Summer 2025 Newsletter: Fun & Growth

Ridvan Idara
Oct 1
4 min read

3rd Quarter Newsletter

Dear NECS Community,

As we wave goodbye to summer and dive into our fall programs, we share a few highlights from a vibrant and impactful Third Quarter. From new programs to exciting partnerships, we are thrilled with the growth we’ve experienced and are so grateful for your continued support.

Summer 2025: A Season of Growth at NECS

Hawaii Service-Learning Journey (June 28 – July 5)

In partnership with Something Good in the World, we traveled to Hawaii to explore its culture, history, and ecology while engaging in crucial service projects. Students collaborated with three organizations dedicated to preserving Hawaii's unique culture and ecosystem:

We worked with Hawai`i Wildlife Fund (@wildhawaii) to clean up a beach burdened by plastic debris drifting in from around the world.
We learned about the Kohala Center's Coral restoration and preservation efforts.
We planted 75 native trees with the Three Mountain Alliance to help protect and recover native ecosystems.

Other highlights included witnessing the volcano eruption and a memorable hike into a crater.

Nature Connection Camp (July 7 - August 1)

Our Summer Nature Connection Camp kicked off with approximately 42 students from Kindergarten through middle school. The month-long camp was packed with outdoor activities, including trips to the farm and Bear Mountain State Park, swimming, hiking, and harvesting vegetables to cook meals for local seniors at the community center. Fun activities included a visit from a reptile specialist, a juggling workshop, art, and STEAM projects. The camp culminated in a presentation for parents, celebrating a joyful exploration of and connection to the natural world.

Summer Theatre Production: Dancing Through a Dream

We produced an original musical written by 16-year-old Leela Kumar, who began composing the piece at the age of 14. This inspiring story follows Eva, a young songwriter who overcomes her fear of judgment to share her music with the world. Our students put on three exceptional performances on July 25 - 27 at the Studio Theatre in Exile in HVMoCA, playing to a packed audience of approximately 150 people. Leela Kumar opened each show, and it was a joy to see her interact with our students. The show was powerful; as one audience member shared, “I Loved the energy! From the performers, the audience, the personal stories during the Q&A session, and the UNITY song.”

Film Futures Workforce Program

After months of preparation, NECS launched a 6-week Summer Film and Video Production paid internship program in collaboration with Good for You Productions, led by Jeffrey Cobelli. We hired 10 students from the Peekskill area, including two from the Black Diamonds program. The students worked 20 hours per week, received pay, and gained hands-on experience in camera work, lighting, sound, storytelling, and editing under the guidance of professional filmmakers. Their projects included producing a short video for the City of Peekskill.

In total, 57 students participated in our summer programs alone. Between the summer counselors and workforce program, NECS employed 18 young people between the ages of 16 and 24, providing them with valuable experience and a creative outlet.

With the success of our first summer theatre program in over a decade, our theatre program has now expanded to three annual productions, attracting over 400 people to view our plays this year! This growth is a testament to the incredible talent and hard work of our team and students.

Professional Development

In preparation for the Fall programs, we kicked off September with professional development training at NECS in Peekskill. Additionally, Executive Director Ridvan Idara and 10 team members attended SeaChange, an annual artist retreat held at the Green Acre Baháʼí School and Retreat Center in Eliot, Maine. In the words of our staff: "Attending the Seachange Art Conference gave me renewed hope for our world," and "It rejuvenated a spark of creativity within me that I felt had been dormant for quite some time." This proved to be just what we needed to energize us for the new season.

Fall Classes and Events at NECS

Classes have begun, and we are excited for the new season of creativity, new friendships, and growth. You can view our list of creative programs at necspace.org. To date, over 90 students have enrolled in Fall classes, and we expect more before registration closes soon.

Our community-building efforts will include free or minimally priced monthly events at NECS, such as a book club for women, the Parenting Empowerment Programs (PEP Talk), poetry workshops, and community yoga.

Growth, Sustainability & Community Collaborations

Our team is growing, and we have welcomed a few new teachers and volunteers.

NECS Media Lab

NECS has launched a new initiative: the NECS Media Lab. We aim to help young people develop professional skills in media arts, including film and video production, music production, and podcasting, while working on real-life projects. Our Spring film competition and summer workforce program have brought attention to our students, and we will be producing short videos for two local organizations this Fall. We plan to develop the Media Lab into a source of income for NECS and a true incubator for future young media professionals. We will begin work on our Audio and Music Lab this Fall, with plans to open it in winter 2026.

Partnerships

As we grow, so does our interaction with the community. We are excited to:

Continue our collaboration with the Peekskill City School District, providing five programs in the District.
Continue our partnership with The Children’s Village.
Announce a new partnership with Arc Westchester to provide programs for their clients at our center.
Partner with the NAACP Youth Council, which will now use our space for their monthly meetings.
Continue supporting a local Girl Scouts troop by providing a dedicated space for their activities.