Give Back to Your Community during the 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service
We're celebrating a National Day of Service and the start of a National Year of Service this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! With NYC public schools and offices closed to mark the holiday on Monday, January 19, this weekend is a great time to get involved and give back to your neighborhood.
The Time to Apply to 3-K and Pre-K for Fall 2026 is Now!
From January 14, 2026 until February 27, 2026, NYC families with children born in 2023 can apply to 3-K programs and children born in 2022 can apply to pre-k programs for the 2026–27 school year. Learn more about this year's admissions processes, including tools that you can use to discover and select programs, and submit your application!
Opportunities for Students (January 2026)
January is another month full of great opportunities for NYC students and families to apply for and enjoy. Check out this month's outstanding learning and earning opportunities available for City students, including free workshops, paid internships, contests, scholarships, and even activities for the entire family, and register/apply for them today!
Every School Day Matters
Attendance matters! Learn how missing just two days of school every month can have a negative effect on your child's education, and see what solutions and resources are available to help your child stay in school every day, all year round!
The Month Ahead (January 2026)
See what's happening in NYC Public Schools in January 2026, including the start of 3-K and Pre-K admissions for fall 2026, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January Regents exams, and the closure of this year's kindergarten application for fall 2026 admissions!
Monday, January 19, 2026, is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Each year, we honor Dr. King's legacy as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement that began in the 1950s and his dedication to the nonviolent pursuit of justice and racial equality. In celebration, we're sharing books for students of all ages to learn more about his life and mission.
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You, by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by James E. Ransome
- Coretta, by Coretta Scott King; illustrated by Ekua Holmes
- Let the Children March, by Monica Clark-Robinson; illustrated by Frank Morrison
- March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World, by Christine King Darris; illustrated by London Ladd
- Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by Doreen Rappaport; illustrated by Bryan Collier
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Martin Rising: Requiem for a King, by Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
- Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968, by Alice Faye Duncan; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
- More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long
- My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement, by Willie Mae Brown
- A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation, by Barry Wittenstein; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day, by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood; illustrated by Steffi Whitehall
- Marching to the Mountaintop: How Poverty, Labor Fights, and Civil Rights Set the Stage for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Hours, by Ann Bausum
- Threads of Peace, by Uma Krishnaswami
- Troublemaker for Justice, by Jacqueline Houtman, Walter Naegle, and Michael G. Long
- We Were the Fire: Birmingham 1963, by Shelia P. Moses
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- And We Rise, by Erica Martin
- Dear Martin, by Nic Stone
- Into the Streets: A Young Person’s Visual History of Protest in the United States, by Marke Bieschke
- March: Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
- Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March, by Lynda Blackmon Lowery, Elspeth Leacock, and Susan Buckley
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more recommendations in the "Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement" Collection on Sora!
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
In this edition of the Spotlight, we're looking back on Kamar H. Samuels' first days as Chancellor of NYC Public Schools!
Following his appointment by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Chancellor Samuels officially began his new role on January 1, 2026, and immediately began reaching out to educators and district leaders to present his vision for City public schools. The new Chancellor also spent his first full week visiting classrooms, speaking directly with parents, and meeting some of the City's most promising scholars.
Welcome aboard, Chancellor Samuels!
The Kindergarten Application for Fall 2026 is Open!
The kindergarten application is now open for fall 2026! Learn about tips and tools you can use to discover and select programs, and submit your application today!
It's Never Too Early to Plan for Your Child's Career
Don’t wait until your child's high school graduation to plan for their future. Get started on their career development now and learn how NYCPS can help.
Get Ready for More Learning and Less Scrolling
Beginning this September, NYC Public Schools will be implementing its new Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy across all K–12 City public schools, including charter programs, in accordance with New York State law. Learn more about this "cell phone ban," and start getting ready for distraction-free schools this fall!
Ready to Read: Literacy Resources for Families
NYC Reads is reshaping the way that we teach our students to read, but the learning doesn't have to stop at the classroom door! Whether it's a family book club or a phonics-based 20 questions game, you can bring the "science of reading" home by using any of our helpful resources that will help your children continue to develop their literacy skills, like:
- Reading Games
- Phonics, Vocabulary, and Storytelling Practice
- And more!
Stay Informed with a NYC Schools Account (NYCSA)
With a NYCSA, you can:
- Access your child's school information on the go
- See your student’s grades, test scores and more
- Complete important forms
- Take classes in Parent University
- Get technology support through SupportHub
