Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

Fifty-six Bronx parents joined more than 200 parent activists from other boroughs at the union's lobby day in Albany on March 9. We told legislators to pay back the $2 billion that the state still owes to New York City public schools under the settlement of the 2006 Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. To those of you who joined us: Thank you for your continued activism, leadership and support. Take a look at some pictures from the day below.

Image

Image

Image

I also want to remind you to sign up for UFT text messaging by texting the word "parent" to the number 30644 and answering the questions that follow. We'll alert you about school cancellations due to weather, political campaigns and breaking news. And we'll even send a text message that links to a copy of your newsletter you can easily read on your mobile phone.

Enjoy more events, resources and news below.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Cruz
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Saturday, April 2: Lincoln Center will kick off its Boro-Linc performing arts festival with a free New York Philharmonic performance in the Bronx designed for a very young audience. There will be a pre-performance workshop at 10:30 a.m., and the performance will start at 11:30 a.m. at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture Repertory Theater, 450 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. For information about this and other free Boro-Linc events, see the website »

• Saturday, April 2: Come to a town hall meeting about the campaign for a healthy Bronx from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Settlement Community Center, 1501 Jerome Ave. Breakfast will be served at 10 a.m., and childcare will be provided. RSVP online now » or see the flier in English and Spanish »

• Tuesday, April 8: The New York Police Department School Safety Division, along with sponsors including the UFT, invites families to the finale of the "My School Has Rhythm, Not Violence" competition at Herbert H. Lehman High School, 3000 E. Tremont Ave. in the Bronx. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the show will run from 6 to 9 p.m. See the flier »

• Wednesday, April 13: As part of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, there will be a presentation about cancer prevention and screening from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 163 W. 125 St. in the second floor art gallery. Hear from experts about how to protect your health and your family's health. Spanish interpretation will be available. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Thursday, April 14: The UFT will hold our sixth annual faith-based breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, on the second floor. A limited number of parents are invited to attend this discussion between UFT President Michael Mulgrew and religious leaders. To RSVP, email me at ncruz@uft.org.

• Thursday, April 14: There will be a National Minority Cancer Awareness Week presentation about breast and ovarian cancers in African-American and Latina communities from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 417 E. 68 St., in the Zuckerman Research Center Auditorium. Come hear from experts about the latest breast and ovarian cancer treatments and how these diseases affect African-American and Latina communities. Spanish interpretation will be available. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Saturday, April 23: The UFT and its partners invite you to a free workshop about United States citizenship from 12 to 3 p.m. at the UFT Bronx borough office, 2500 Halsey St. Come get help with the citizenship application and free legal consultation. You will need to bring your green card, Social Security card and other documents. For more information, see the flier in English and Spanish » or register online now »

• Saturday, May 7: There will be a family day and health fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2780 Reservoir Ave. in the Bronx. Come enjoy food, massages for moms, haircuts for kids and more, all for free. For details, call 646-589-2124 or see the flier in English and Spanish »

Opportunities and Resources

• Computer resource centers provide free digital literacy classes and more: There are 32 computer resource centers at NYC parks and recreation centers throughout the city. Computer resource centers offer digital learning opportunities and internet access to New Yorkers of all ages. For more information and to find a center near you, visit the website »

• Apply for a grant from the Build a Better School Contest: The Municipal Credit Union, the UFT and other partners are accepting video entries for our third annual Build a Better School Contest. Public school students are invited to submit a three-minute video that explains why their school is in need and what project they would undertake to make it better. The winning school will receive a $10,000 grant and other prizes. For more details, see the flier »

• Free financial counseling near you: The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs invites you to visit one of four Financial Empowerment Centers in the Bronx to get help with handling debt collectors, improving your credit, creating a budget, opening a bank account and more. Counseling is free, confidential and available in multiple languages. To make an appointment, call 311. Visit the website »

• Free e-books for low-income children: Adults working in libraries, schools, preschools, community after-school programs and other programs that serve low-income children can register children for the Open eBooks app, which offers thousands of best-selling books to low-income children to read for free. Find out more »

• Volunteer to help the homeless: The NYC Department of Homeless Services is looking for volunteers for its homeless shelter library program and annual street survey. If you're interested in lending a hand, see a flier for more details »

• Summer employment for New Yorkers between 14 and 24 years old: The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development is accepting applications for its summer youth employment program. Anyone between the ages of 14 and 24 who is a New York resident is eligible to apply for a paid summer job, plus workshops about career awareness, money management and more. Applications will be accepted until April 15. Apply online now »