New York City Service

The NYC DOE partners with NYC Service to offer a locally-approved seal to recognize students for earning a minimum of 100 hours of service over their high school years that is affixed to students’ diplomas and distributed at graduation. Service in Schools is excited to highlight the High School Diploma Seal of Recognition for Service. Find more information behind login on the NYC DOE InfoHub.

DOROT has service opportunities this fall for high school students interested in intergenerational engagement with adults 65+ years old. Registration is now open for DOROT’s virtual volunteering program, GENuine Connections. Join a group of teens and older adults for a weekly workshop over zoom – quality time while earning service hours. Learn more and sign up for an orientation here. Additionally, DOROT's Fall Teen Internship, which takes place in-person from October 24 through December 15, 2022 is also currently accepting applications. Complete this form to apply by October 10; acceptance is on a rolling basis. All Teen Interns are required to be completely vaccinated against COVID-19, and have received at least one booster shot. No exceptions will be made. Visit DOROT’s website to learn more about all the volunteer opportunities and apply.

Doing Good Together is a nonprofit organization that is working hard to make the world a better place for every generation. They do so by providing resources and volunteer opportunities via their website, newsletters, and a monthly email that is sent to subscribers. The free monthly email blast provides a listing of family-friendly volunteer opportunities in New York City. If you would like to receive the email in your inbox each month, reach out to Natalie@doinggoodtogether.org and she will add you to the subscriber list. The Doing Good Together website provides lots of resources, book suggestions, and ideas for the different ways that we can all help our community. For example, help local animal shelters by creating toys for rescued animals. Crafty kids and their families can create toys for cats, dogs, bunnies, and even guinea pigs. These toys will make life in the shelter easier and more tolerable for these future pets. Check out the Doing Good Together website to learn more about how you can help and get involved. 

Jr. Litter League

On October 17, NYC Parks is re-launching the Jr. Litter League, a citywide competition and youth service program. Youth teams can sign up to help care for local parks, learn about the importance of the environment, and win fun prizes! From October 17 through December 15, 2022 throughout the five boroughs, Jr. Litter League, teams of up to 15 students and three adult leaders volunteer to pick up litter and leaves in a local park. Team leaders will take part in an orientation with NYC Parks staff before the start of the program, and will also be able to check their team’s standings against other groups across the city mid-way through the competition. Prizes will be awarded to winning teams at the elementary, middle, and high school levels by borough, and every Jr. Litter Leaguer receives a gift for joining (while supplies last)! NYC Parks will provide all necessary supplies. Visit the Jr. Litter League webpage and register today.

EcoRise mobilizes a new generation of leaders to design healthy, just, and thriving communities for all. Educators in EcoRise’s Sustainable Intelligence Program have access to the K-12 Our STEM-based Sustainable Intelligence (SI) Curriculum, available in English and Spanish. The curriculum introduces students to challenges and opportunities surrounding seven distinct eco-themes and engages youth in developing real-world solutions in their communities through project-based activities, design labs, and campus Eco-Audits. Students who complete one or more Eco-Audits from the SI curriculum are eligible to apply for up to $700 per project to support green campus projects and initiatives that tackle sustainability challenges identified during the Eco-Audit.

Learn more about EcoRise teacher resources here, see examples of student projects on the EcoRise website, and complete this form to enroll.

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. 

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. 

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.