Apply to the 2026 DHSP Summer Lottery through March 9!
The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) offers summer programs to Cambridge children and youth currently in Kindergarten through 8th grade. Activities include art, sports, swimming, field trips, and more. All DHSP summer camps and programs are filled through a lottery process. The deadline to apply to the 2025 DHSP Summer Lottery application is Monday, March 9.
Apply for a One-Day Alcohol and Entertainment License
In an effort to streamline processes and increase transparency, the License Commission has created an application for the following requests: one-day alcohol licenses, one-day entertainment licenses, and one-day alcohol and entertainment licenses.
Summer Reading: Sunú Film Screening (Central Square)
Join us at the Central Square Branch for a screening of documentary film, Sunú.
Seen through the eyes of small, midsize and large Mexican maize producers, SUNÚ knits together different stories from a threatened rural world. This film documents how people realize their determination to stay free, to work the land and cultivate their seeds, to be true to their cultures and forms of spirituality, all in a modern world where corn is being threatened at the center of its origin: Mexico.
Popcorn and movie snacks provided.
Welcome Baby Boxes Provide Baby Care Essentials to Cambridge Parents
During the 11th Participatory Budgeting cycle, Cambridge residents voted to fund Welcome Baby Boxes for new parents. This initiative, offered by the Center for Families, provides Baby Boxes to eligible Cambridge parents who have a child under one year old. Since outreach began in the Fall of 2025, more than 60 Cambridge households have signed up to receive a Baby Box.
CPD to Host Civil Service Exam Information Session February 24
This session will include representatives from both Civil Service and the CPD to discuss the exam, application and hiring process, required training, and career opportunities within the department. Any interested members of the community are encouraged to attend.
Efforts, Collaboration Continue to Expand Afterschool Options for Cambridge Families
The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) is working to create a more equitable afterschool application and enrollment process while expanding access for Cambridge families. For the 2024-2025 school year, 1,486 students received an offer to a DHSP afterschool program, with 90% placed in their first choice, and a 7% increase in applicants from the income priority group. DHSP has also added 246 new seats across programs, launched an OST Expansion Study to support long-term growth, and continues to center caregiver perspectives through the Caregiver Council.