Art

Abstract Painting - Join Dave in this painting course that requires no drawing skills. Students will produce two paintings and visit galleries on the LES and the gallery district in Chelsea.

Comic Book Design - Ever thought "man, I wish I had a superpower", or "wow, I bet I would look great in spandex"? Explore your Super-side as you learn how to draw dynamic, action-filled panels and develop your own comic book. Prior drawing experience is not necessary, but helpful. Topics covered include storyboarding, composition, and inking techniques. We will also visit an exhibition of comic-book inspired mosaics by Jason Dussault and browse New York's largest comic book store.

Doodler's Delight - Are your notes full of beautiful, crazy, random drawings? If so, join Mike R. for this course! You’ll have time and space (and music and whatever food you'd like to bring) to make YOUR art YOUR way - on your own or with your friends. It's all up to you! No experience? No problem!

We’re leaving NDHS

An Understanding of World Religions - Touring houses of worship of the world's religions that reside within NYC to gain a better understanding of the diverse population of our city. Students will tour places such as a Buddhist Temple, Synagogue, and Cathedral. We are planning on visiting two houses of worship per day-- one in the morning, break for lunch, and a second house of worship in the afternoon.

Big Buddies/Little Buddies - Have you ever wanted to be a Big Buddy to a younger student? This intersession will explore what it means to be a leader among peers, but also how to be a leader and mentor to younger students, specifically at our sister school, New Design Middle School. We will be spending the week exploring ourselves as leaders and mentors, exploring parts of New York and sharing our leadership skills with students at New Design Middle School. Join Heather and JC in this active intersession involving a lot of traveling around the city, walking, talking and participating students at NDMS.  Each participant in this Intersession will leave with at least 1 Little Buddy at NDMS in West Harlem.

Broke with Expensive Taste - Jordan C. and Karissa tour thrift shop of Manhattan and Brooklyn to find the flyest outfit on a budget of $20 and under. To participate in this course, you will need $20 in your pocket, a passion for fashion, and the patience (and maybe allergy meds.) to dig through used clothing. (If you don't have the $20, we can help you fundraise!) On the last day of intersession, we will hold a fashion show to showcase our outfits and the audience will choose their favorites.

College Road Trip - Spring is in the air. Another year of high school is winding down, and suddenly it hits you: You're going to be a senior sooner than you thought! This intersession is your chance to get a head start on the college process. Explore, tour and hang out at Seton Hall University, Medgar Evers College, and Montclair State University with Susan and Rachel. After this college road trip, you'll be all set to begin your college search relaxed, prepared, and excited about your future.

Crafty Cool College Trip! - We will be touring a few Colleges! Come check out some of these campuses and witness if they are a great fit for you! Edwin will be visiting City College, Lehman College and St. Johns College at Astor Place.

Envirothon - Join Theresa, Marc and the NDHS Envirothon team as we explore environmental topics, including aquatics, forestry, soil and wildlife. Each day will begin at NDHS, where we will look in depth at each topic and will conclude with an afternoon field trip to a park to see the topics we’ve been studying out in NYC!

Farming Concrete- Want to get out of school and learn by doing?  Want to share your photos and thoughts about the world online?  Through daily trips with Jocelyn to urban farms, this intersession will explore how communities grow food in the city to make the world more beautiful, fun, and delicious--and just.  We will post our findings on our blog.  Special guest speaker: Kimberly White of the law firm Earthjustice! on “Why Youth of Color Should Work for Environmental Justice.”

Game Design - Join Melissa at Urban Arts Partnership’s state-of-the-art media lab in Soho to design computer games. You’ll get an introduction to coding and game design. On Thursday, you’ll present your  work in a hackathon.

Hiking - Wanna see some trees? Real ones! This intersession expedition is all about hiking and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Katherine and Paula are taking daily hikes in areas close to the city and accessible by public transportation. Join Paula and Katherine for adventures outside the city!

Keep Calm and Watch to Learn - Explore some of the great NYC based films. Visit the film locations, eat local food and and take pics on "location" and superimpose pics of yourself on location over screen shots from the film.

