May 28th, 2025
Dear Project PRIZE Parent,
We hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy!
We are pleased to inform you that The Liberty Partnerships Program-Project PRIZE at Queensborough Community College has been able to coordinate and offer a Summer 2025 program for middle and high school students at no cost to families. The program will provide engaging and fun workshops in academic support, STEM, the arts, sports and cultural and recreational enrichment.
Details of the next parent orientation will be emailed after the program begin. Parents are expected to RSVP and attend at least one orientation during the program year to be informed of the policies and services of the program.
The instructions to enroll and register students in the program are in the summer program flyers and schedule distributed. The required paperwork consists of a completed and signed application by the parent, the last report card and school photo ID. The next step is to register for workshops as indicated on the schedule.
Students report to the Medical Arts Building at the Queensborough Community College in room M-146 no earlier than 9:45am. Lunch is provided by the program at 12:00 Noon. Students go to their afternoon classes at 12:30pm and get dismissed at 2:30pm. The parent will be contacted in the event of delayed dismissal due to special circumstances. Metro cards will be provided upon request.
Students and staff of the program are required to be identifiable on and off campus and for that reason they are required to wear the program’s T-Shirt during all program activities. The cost of the shirt is $10. The program covers $5, and the parent pays for the other $5. Shirts will be distributed on the first day of the program for new students. Shirt replacements cost $10, paid for by the parents.
The first day of the program is June 30th and the last will be July 24th. Registration for students not registered to date will start on June 2nd and will close on June 16th. Classes will close as soon as they are filled. First come, first served. Classes with no adequate enrollment will be cancelled and parents will be advised to register for available workshops.
If you have difficulties registering your children, please contact us and we will gladly register your child
As always, we expect parents and students to reach out to us with questions, or to communicate any special circumstances, or to report if the student needs to be absent or late. Please contact us at: Ynotalatif@qcc.cuny.edu and Akayani@qcc.cuny.edu.
Sincerely,
Yicel Nota-Latif
Director
QCC Saturday Program Dates – Spring 2025
Workshops
Registration: Please click the link below to register for workshops or e-mail Ynotalatif@qcc.cuny.edu or Akayani@qcc.cuny.edu.
Martial Arts with Mr. Malcolm
Build Physical and emotional intelligence. In this class, students will learn the fundamentals of boxing/ self-defense, as well as Kata (patterns) to learn the discipline of martial arts. Students will also learn the “Kingfisher” style of fighting, which is the way to stop a fight through discipline, self-control, and directness, both conversational and emotional. They will learn how to defend themselves physically and mentally. Building discipline, self-esteem, and confidence. The class will include a discussion session on what self-defense means and what it means to protect. This class requires discipline, perseverance, and the willingness to become more than you were before you started! The only requirement to join: Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and have fun! While this class is an amazing and fun workout, you will be pushed to be a caretaker, a fighter, and someone who is emotionally/ physically intelligent, competent, and compassionate.
Painting Palooza JHS & HS with Ms. Awesum
Students will be learning what Impressionism is in art and will be outdoors observing and painting their chosen subjects on materials selected by the Art Instructor. This class has collaboration with the QCC Art Gallery, where students will experience the gallery, and the director will address college/career readiness for those interested in pursuing a college major and career in art. The director will also provide students with a guided tour of the entire gallery and indoor and outdoor tour of the current exhibitions. This class also addresses the socio-emotional well-being of students.
Lazy Summer Days Reading JHS & HS with Ms. Anne
This course will inspire students to appreciate reading with an open mind and will learn that reading enriches our lives, academics, and mental wellbeing, once we comprehend what we read. Students will understand how our favorite authors write our favorite books and the origins of the storyline behind it. They will be able to talk about plot, characters, settings, mood, and difference in vocabulary between authors and books. Reading comprehension is understanding how we encompass ourselves in the storytelling of the author. At the end of the course, students will have finished reading and comprehending at least 1 novel selected by the instructor. Students will have practiced grammar and expanded their vocabulary.
