant director of children, youth and Family programs and services. "We're not testing, we're not really evaluating them, so it really is just them learning at their level."
Everything the library does is about learning, Malanuk said, but in an environment where young people from toddlers to teens can play and create.
Vistors have more autonomy at the library than they might at school, she continued, and learning tends to occur through play and hands-on projects rather than lectures. Elementary schoolers may attend author talks and partake in programs from robotics to music and dance. Homework help also is set to resume with the start students of the school year from first to fifth grade can receive assistance at all 15 sites.
Queens kids can have new, enriching experiences with various groups robust programs, including QPL.
And of course, the library is all about creating new bookworms, and it starts to sow the seeds of reading as soon as possible. Its Kickoff to Kindergarten program promotes literacy in children as young as 3 and 4 years old
"You'll be reading and writing for the rest of your life, and if you don't encourage that early, it's going to show up later on in the students academics, in their opportunities going forward, in their jobs and internships," said Projekt NYC Executive Director Ted Psahos. His Astoria-based nonprofit promotes service and civic engagement for youth.
It held a reading contest with prizes for middle school students in the spring, and it recently published a book of poetry by high schoolers across the city.
Students also are participating in a project about the impact of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in which they interview survivors and first responders and create a work of art, poetry or prose in tribute.
Literacy skills also are priorities for Queens Community House's after school programs, according to Derek Anello, division director of youth services. The nonprofit has more than 20 sites with programs that help kids supplement what they learn in the classroom
“The structure and size of classrooms in the school day can make it harder for young people, kids and adolescents to get more focused attention in more focused areas," Anello said. "And because the ratios in our afterschool spaces are so much lower, they can be way more targeted"
The social services nonprofit art Commonpoint takes a similar approach.
“When we run afterschool programs, we don't think that learning and exploration and interest development ends during the school day," Commonpoint Chief Strategy Officer Danielle Hersch said. The group aims to reinforce what students learn in class, instill confidence and encourage new experiences, Hersch said.
In addition to targeted academic support, Commonpoint offers science, technology, engineering and math enrichment, sports and more.
"We want to make sure that we're taking those themes from the school day and we're infusing activities that kids find fun and engaging while in the afterschool hours.” Hersch sad. While Commonpoint partners with many area schools, it also allows students whose schools do not have after-school programs to be bused to its community centers.
"We try to take our toolkit and apply it really intentionally to make sure that the school community feels really supported and that families feel supported," Hersch said. One may learn more at Commonpoint .org
Queens organizations also cater to the specific needs of teens, as they embark on new academic and professional journeys.
Commonpoint's Youth Opportunity Hub in Jamaica works to ensure that young people, regard less of background or academic engagement, can have a bright path forward. Its vocational training allows students to explore their interests while considering what career they might like to pursue. Hersch said
Visitors also can access legal assistance, menial health support, a digital food pantry, SAT prep. college essay help and more.
Hersch said Commonpoint also assists with college success, not just admission and preparation, the group supports students for four years post-high school graduation.
QCH runs five alternative high schools, which help older youth who have struggled in traditional schools earn their diplomas. There, they may learn a trade while completing coursework, Anello said.
All sites also are Learning to Work locations where students can access academic and emotional support, paid internships and more.
Five QPI. locations have teen centers, and most STHM programs, including robotics and 3D design, are held there, though they are not restricted to teens. Three of those sites have recording studios for DJing or podcasting
"If they come in, they learn some basic coding, and that's usually gamified. That's usually something Fun, they don't realize they're learning," Malañuk said. "And then the next thing, we kind of build on those skills.”
The library also offers college readiness resources, from various workshops to one-on-one virtual coaching.
With the school year starting, Malañuk said, staff will soon help high school juniors and seniors double down on college preparation. One may visit queenslibrary.org for details
But learning goes beyond academics - part of Projekt NYC's mission is to promote volunteerism and civic engagement.
The group often runs events such as neighborhood cleanups - Psahos said young people do not have many opportunities to get involved in their communities, but the work is more impactful when they do.
"What has happened a lot is, if you're a middle school or high school kid and you want in gel involved or fulfill your community service hours, you'd end up in Manhattan somewhere, and you're living in Queens, Psahos explained.
The group hosted a backpack giveaway in Astoria last work, and it will have a kids’ makers market on Sept. 13 at which they can sell their own creations, from art to 3D-printed items. They also can learn entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
"Al the end of the day, what they do outside of school is just as important as what they do in school" Psahos said. More information is at projektnyc.org.
QCH'S Access for Young Women program aims to help women aged 12 to 18, build leadership skills, find community and learn about topics from gender issues to entrepreneurship. It is slated to kick off in late September.
The Generation Q Youth Center in Forest Hills also offers a sale haves for LGBTQ youth aged 13 to 21. There, visitors have access to academic enrichment, arts programming, college counseling and more.
QCH also invites parents to participate in events - Anello said building those types of relationships helps the group identify other needs they might have, from housing to food security. One may learn more al qchnyc.org
"We can bridge all those gaps through our Queens Community House programming, Anello said "It's a really safe place for kids and families to get additional support, and in much smaller cohorts"
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