About Summer Steps

Summer Steps is a program for four- and five-year-old children who will be entering kindergarten or applying to kindergarten at an independent school the following fall, and whose family taxable income is under $80,000 or if the family is paying less than 10% of the ongoing school tuition or less than 20% of the early childhood school tuition.  In 2023, the program will run from Monday, June 26 through Friday, July 28. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an optional early drop-off at 8:00 a.m. and optional extended day until 6:00 p.m.

Program Description

Teachers & Administrators

Director of Summer Steps:

Lydia Spinelli, Ed.D., former Director of The Brick Church School for 36 years, lspinelli.summersteps@brickchurch.org

Program Administrator:

Anne Schack | aschack@brickchurch.org

Summer Steps Teachers:

Teachers are New York State Certified Early Childhood Educators with experience teaching at The Brick Church School and other independent schools including Summer Steps Partner Schools. Our highly-skilled staff is supported by a child psychologist and speech and language therapist.

College interns and high school teaching fellows from Partner schools support the teachers.

Collaborating Program

Summer Steps is proud to collaborate with Early Steps. Early Steps is an organization whose mission is to promote racial diversity in New York City Independent Schools by increasing enrollment of students of color at the kindergarten and first grade level.