Board Games with Mr. Malcolm
This class is our opportunity to do something fun and new that we wouldn’t normally do! Learn from our friends, learn from people we haven’t met or have seen in our school hallways. Join us in the opportunity to expand our minds and experiences in a safe and educational space where it will be fun exploring what makes us laugh, cry, and think! Curriculum explained: This class will have a performance aspect. We will be writing stories and acting. Playing varies games to learn critical thinking skills, and group discussion on stories or documentaries watched in class.
FUNdamentals of Drawing JHS & HS with Ms. Awesum
Students will learn the fundamentals of drawing: color, value, composition, edges, pencil-work, and technique. Use of charcoals, sketch paper, or pencils. Photorealism or abstract art. Whatever the choice, students will unlock their creativity play, experiment, and relieve stress! No previous drawing experience necessary. This class has collaboration with the QCC Art Gallery, where students will experience the gallery, and the director will address college/career readiness for those interested in pursuing a college major and career in art. The director will also provide students with a tour of the entire gallery and indoor and outdoor tour of the current exhibitions.
Free Writing JHS & HS with Ms. Anne
Write about anything. Anything you would like to write about. Anything that is in your mind or comes to your mind at the moment. This practice will help students improve their writing skills while learning to appreciate the benefits of free writing for mental health, relieve stress, anxiety or anything that might be bothering them. There will be no critique of the content written, and students will share what they write only if they wish. The instructor will not collect their writings unless students choose to hand them in to receive feedback.
Culinary Arts JHA & HS with Mr. Leggio and Ms. Chanderdat
This is a fun workshop where students will prepare a different menu of succulent healthy dishes in every session with Mr. Eric, Coordinator of the Project Prize program at Excelsior HS, with Ms. Hemawattie Excelsior HS Instructor. Students will also acquire life skills in basic cooking and safety measures, which are much needed when transitioning to college, and can be exciting experiences to get hands on in advance. This class helps change any negative impressions some students might have about culinary arts and choosing culinary as a college major and career opportunity. Students will learn to appreciate the artistry of culinary and its mental health benefit.
Soccer Cup Tournament with Mr. Malcolm
This class is a training period that will lead to a face-off between Project PRIZE Queensborough Community College (QCC) Saturday Soccer team VS the Project PRIZE IS192 Soccer team. The workshop will be fitness and soccer practice. The QCC team will be training at the QCC Soccer field. On the last day of the Summer25 program, the teams will go head-to-head in a Project PRIZE cup match! The winner will take home a trophy! Instructors will focus on teaching two aspects of soccer: 1) Skill development and 2) Teaching/coaching. Motor and field skills, rules of the game, and basic officiating mechanics necessary to play the game will be learned. Appropriate methods of teaching and coaching will be presented and learned in this course. Students will learn and perform the following skills: dribbling, passing, trapping, goalkeeping, shooting, and juggling. During inclement weather, the team will practice indoors.
Comic Book Animation JHS & HS with Ms. Awesum
In this class, students will learn to draw simple facial expressions, speech bubbles, understand characters, storytelling, drawing one-panel comics. At the end, students will create their own mini comic book! In animated stories, anything can happen. If you can imagine it, you can create it. In fact, you can animate pretty much everything; paper; plasticize, people and more.
Math Olympics JHS & HS with Ms. Eranga
This workshop will close the summer gap by having continued math practice. Students will review their common core math skills during the summer program through gaming and art such as Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, trivia and as well as outdoor observation, drawing, physical games, and competencies.
Tutoring & Homework Help JHS & HS with Assigned Tutors
For students who might wish to complete their Summer packets, summer homework or to refresh or get extra support to improve their grade or continue performing at a satisfactory level in any junior or high school subject. Students must be prepared to receive homework help and tutoring by bringing their textbook, summer packets, quizzes, tests, or specific questions. Tutors will be unable to help students who attend without their materials.
