District 3
San Francisco’s District 3, which is home to the Chinatown, Nob Hill, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill neighborhoods, is hosting seven Summer Learning Week events.
Charity Cultural Services Center: CCSC Summer Camp
Tai Chi with Grandfriends: At Tai Chi with Grandfriends, participants engaged in an intergenerational Tai Chi workshop led by senior community members, where youth learned foundational Tai Chi movements, mindfulness practices, and the cultural significance behind this traditional art. Through shared movement and conversation, young people built connections with elders while exploring wellness, cultural heritage, and mutual respect. This event aligns with Learn, Lead, Belong in San Francisco by helping youth learn through hands-on cultural and wellness education, led by engaging respectfully in intergenerational community-building and practicing mindfulness skills they can carry forward, and belong by encouraging meaningful connections between youth and seniors while strengthening a sense of community across generations.
Chinatown YMCA: Middle School Adventures
Learn, Lead, and Belong: Youth-Led YMCA: This service learning project allowed groups to create their own fundraising activity to contribute to the annual YMCA campaign. Students learned how nonprofit organizations work and how fundraising is important to maintain and sustain a nonprofit organization. They created their own way of generating campaign funds (bake sales, media campaign, networking, etc.) and lead the process, while competing with other groups to generate the most campaign contributions. They learned where these funds go, supported the YMCA, and saw how their hard work is giving back to the community.
Chinatown YMCA: Summer School Program
Grow Your Mind, One Page at a Time: As part of our “Grow Your Mind, One Page at a Time” theme, our program partnered with the San Francisco Public Library, and helped youth build a love for reading and connection. Participants joined library read-alouds, spent time reading together, and had regular opportunities to borrow books that matched their interests. Within the program, each group also took part in staff-led read-alouds and discussions, with books chosen based on grade level. These shared reading experiences supported learning, encouraged students to share their thoughts, and helped them feel more connected to their peers and community. By engaging with stories and local library resources, youth strengthened their literacy skills while building a sense of belonging in San Francisco.
Community Youth Center: ACE Redding & Garfield CYC Summer Program 2026
CYC Community of Kindness Clean Up: Youth from Kindergarten - 5th Grade will do a community clean up week. They will learn about service learning and the art of kindness, giving and helping. Staff will create lessons based on books - The Clean Team, Maybe Something Beautiful, The Earth Book and City Green. They will learn about the impact that cleaning up a community can do for others, San Francisco and yourself. The art of giving and how it teaches respect, kindness and compassion. They will learn about being a good citizen in our neighborhood and San Francisco. Youth will learn about neighborhoods and why it's important to keep it clean and respect it. We will gather trash and clean up our school and walk to Washington Square park collecting trash with trash pickers, gloves and bags. We will end with a community picnic in the park to celebrate. Photos coming soon!
Donaldina Cameron House: Summer Adventures 2026
Learn, Lead, Belong: Youth Community Exploration Week: The Cameron House hosted a week-long youth program aligned with the theme “Learn, Lead, Belong in San Francisco.” Through hands-on and community-based experiences, youth explored how individuals contribute to a thriving community. Students began by learning about different roles within Cameron House through staff shadowing, gaining insight into how organizations function and serve others. They then engaged with community helpers such as postal workers, firefighters, and local professionals to better understand civic responsibility and community support systems. Throughout the week, youth reflected on their learning and developed presentations to share their experiences, building leadership and communication skills. The program culminated in a community service project, where youth participated in a neighborhood or beach clean-up, fostering a sense of belonging and responsibility for their community. This program empowered youth to learn from real-world experiences, develop leadership skills, and actively contribute to their community.
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center: Futurama
Send it On: Our summer learning event, Send It On, embodies San Francisco's theme by creating meaningful opportunities for students to grow academically and socially. Through hands on activities and engaging challenges, students will learn new skills that spark curiosity and build confidence. They are encouraged to lead by collaborating with peers, taking initiative, and sharing their strengths in ways that uplift the entire learning community. Photos coming soon!
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center: TELHI Francisco Beacon
Cardboard Madness: Cardboard Car Derby: The Francisco Middle School Beacon has hosted “Cardboard Madness” every summer since coming back from the pandemic to teach students design and building through cardboard projects. In its first year, over 200 students worked collaboratively to build cardboard chairs that needed to withstand 200 lbs. The second year, students built small cars to race down a hill. In the third year, students built scenery and obstacles that linked together for a water slide. Last year was the first Cardboard Car Derby where students built both chassis for their cars and obstacles to drive around. This year students will do the same! We are expanding the event to make it more interactive for the North Beach community so neighbors in the community can see the creativity and collaborative power of the students. Like previous years, this project asks students to design, build, and describe their process to judges who’ll award 3 trophies: Terrific Teamwork, Courageous Creativity, and Epic Engineering. Photos coming soon!
