The city is launching its first combined summer program for both academics and enrichment activities, such as field trips, for all of New York City's K-12 students, the mayor announced on Tuesday.

The free program combines the Department of Youth & Community Development’s voluntary summer programming with the Department of Education’s summer school program. 

“This ends summer school as we knew it,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio at his daily press briefing on Tuesday. “This is something new. This is literally for every child who wants to participate—doesn’t matter if you've had challenges in school or you're doing great in school. You’re welcome this summer.”

The DOE’s academic program is for students who failed a class or are in danger of being left behind a year and is mandatory for those students to move on to the next grade. 

Enrichment programming for the combined DOE and DYCD’s Summer Rising, which is open to all students, will include field trips, arts activities and outdoor recreation.

“With ‘Summer Rising,’ we’ll be able to provide students across the city with a holistic summer experience,” said Chancellor Meisha Porter. “This will include academic support, social-emotional learning and exciting enrichment opportunities.”

K-8 students will be able to enroll starting Monday, April 26 on the DCYD website. 

The program for kindergarten and elementary school students will run five days a week for seven weeks. Students with 12-month IEPs will participate in the program five days a week for six weeks. Middle school students can participate four days a week for six weeks and high school students can participate for five weeks at a schedule tailored to their individual needs.

Remote programming will be available for families with children mandated for summer learning or have a 12-month IEP. 

The program also provides high school students the opportunity to engage in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and participate in the Public Schools Athletic League. 

The city's goal is to engage 200,000 students this summer in the program with an estimated budget of $120 million, according to officials.

City officials are hoping that this format will be the path for summer programming moving forward.

"This is really groundbreaking for this city and rare in this country that we would take an approach that's really for everyone in the summer," said the mayor.