Site Visits to Support Service-Learning
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Over the past several weeks, the Service in Schools (SIS) team has traveled throughout the city to visit teachers participating in the Service-Learning Institute. The SIS team has enjoyed seeing how each teacher is incorporating the strategies and techniques they learned from the first session of the Institute into their classes. Their students have brainstormed a variety of possibilities for service during this school year. They gleaned these ideas from activities as quick as a one-minute think-tank to larger endeavors like the four corners exercise, which requires students to collaboratively research a topic of their choice through media, interview, survey, and observation.
The SIS team witnessed many classes making steady progress in identifying community needs and planning for action. These include fifth grade students in the Bronx identifying needs in their own community after reading
Wangari’s Trees of Peace
, high school students investigating the impact of climate change in their Brooklyn neighborhood, and first and fourth grade students in Queens collaborating on a community garden inspired by
Seedfolks
. These investigations are rich with opportunities for students to learn and serve, and this is just the beginning.
The SIS team is excited to see students’ progress with their plans for service and to continue to support teachers and students in developing meaningful ways to help their communities. Teachers interested in implementing service-learning in their school are encouraged to send an inquiry to
ServiceinSchools@schools.nyc.gov
. The team would be happy to assist any educator in fostering a culture of service in their school community.
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P373K – The Brooklyn Transition Center
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Project Summary:
Students in Lily Lamb-Atkinson’s service-learning class at P373K are designing a pamphlet to promote pet adoption, which they will distribute at the Brooklyn Cat Café, run by the
Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition
.
Investigation:
The students have begun learning about animal welfare in New York City by conducting media research and surveys and by interviewing Julia Rosenfeld, an animal rescuer with Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition. The students concluded that, in order to promote adoption and prevent pet abandonment in their community, they wanted to inform families about the benefits and responsibilities of adopting a pet.
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Planning:
The class is planning to volunteer at the Brooklyn Cat Café, where they will assist in maintenance projects, help to socialize kittens, and learn more about the process of adopting and caring for a pet. After their onsite service at the Cat Café, they will design a pamphlet for young people about animal adoption and distribute it to families who are interested in adopting a pet.
Action:
Once the pamphlet is complete, the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition will display it on their website and at the Brooklyn Cat Café.
Demonstration:
In addition to publishing their pamphlet for public use, the students will also display it in their school on their service-learning bulletin board for the entire student body to see.
Reflection:
Throughout the project, the students will reflect on their progress and findings through group discussions and written reflections during their service-learning block periods.
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Current and Upcoming Opportunities
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New York Cares 29
th
Annual Coat Drive
Accepting donations through December 31
Imagine having no respite from the cold, no hope of getting warm anytime soon – that's the reality for many New Yorkers every winter. With the number of children, seniors, and families in need of a warm coat continuing to rise,
New York Cares
is back again to run their 29th Annual Coat Drive. Their goal is to collect 125,000 coats for New Yorkers in need this winter, and they need all hands on deck to achieve it. New York Cares will be accepting coat donations until December 31. For more information, click
here
, or register as a coat collection group with your friends, family, classmates, and co-workers
here
.
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Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program
Challenge deadline April 6, 2018 for middle and high schools
The
Lead2Feed
Student Leadership Program is the nation’s leading and fastest growing free leadership program, attracting more than a million students in 5,000 schools and clubs across all 50 states. Lead2Feed offers free teacher and student lesson plans, resources to make integration into any subject area easy, and alignment guides for subjects such as literacy and CTE. As a bonus, student teams can enter their work in the Lead2Feed Challenge by April 6, 2018. Fifty teams will win up to $10,000 for their chosen charity and tech products for their school.
Click
here
to register to access free online resources or contact
Debby Dodge
for more information.
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DOROT Summer Internship
Rolling applications through May 10, 2018
DOROT
high school students to apply for the Summer Teen Internship program. Interns will volunteer with a diverse group of socially conscious teens to connect with older adults, provide
assistance, and learn new skills together. Rising sophomores through rising seniors are welcome to apply. Interns can choose from one of two sessions in Manhattan: June 25-July 19 or July 23-August 16. There is also a session in Riverdale from July 23 to August 16.
Interns volunteer Monday through Thursday from 10:30am-5:00pm. Travel stipends are available for interns on basis of need. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until May 10, 2018 and the process includes a phone and in-person interview.
Click
here
for more information, and click
here
to apply.
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Brooklyn Public Library
Ongoing volunteer opportunities for students 12 and up
The
Brooklyn Public Library
offers students ages 12 and up the opportunity to volunteer at library locations throughout Brooklyn. Students ages 12-18 can volunteer as Book Buddies and read aloud to children using the dialogic reading method, support the development of fun and engaging programs for youth, and assist staff with special library projects and programs. There are also opportunities to tutor, intern, and volunteer with technology support. Click
here
to learn more about the variety of volunteer programs available to students of different ages, and click
here
to start an online application.
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Citymeals on Wheels
Ongoing volunteer opportunities for students of all ages
Volunteers with
Citymeals on Wheels
make a difference in the lives of the homebound elderly by providing nutritious food and friendly company. Opportunities are available for students ages 16 and older to volunteer on weekday and weekend meal deliveries, and students of all ages can create personalized cards for Citymeals recipients or help package food for delivery. Volunteers are free to choose the frequency and length of their commitment. All potential student volunteers must attend an orientation at the Citymeals on Wheels office, at which time students choose their volunteer opportunity and/or senior center site. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Click
here
to learn more, and click
here
to register.
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Karma for Cara Microgrant
Application Deadline: January 1
Karma for Cara Foundation
(K4C) focuses on creating opportunities for youth engagement and volunteerism in communities, supporting the well-being of cancer patients and their families, and honoring those who are making a big impact. In an effort to support youth volunteerism, K4C runs a Youth Microgrant program. Youth 18 and under are encouraged to apply for funds between $250 and $1,000 to complete service projects in their communities. These grants have engaged thousands of volunteers in more than 3,000 hours of community service. Click
here
for more information, and click
here
to apply for a microgrant.
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Generation Citizen
Action Civics Curriculum
Generation Citizen
partners with teachers and schools to implement a comprehensive, high-quality
Action Civics
education program taught twice weekly over the course of a semester, often added to history, social studies, or a similar course during class time.
Action Civics
is a student-centered, project-based approach to civics education that develops the individual skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary to promote young people’s lifelong civic engagement. In the
Action Civics
course, students debate issues directly affecting them, like police-community relations or domestic violence and work as a class to choose one focus issue to address during the semester. They develop strategic action plans to effect systemic change on that issue, implement the plan by engaging directly with influencers and decision makers, and present their findings at Civics Day, a semester-end student showcase. Email
Carolyn O'Neil
or call (646) 856-4301 to learn more.
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Contact the Service in Schools Team
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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.
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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.
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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.
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