Dear parents, grandparents, guardians and education activists,

This is our final newsletter of the 2017-18 school year. Thank you for your hard work standing up for public school students, families and workers this year!

Every year, the UFT offers a Parent Leadership Training Series over the course of three consecutive Saturdays at UFT headquarters in Manhattan. This year's workshops ranged from holding effective parent-teacher association meetings to advocating for your child. Over the years, hundreds of parents have taken part. If you're interested in joining the next training sessions, contact me at ncruz@uft.org.

I also want to thank those of you who participated in our annual immigration and citizenship clinic that was held this year on May 5. We've helped hundreds apply to receive legal status here in the United States. It was a wonderful event.

Check out the upcoming events and news you can use below.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Cruz
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Thursday, May 31: Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. invites Bronx community members to a Ramadan Iftar Dinner to honor outstanding Muslim community activists and benefit Islamic Relief USA. The dinner will be at 7 p.m. at Veterans' Memorial Hall in Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse. To register, email lroldan@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

• strong>Saturday, June 2: INCLUDEnyc invites children with autism and their families to Outdoors for Autism, an afternoon of fun, entertainment and connection, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mullaly Park on 164th St. between River and Jerome avenues. Bring a blanket and enjoy the refreshments and activities. Learn more and register »

• Saturday, June 2: Join the World Science Festival in the Great Fish Count, where community members are invited to help marine scientists catch, count, identify and release some of the 225 fish species in the Harbor and Hudson ecosystem. The Bronx fish count will be at Concrete Plant Park on Bruckner Blvd. at the West End of the Bronx River Bridge, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more locations and details, see the flier »
  This is just one of many science events happening around the city starting on May 29 as part of the World Science Festival. For more events and resources, visit the website »

• Saturday, June 2: The UFT is one of the organizers of the Youth Over Guns March, a youth-led action centered on gun violence in urban communities of color. The march will start at noon at Korean War Veterans Plaza in Brooklyn and proceed over the Brooklyn Bridge, culminating in a rally at Foley Square. You can learn more by visiting the Facebook page »

• Saturday, June 9: Come to It's My Park and help beautify St. Mary's Park at the intersection of 146th Street and St. Anne's Avenue. It's a great way to get some exercise and fresh air, meet other volunteers and clean up a neighborhood park. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary's Park. See the event listing »
  This is the latest of the Second Saturdays event series for music, art, sports and fitness and other family activities at St. Mary's Park. Events run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other dates are July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and Oct. 13. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Saturday, June 9: PS 18 invites families to its 3rd annual "Buzzing About Health" Community Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PS 18 school yard, 502 Morris Ave. See the flier in English and Spanish »

News you can use

• UFT help hotlines: The UFT offers two help hotlines for students. One is run by the UFT BRAVE Campaign (Building Respect, Acceptance and Voice through Education) and serves as a safe space for students who are the victims of bullying or who are themselves bullying other students. Students can call 212-709-3222 on weekdays from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. or text BRAVE to 43961. These are just a couple of the resources the BRAVE campaign offers. Learn more about UFT BRAVE »
  Another UFT hotline is Dial-A-Teacher, 212-777-3380, a homework help hotline where classroom teachers offer assistance to elementary and middle school students in 10 languages. Learn more about Dial-A-Teacher »

• NYPD Summer Youth Police Academy: The New York Police Department (NYPD) invites students between the ages of 10 and 16 to apply for its Summer Youth Police Academy before the deadline of June 1. Five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from July 2 through Aug. 10, students will attend classes, field trips, military drills and more. The program includes lunch, uniform shirts and field trips. Learn more and apply »

• Free job training and placement help for parents who owe child support: Families Forward invites parents who owe child support to participate in a free career training program. Get help breaking into trades like construction, hotel hospitality, IT support and woodworking. You can also get help managing your finances and applying for jobs. Learn more and apply »

• Apply for a $1,000 scholarship from the American Federation of Teachers: The American Federation of Teachers invites high school seniors in public schools who are of Hispanic/Latino heritage and have parents or guardians who are union members to apply for the Maria Portalatin National Freedom scholarship. Apply by June 20 for the chance to receive a $1,000 stipend for books and a laptop. Download the flier and application »

• May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month: Although motorcycles make up only 3 percent of registered vehicles, they accounted for 13 percent of traffic fatalities in 2016. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is working to change that with resources and training for motorcycle riders, car drivers and pedestrians. For more information, check out the website »
  You can also spread the word about Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by downloading and sharing this flier »

• Find a job with help from Workforce1: New York City Small Business Services offers job-matching help through Workforce1 Career Centers throughout the city, six of which are in the Bronx. For help finding an employer near you, contact your Workforce1 Career Center »