On Thursday, September 18th at 1pm ET, the NY City Council’s Committee on Children & Youth will host an Oversight Hearing on Afterschool Expansion and DYCD’s Concept Paper, chaired by Council Member Althea Stevens. Note: The hearing is currently scheduled to take place at 250 Broadway, New York, NY 10007 – Hearing Room 2, 8th Floor.
Following the historic commitment to create “After School for All” in NYC, the Department of Youth & Community Development released a concept paper earlier this year along with a call for feedback to assist with the development of an upcoming RFP for contracts to operate Comprehensive After School System (COMPASS) Elementary and School’s Out New York City (SONYC) programs in public schools and other settings.
The Roundtable believes it is imperative that arts be embedded throughout these programs to provide high quality, culturally-responsive enrichment and learning environments for young people alongside potential employment opportunities for the cultural workforce. We encourage our community to testify in-person, virtually, or in writing on the significance of centering arts as NYC expands its afterschool offerings.
How can I testify?
Those interested in participating can opt to provide two minutes of oral testimony in-person at 250 Broadway or via Zoom. If you are not able to participate live, we strongly encourage submitting written testimony (feel free to use this testimony template to help get you started!).
If you plan to attend in-person, please note that the hearings take place at 250 Broadway, across the street from City Hall. Upon arrival, check in with the desk labeled “Sergeant At Arms” and sign up to speak. You will then wait to be called to testify at the front of the room. If you are testifying virtually, you will follow those who are testifying in-person.
I’m Interested, What Next?
Register to testify! Registration for VIRTUAL testimony closed on Tuesday, September 16th. Those delivering IN-PERSON testimony can register in advance or upon arrival at City Hall. WRITTEN testimony can be submitted up to 72 hours after the hearing Sunday, September 21.
You do NOT have to submit testimony now, though there is a part of the sign up that asks for it. Simply register your info and submit testimony when you are ready. Directions on how to register are included below. If you are testifying virtually, you will be sent a Zoom link for you to sign on that morning. You will be limited to two minutes of speaking time.
Teaching artists, students, cultural workers, arts administrators, artists, teachers, and arts education champions — your voices matter! Feel free to reach out via any questions to Roundtable Executive Director, Kimberly Olsen at kolsen@nycaieroundtable.org. Thank you for helping us educate and advocate for the need to center arts in afterschool!
Tell Me More
The primary purpose of the COMPASS and SONYC programs is to provide a range of engaging enrichment activities, after school and during school holidays and the summer, to help students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 to thrive, and to support families with childcare.
In accordance with section 3-03(b)(1) of the Procurement Policy Board Rules, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) is releasing a concept paper to obtain feedback that will assist with the development of an upcoming request for proposals (RFP) for the Comprehensive After School System (COMPASS) Elementary and School’s Out New York City (SONYC) programs in public schools and other settings. The primary purpose of the COMPASS and SONYC programs is to provide a range of engaging enrichment activities, after school and during school holidays and the summer, to help students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 to thrive, and to support families with childcare.
Per the Concept Paper, “it is anticipated that DYCD will issue the COMPASS RFPs Fall of 2025. The deadline for proposal submission will be approximately five weeks from the date on which the RFPs are released. DYCD anticipates entering into six-year contracts for programs to begin August 1, 2026 with no option to renew.”
To respond to this forthcoming RFP and all other Human/Client Services RFPs, organizations must have an account and an approved HHS Prequalification application in PASSPort. Proposals and Prequalification applications will ONLY be accepted through PASSPort. If you do not have a PASSPort account or an approved PASSPort HHS Prequalification Application, please visit www.nyc.gov/passport to get started.
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