About Us
Celebrating 50 Years of Unparalleled Creative & Educational Learning!
A Place For Kids @ PS 2 and A Place for Kids @ PS 34, provide a well-rounded program to give our children a holistic approach to education providing services in after-school in both schools and a full day summer program at P.S.2.
Our History
A Place for Kids was founded by a group of community minded college students from the City College of New York, most of whom had grown up in Chinatown. These students wanted to do something for the children who were underserved and were going up to their mothers' garment factories after school in Chinatown. They realized the dire need for free and low-cost year-round childcare for the children of new immigrants and low-income families. Originally named The Asian Children’s Underground, our organization was created in 1971 in the basement of a church through a vision of quality educational programming and the spirit of volunteerism.
The on-going recruitment of volunteers, work-study, fieldwork and service work students from colleges and high schools and from the Summer Youth Employment Program enabled us to continue the childcare services for our families. In 1981, senior aides were assigned to work for us through the Department of Aging. Renamed A Place for Kids, we evolved into a non-profit community-based educational center licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and Department of Health. We have been granted an absolute charter by the NYS Educational Department Board of Regents.
Since 2007, we’ve been housed at P.S. 2, 122 Henry St. @ Pike St. We operate an after-school and summer school program serving the needs of immigrant and low-income children. In the spring of 2016, we are proud to have launched our second site, A Place for Kids @ PS 34, 730 East 12th St. @ Ave D which provides after-school services.
With over 49 years of experience, a great part of our success is attributed to our close relationship and collaboration with community based organizations and educational institutions. A Place for Kids has a close and valued relationship with New York University for over 28 years. We receive valuable NYU volunteers who provide individual and small group assistance to our children. Our program has benefited from close partnerships with the local area public schools and Emma Lazarus High School who assigns us interns. For the past eight summers, we are very grateful to Confucius Institute at Pace University for providing us with Chinese language and Culture classes and to BalaSole Dance Company for exposing the art of dance and body movement to our children. Asian American Youth Center and Asian Professionals for Excellence-S&P have for the past twelve years hosted and sponsored our holiday party with their dedicated volunteers. For the past 5 years, City in the Community-Chinatown/LES has coached soccer skills to our after-school children. Joy-Thru- Movement has taught Qigong lessons and the Jason Amis Institute volunteered yoga instruction to our after-school and summer children. Our alum and celebrity chef Chris Cheung , owner of three East Wind Snack Shops, volunteers every summer to demonstrate and engage our children in cooking projects.
Our mission is to provide quality cultural enrichment to support a child's opportunity to succeed in the future. Our goals are for our students to value themselves as well as to appreciate and respect all cultures found in our diverse world. We serve families living or working in Lower Manhattan. During the academic year, at our program sites at P.S. 2 and at P.S. 34, our after-school programs runs from 2:30 pm to 5:45 pm. We provide recreation, homework assistance, test prep, enrichment workshops, and a nutritious hot meal sponsored by the NYC Education’s School Food program. In the summer, we offer a full day program from 8:30 am to 5:45 pm with a multi-cultural curriculum at P.S. 2.
A Place For Kids @ PS 2 and A Place for Kids @ PS 34, provide a well-rounded program to give our children a holistic approach to education providing services in after-school in both schools and a full day summer program at P.S.2.
Our History
A Place for Kids was founded by a group of community minded college students from the City College of New York, most of whom had grown up in Chinatown. These students wanted to do something for the children who were underserved and were going up to their mothers' garment factories after school in Chinatown. They realized the dire need for free and low-cost year-round childcare for the children of new immigrants and low-income families. Originally named The Asian Children’s Underground, our organization was created in 1971 in the basement of a church through a vision of quality educational programming and the spirit of volunteerism.
The on-going recruitment of volunteers, work-study, fieldwork and service work students from colleges and high schools and from the Summer Youth Employment Program enabled us to continue the childcare services for our families. In 1981, senior aides were assigned to work for us through the Department of Aging. Renamed A Place for Kids, we evolved into a non-profit community-based educational center licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and Department of Health. We have been granted an absolute charter by the NYS Educational Department Board of Regents.
Since 2007, we’ve been housed at P.S. 2, 122 Henry St. @ Pike St. We operate an after-school and summer school program serving the needs of immigrant and low-income children. In the spring of 2016, we are proud to have launched our second site, A Place for Kids @ PS 34, 730 East 12th St. @ Ave D which provides after-school services.
With over 49 years of experience, a great part of our success is attributed to our close relationship and collaboration with community based organizations and educational institutions. A Place for Kids has a close and valued relationship with New York University for over 28 years. We receive valuable NYU volunteers who provide individual and small group assistance to our children. Our program has benefited from close partnerships with the local area public schools and Emma Lazarus High School who assigns us interns. For the past eight summers, we are very grateful to Confucius Institute at Pace University for providing us with Chinese language and Culture classes and to BalaSole Dance Company for exposing the art of dance and body movement to our children. Asian American Youth Center and Asian Professionals for Excellence-S&P have for the past twelve years hosted and sponsored our holiday party with their dedicated volunteers. For the past 5 years, City in the Community-Chinatown/LES has coached soccer skills to our after-school children. Joy-Thru- Movement has taught Qigong lessons and the Jason Amis Institute volunteered yoga instruction to our after-school and summer children. Our alum and celebrity chef Chris Cheung , owner of three East Wind Snack Shops, volunteers every summer to demonstrate and engage our children in cooking projects.
Our mission is to provide quality cultural enrichment to support a child's opportunity to succeed in the future. Our goals are for our students to value themselves as well as to appreciate and respect all cultures found in our diverse world. We serve families living or working in Lower Manhattan. During the academic year, at our program sites at P.S. 2 and at P.S. 34, our after-school programs runs from 2:30 pm to 5:45 pm. We provide recreation, homework assistance, test prep, enrichment workshops, and a nutritious hot meal sponsored by the NYC Education’s School Food program. In the summer, we offer a full day program from 8:30 am to 5:45 pm with a multi-cultural curriculum at P.S. 2.
