The 2019-20 Kids Action Team Program Begins!
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On December 10, Service in Schools (SIS) hosted the first session for teachers participating in the Kids Action Team program. 16 elementary educators gathered for an introduction to service-learning and gain tools and resources for connecting service to academic learning in an after-school club.
As the program continues, participants will receive on-the-ground supports from the SIS team to begin planning for action in their school and local communities. At the end of the school year, students will present their work at the annual Celebration of Service. The SIS team looks forward to seeing how each Kids Action Team’s project develops!
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Kicking Off this Year's Race Against Waste Program
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40 middle and high school educators joined SIS and the Office of Sustainability on December 12 for the first Race Against Waste professional learning session. During the session, teams of teachers participated in activities they will use to guide their Green Teams through a service-learning project focused on waste. Race Against Waste Green Teams will promote reducing, upcycling, and reusing in their schools this year.
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The SIS team has been visiting teachers and classes as part of the Service-Learning Institute program. Highlights include first grade students at P.S. 316 in Brooklyn brainstorming how to help their community after reading books on hunger and the environment and third grade students at P.S. 290 in Queens presenting ideas for helping the environment, such as creating a PSA for the school news broadcast and planting trees in the neighborhood.
The SIS team is happy 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 SIS team would be happy to set up a phone call and potential visit to assist in fostering a culture of service in schools across the city.
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P.S. 200 The James McCune Smith Elementary School - Manhattan
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Project Summary:
The P.S. 200 student council developed quotes to display in murals on the walls of Harlem Hospital’s pediatric department. They also conducted a toy and book drive for young patients in the hospital.
Investigation:
P.S. 200 student council members researched several community service initiatives and developed a list of possible projects. They voted and chose to work with the nearby Harlem Hospital for a service project and corresponded with the hospital administration to find out what needs they currently had. In doing so, they discovered that the facility’s annual book and toy drive was coming up and that the young patients would appreciate cheerful messages during their hospital stay.
Preparation:
Students gathered donations of toys and books in English and Spanish for patients up to age 18 in the Harlem Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department. They also developed a variety of inspiring quotes to incorporate into displays for the hospital.
Action:
Students visited the pediatric department and attended the Harlem Reads holiday event, where they watched a series of performances and presented over 250 toys and books to Harlem Hospital’s president.
Demonstration:
Participating students were recognized in Harlem Hospital’s newsletter for their efforts.
Reflection
: Students enjoyed supporting those in need and are participating in the book drive. They hope to carry the initiative into the future.
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Current and Upcoming Opportunities
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NYC Service Youth Leadership Council
Ongoing Opportunity for High Schools
NYC Service
Youth Leadership Councils (YLCs) are for high school leaders ages 14-21 who want take action and make real change through policy, practice, and advocacy service. Students on YLCs team up to share ideas, create solutions, and put those solutions into action with support from city agencies, schools, and community organizations. Interested students can
apply today
. School-based staff and community organization staff and leaders can
learn more
about hosting a YLC.
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New York Junior League
Ongoing Opportunity for Elementary and Middle Schools
The
New York Junior League
(NYJL) is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Partnering with more than 60 community-based organizations, the NYJL creates customized health, education, arts, and social support programs for women, children, and families from underserved communities throughout New York City. The Jr. Junior League aims to instill a sense of volunteerism in NYC’s children, ages 4 to 12. Collaborating with other NYJL projects and community partners, the Jr. Junior League engages children in volunteer activities while also teaching them about philanthropic principles. Past Jr. Junior League volunteer opportunities have included preparing and serving dinner to food pantry guests, delivering meals to homebound seniors, decorating cards for families with babies in the NICU, and planting flowers, as part of NYJL’s playground improvement project. For more information about Jr. Junior League, please visit
their website
or email
jrjrleague@nyjl.org
.
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Generation Citizen
Action Civics Program for Middle and High Schools
Generation Citizen
works to ensure that every student in the United States receives an effective action civics education, which provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in our democracy as active citizens. They inspire civic participation through a state standards-aligned action civics class that gives students the opportunity to experience real-world democracy. Generation Citizen offers
trainings and support to teachers
, as well as
curriculum
related to civic engagement and service for middle and high school students. To learn more about Generation Citizen’s Action Civics program for the spring semester, contact Program Director
Brooke Wallace
.
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Lead4Change
Service Program for Middle and High School Classes and Clubs
The
Lead4Change
Student Leadership Program is a leadership curriculum with a framework for community service. The Lead4Change leadership lessons provide opportunities for high levels of student engagement through collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and reflection. Throughout the
leadership lessons
and project experience, students will increase their understanding of practical leadership skills as they take action to make a positive impact on a need in their school or community. Students then can enter the Lead4Change Challenge for a chance to win up to $10,000 for their charity partner or school. Lead4Change is free to all schools in grades 6-12. Teachers can
join the program
and
check out research
on the program’s impact on leadership and social emotional learning for participating students.
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Contact the Service in Schools Team
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Does your school have a great service project to share? If so, the Service in Schools team wants to know!
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
on Twitter and
@ServiceinSchools
on Instagram
to receive program updates, upcoming service opportunities, resources, and more. We encourage students who use social media 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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