Leave None to Tell the Story - Do you have a thousand questions about the Holocaust? Have you seen the Boy in the Striped Pajamas and want to know more? Jillian and Natalie will take an in depth look at the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide through movies and film and take a trip to the Holocaust Museum here in NYC to learn more about the causes and effects of genocide.

NYC Instagram Tour (this is not a selfie intersession!!!!) - Join Brett on an Instagram tour of NYC. We will spend our days checking out New York's best attractions (museums, parks, boat rides, bridges, sculpture gardens) and compete against each other to see who can take the best pictures of where we've been. We will start by exploring and learning about different types of photography and examine what makes a great photo so that we can take our own!!

Sculpture Adventure - Art + Field Trips + You = Sculpture Adventure. You will visit some of the very many wonderful places to view sculpture in New York City and upstate. Trips include Pepsico Sculpture Garden and/or Socrates Sculpture Park, hot fresh Chelsea galleries, real life artists’ studios, and the endlessly mind-blowing treasures of the Met. Participants will have the opportunity talk/think/write/create about what they see.

Treat Yo'self: Mind, Body & Soul - Join the YDC Team (Danny & Caleigh) to nourish your mind, body and soul as we adventure across Manhattan and Brooklyn exploring the arts, tasting the local foods and providing community enrichment. Prepare your taste buds and your walking shoes because we will be exploring different neighborhoods, markets and TURN DOWN FOR WHAT with Zumba and much more! Complimentary snacks will be provided by HealthCorps.

Performing/Set Design and Singing

National Drama: Antigone in Ferguson - building sets - Ever want to be involved in movies, but being in front of the camera or audience isn't your thing? Do you like to work with your hands when you're being creative? In Nolan’s course, you will build sets and props, engineer your own soundtrack and sound effects, or design costumes that could one day clothe your favorite actors or actresses. Learn how to create the environment for a live performance of New Design students who will improvise, act, stage and perform during Intersession.

National Drama: Antigone In Ferguson - Hands up! Hands off! Don't touch that body behind the yellow crime scene tape! Cops vs. kids; police vs. the people. There have been a lot of battles over what bodies matter in our society after the tragic events in Ferguson, on Staten Island, and all over the streets of America. Join John to create an interactive play that students will improvise, act, stage and perform during Intersession.

New Design Choir - Come and sing with Darren and Bobby! During this workshop we will choose three songs to sing as a group. We will rehearse them and perform them for the school on Thursday during the One Act Plays showcase.

One-Act Plays! - It's the NDHS 5th year anniversary for One-Act Plays!!! NDHS students will have two full days to write a one-act, 10 minute play, which will then be performed by REAL, LIVE actors from NYC on Thursday, April 2nd. A great opportunity for NDHS student actors, playwrights, and writers! Come be famous and have fun with Jody!

Stay, Play, Learn

Critical Lens - Why are commercials made? Why is there news on television? Why are shows put on television? Why are movies & videos produced and made available online and in theatres? Take a closer look with Filipe at what media is presented to us and how to better filter, decode, and understand it.

First Aid & CPR - Want to get certified in American Red Cross First Aid/CPR & AED? Join Sean as you learn life-saving skills, how to deal with emergencies, and how to treat someone who is sick or injured. Students who complete the course have an option to purchase their American Red Cross certification cards.

The Mathematics of Magic: The Gathering - We will play the game Magic: The Gathering (Invented by Mathematics PhD Richard Garfield) and explore the mathematical aspects of the game and how using a combination of deductive reasoning, combinatorics and expected value you can up your game and destroy your opponent. This intercession is only for students who have already signed up with Phil (or are familiar with the game). If you haven’t spoken to Phil sign up and then come see ASAP.

Pop Up Shop - Help plan the New Design Pop Up Shop with Scott. The New Design Pop Up Shop will open in late May and early June with products designed, handcrafted, and made by our very own students at New Design High School. This session will focus on the organizational side of the store as we prepare to launch the shop.

Seniors - Dance Class - Open to seniors who have spoken with Deborah.