Arete's summer programs engage students in Kindergarten through College in the New York City neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Washington Heights, and Bed-Stuy. We engage public and private funds to provide 5- and 6-week programs for students ages 5-25 at no charge to families.

Our elementary and middle school summer programs address summer learning loss for low-income students by engaging them in daily reading and writing routines with their school-year teachers and support staff, providing enriching STEM and arts-based hands-on, project-based learning, and exposing them to diverse cultural experiences and trips across the city. Students also engage in daily team sports and dynamic mindfuless activities to promote wellness throughout the summer.

Arete high school programs in the summer provide credit-bearing courses for rising 9th graders in the mornings. Ninth-grade students learn from their school-year teachers at the start an important transition year into high school. In the afternoons, younger youth (ages 14-15) take part in paid work-based learning experiences as part of Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) programming faciliated by Arete staff. Younger youth follow the Industry Schools Program (ISP) Work Based Challenge model of project-based learning in teams to create products that will enhance the wellness of people leaving in the community. Older youth (16+) can choose to work with SYEP, ISP, Arete Career Camps, or a host of other paid work-based learning programs.

College students and college graduates that are alumni of our afterschool and summer programs work as paid profesionals, receiving career mentoring and professional skill building as employees of Arete Education during summer months. Our alumni (18-25) engage with us as employees in remote, hybrid, and in-person settings.