October 2017 Newsletter
Program Highlights
Service in Schools Hosts the 2017 Partner Fair
On Tuesday, October 10, Service in Schools hosted its 5th Annual Partner Fair at American Airlines Theater, the home of Roundabout Theatre Company . At this year’s event, 14 partner organizations met with educators from across the city to share strategies and resources to bolster community service and service-learning activities in New York City public schools.

The fair enabled educators to learn about the many ways that students in grades Pre-K through 12 can make a positive impact on communities at the local, national, and global level. Partners provided information to support participants in building new service-learning programs that run the gamut from environmental sustainability, civic engagement, cancer research, fighting poverty, and more, and teachers offered insight on how to incorporate this service into the classroom setting.
Service in Schools extends many thanks to our participating partner organizations: Cafeteria Culture , Citymeals-On-Wheels , DOROT , Friends of Van Cortlandt Park , Generation Citizen , Go Project , GreenThumb , Grow NYC , Lead2Feed , Leukemia and Lymphoma Society , NYC Service , Reading Partners , The Service Learning Project , and WE Schools . We would also like to thank Roundabout Theatre Company for hosting this event, and all of the fair attendees, who brought their ideas and enthusiasm. We hope to see you at next year’s fair!
The 2017-2018 Service Learning Institute Commences
On Tuesday, October 17, Service in Schools kicked off its 2017-18 Service-Learning Institute, bringing together over 50 educators from across the city for the first of three full days of professional learning focused on implementing service-learning in their classrooms and developing a culture of service in their schools.

During this first session, participants learned the foundations of service-learning as well as engaging techniques and activities for connecting service to classroom instruction. All attendees, including the Service in Schools staff, tested out these techniques and had a lot of fun in the process.

In the coming weeks, the Service in Schools team will visit participating educators in their schools to support the implementation of service-learning before participants return for the subsequent two sessions in January and April. We are very excited to see the service-learning projects our participants and their students will undertake!
Last Days to Apply to the Race Against Waste and Kids Action Team Programs!
It’s not too late to get involved with Service in Schools programs for the 2017-18 school year. Middle and high school teachers, don’t miss out on applying to the Race Against Waste program before the deadline on Wednesday, November 1 . Elementary school teachers have through Monday, November 6 to apply to launch a Kids Action Team .
If you are interested in service-learning but cannot commit to these programs, email us at ServiceinSchools@schools.nyc.gov to find out how we can support you in your goals. 
School Spotlight
20K112- Lefferts Park Elementary School
Project Summary:  During the 2016-17 school year, a group of Ms. Gisella Trunzo’s 4 th and 5 th grade students came together to discuss issues they felt needed their attention. As a group, the students decided that they wanted to explore how to reduce pollution and litter. Then they created a campaign to raise awareness about the issue and presented it to their school.

Investigation : Students conducted online research and interviewed a sanitation worker in order to become experts on issues of litter and pollution. They also recorded observations of litter in their neighborhoods to see how people were contributing to these problems on a daily basis.

Planning : The students decided that advocacy and awareness would be their goal, and focused on reaching their school community. After examining a variety of possibilities, the group of students ultimately decided to hold an assembly on the issue because it would allow them to reach a wide audience.
Action : The students came up with different ways to spread their message and educate others on the topics of litter and pollution. They created persuasive posters, used inspirational quotes to connect their topic, and wrote speeches and informational reports in order to share their message.

Demonstration : The school held a special assembly in which the students shared their posters, quotes, speeches, and reports to the school community in an effort to raise awareness about litter and pollution and to encourage their classmates to keep their community clean.

Reflection : Upon further reflection, the students realized that they wanted to keep their message alive all year round, not only during an assembly. They then decided to reproduce their posters and display one in every classroom to serve as a reminder for the school community to help reduce litter and pollution .
Current and Upcoming Opportunities
Gowanus Canal Conservancy
Events: Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 19 for students in grades 3-12
Gowanus Canal Conservancy seeks students in grades 3-12 to help make the Gowanus canal and its watershed more open, clean, and alive. Student volunteers will help turn and sift compost, collect litter, propagate seeds, weed gardens, and care for neighborhood trees during Clean & Green Days. The volunteer-based Gowanus Canal Conservancy Clean & Green Program will meet on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 19 from 10:00am-1:00pm for its final sessions. Click here for more information and to sign up, and email volunteer@gowanuscanalconservancy.org  with questions.
The New York Times 2018 College Scholarship Program
Deadline to apply: November 10
Ten high school seniors will be selected to receive college scholarships of up to $15,000 annually to attend any nationally accredited four-year college to which they have been admitted for full-time study. The program is open to current high school seniors attending a high school in New York City and demonstrating outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to learning and community service, while facing financial and other obstacles. To learn more about the program, click  here . To apply, click here .   
GenerationOn Family Volunteer Day
Event: November 18 2017 for students of all grade levels and families
Be inspired by the power of helping others! GenerationOn Family Volunteer Day is coming up on Saturday, November 18, 2017. This is a day to volunteer as a family to support your community. Visit generationOn’s website to access project ideas and educational resources for families with children of all ages. Click here to find a service project for your family to complete on November 18.  
Reading Partners
Ongoing opportunity for students ages 14 and up
Reading Partners is an organization dedicated to unlocking the skills of students who struggle with reading. It provides one-on-one reading instruction to elementary school students reading below grade level to help them succeed in school and in life. Reading Partners believes that given the right support and resources, all children can learn to read. The organization is looking for volunteer tutors ages 14 and up who will receive research-based, structured lesson plans designed to focus on the individual needs of the students. Tutors are required to commit to at least one hour per week. Click here for more information on volunteering.
Resource Highlights
Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots
Service-Learning Toolkit
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots’ mission is to empower and encourage youth of all ages to pursue their passion, mobilize their peers, and become the leaders the world needs in order to ensure a better future for people, animals, and the environment. Kids who participate in Roots & Shoots follow four steps in order to make a difference in their community and learn in the process: engaging with the community, mapping, taking action, and celebrating. The Roots & Shoots toolkit provides sample activities for each step, a sample timeline of an effective service-learning project, and a list of Common Core Standards that each step can address. Click here to download the toolkit. 
Alliance for Climate Education
Our Climate Our Future Series
The Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) educates young people on the science of climate change and empowers them to take action. ACE offers Our Climate Our Future , an online multimedia resource that covers the science and impact of climate change, as well as solutions. The series is 40 minutes long and is designed to be interactive, engaging, and adaptable to different classroom needs. Our Climate Our Future is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and comes with a full suite of teacher resources and lesson plans. Click here to register.
Contact the Service in Schools Team
Invite the Service in Schools team to visit your service project. We want to see your students and school community in action. Email the Service in Schools team at ServiceinSchools@schools.nyc.gov with two weeks’ notice, and we’ll schedule a visit to your school to learn about your project and see the impact you’re making on the community. 
Follow @ServicenSchools to receive program updates, upcoming service opportunities, resources, and more. We encourage students who use Twitter and are interested in service opportunities to follow us.
Mission: Service in Schools strives to expand the number of NYC students engaged in transformative community service and service-learning experiences that enable them to use their voice, skills, and critical thinking to strengthen communities.