Summer of no fun?
For NYC kids, this summer will be a bummer.
With the last day of “remote” school next Friday, the city has dropped outdoor, recreational, and job programs for youths of all ages.
“Hundreds of thousands of NYC kids who have been cooped up for three months may have nothing fun to do,” said education consultant David Rubel.
“Kids need outdoor play if they’re going to come back to school in September ready to learn.”
Thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s budget cuts and coronavirus restrictions, the popular Summer Youth Employment Program, which gave jobs to nearly 75,000 teens and young adults in 2019, has been eliminated as of now. Officials are scrambling to find funding.
The dire news comes after students have been stuck at home since mid-March by the COVID-19 shutdown, with laptops and iPads replacing inperson classes.
The Department of Youth and Community Development has wiped out programs that offered arts, sports, games, and field trips enjoyed by 100,000 young people last summer.
The DYCD says it will come up with “alternatives,” but all online — so kids will remain glued to computer screens.
The city Department of Education will run summer school online and plans to expand a College Bridge program in which CUNY students help high school grads prepare for college.
The Parks and Recreation Department has removed basketball hoops and rims from city parks — more than 2,100 — with no plans to replace them, officials told The Post. Tennis courts and golf courses remain shut.