Counseling with the Case Management Team
Personal counseling is available by appointment for parents and students. It is also conducted as needed or requested. The counselor facilitates group and/or individual counseling sessions when the need to address situations arises. The team also is available answer students’ questions related to college applications, FAFSA applications, job interviews, HEOPs and auditing.
Code of Conduct
It is the policy of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York, CUNY and of Queensborough Community College, QCC, one of its constituent colleges, to recruit, employ, retain, and promote employees without regard to gender, age, national or ethnic origin, alienage or citizenship, race, color, creed, disability, marital or veteran’s status, or sexual orientation. For students, it is the policy of the University to recruit, admit, and provide educational programs, access to financial aid, support services and athletics without regard to gender, age, national or ethnic origin, alienage or citizenship, race, color, creed, disability, marital, veteran’s status or sexual orientation.
QCC is committed to providing all students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation or harassment.
No student will be subjected to harassment by fellow students at the Liberty Partnerships Program-Project PRIZE LPP-PP because of race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity).
QCC has in place multiple programs and policies designed to help overcome barriers to equitable access including an active Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, which is experienced in enabling accessibility of classes, and out of class services for students with a wide range of physical, learning, and other disabilities.
Any questions or issues regarding preventing or responding to discrimination or harassment will be directed to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The office of Student Affairs has adopted the Taylor and Barnes (2009) approach to conduct management, which approach calls for:
1. A management program that is infused with conflict resolution pathways that are educationally based and meets institutions’ needs.
2. The establishment of a climate where each individual is respected and also accepts their obligation to the campus community.
3. Strict adherence to rules of moral, ethical, and psychosocial development to lay down the foundation for the development of young adults who are learning the values of integrity, judgement, compassion, personal responsibility, accountability and respect.
4. Viewing student conflict resolution and management not as an end in itself, but as a tool for affecting student growth and development to prepare students as productive, knowledge-generated and humane citizens of the world.
5. Upon hiring, all Project PRIZE staff will receive training on the LPP-PP Code of Conduct to discourage discrimination or harassment, raise awareness and sensitivity and ensure non-discriminatory instructional and counseling methods. They will be made aware that federal civil rights laws and regulations protect students from harassment by school employees, other students and third parties and will learn about the QCC and Dignity Act policy, including their potential responsibilities. In addition, the Research Foundation of CUNY, which employs all grant funded staff, mandates the completion of an online harassment training for all employees. LPP students, parents and staff will be invited to review the QCC-LPP-PP code of conduct posted in the LPP-PP webpage of the QCC’s website. Parents will receive a copy upon admission. Upon entrance to the program, all students and families will be informed of the LPP Code of Conduct, behavioral expectations and how to report any incidents.
The Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and Archives is another resource for LPP-PP staff and students. One of the Center’s educational programs focuses on school based harassment, including hate crimes and uses the lessons of the Holocaust and other human atrocities to help students of all ages to fully understand these crimes committed in their schools or communities. The project is based on the belief that young people and adults who are taught how to manage inter-group conflicts, and promote peaceful relations within increasingly diverse society will ultimately become more culturally-sensitive community members and leaders of a society that values each and every human life. The Holocaust center is the only one of its kind in an educational setting in New York State. It serves 25,000 visitors and members annually, including QCC students, local residents, and the City’s public middle and high school students. Its mission is to educate current and future generations about the ramifications of unbridled prejudice, racism, and stereotyping. The center reaches out across Queens’ diverse cultures and languages to engage its communities and foster positive interaction among its residents, through in-school instruction, activities and visits. Project PRIZE will continue to schedule a visit to the center every year, where middle and high school students will learn alternatives to discriminatory or harassing attitudes and behaviors that increase awareness of and capacity to prevent and respond to acts of discrimination and/or harassment.
Thank you,
Yicel Nota-Latif
Project Director
Liberty Partnerships Program-Project PRIZE
