Program Recaps and Reflection

One 7th grade class and three 6th grade classes at I.S. 61 William A. Morris identified the need for disability awareness throughout their school community. The students spent the first few weeks of their service-learning project having important discussions about bias, empathy, defining disability, seen and unseen disabilities, and accessibility. In March, it came to the attention of students that they were celebrating Women’s History Month, but were not celebrating Disability Awareness Month. As a result, students created an action plan that included a letter to their principal asking if Disability Awareness Month can be added to the school’s calendar. Once a day was added to the calendar, students identified ways they would be able to celebrate Disability Rights Month. On that day, students and educators celebrated with the District 75 schools in their building. Service in Schools is very proud of these students and their efforts to further advancement disability awareness.

The mood in the Service in Schools office has been bittersweet because our high school Leadership Institute service-learning lessons came to an end. Each student leader completed over 30 hours of service, by creating and teaching service-learning lessons to elementary school students on animal welfare, fast fashion and fabric waste, homelessness and housing, and disability rights. Check out the advocacy posters and the service-learning lessons that student leaders created. We are so proud of the student leaders’ hard work and look forward to them continuing their advocacy + action in their future lives.

NYC H20

NYCH20 inspires and educates New Yorkers of all ages to learn about, enjoy, and protect their city’s local water ecology. Events include bike, walking, and reservoir tours in NYC, hikes upstate, paddling in the Catskill watershed, public lectures on infrastructure and water conservation, sewage treatment plant tours, and beach cleanups. During paddles and hikes, NYC residents get to see and touch one of the actual sources of their water. To find out more about upcoming events or to volunteer opportunities, visit the NYC H20 website.

NYC Parks Dept.

The New York City Parks Department (NYC Parks) is offering volunteer opportunities in parks and their partnering organizations. They are seeking volunteers to pitch in and paint, clean, rake, and generally take care of our city's great and vast park system. Groups and individuals are welcome at volunteer events across the city. Looking for more volunteer opportunities? Reach out to one of NYC Parks’ many partner organizations, or visit Partnerships for Parks, a public-private partnership between NYC Parks and City Parks Foundation that manages the ever growing network of volunteers.



NYC Service

NYC Service, a division of the Mayor’s Office, provides meaningful access, opportunity, and resources for communities to come together and answer the call to serve New York City. NYC Service envisions a city where New Yorkers are united by service, and together, we build a culture where New Yorkers uplift one another and take responsibility for the success of our city. To learn more about NYC Service and connect to volunteer opportunities, create a volunteer profile on the NYC Service website. By creating a volunteer account, you can:

• sign up for volunteer opportunities and manage your attendance;
• view your scheduled volunteer projects with various organizations; and
• track your volunteer hours all in one place by entering hours yourself and verifying with a host organization.

Youth must be 13 years or older to register a volunteer account on nyc.gov/service. Check out the frequently asked questions for step-by-step guidance on requesting hours certification and viewing your volunteer history.

Vote on the People's Money

All New Yorkers age 11 and up, regardless of immigration status, have the opportunity to decide how to spend $5 million of mayoral expense funding on projects in their community. The People's Money is NYC's first Participatory Budgeting process. We have an opportunity to vote on projects created by fellow New Yorkers and decide how a portion of the budget should be spent. To vote in The People's Money you must live in NYC, and be at least 11 years old. Only vote one time.

Summer at the Library

Libraries across the five boroughs are the place to be as the summer is heating up! Get creative all summer long with free programs and events for all ages at the New York Public Library—with opportunities to win prizes and more! 



The Brooklyn Public Library is also offering a plethora of events and activities this summer. Check out their summer calendar for more information. And don’t forget about Queens! The Queens Public Library has a host of events scheduled this summer. Visit their website for their summer calendar. 

Free Summer Meals

Breakfast and lunch will continue beyond the instructional school year for another year. The Summer Meals Program is available throughout New York City to anyone age 18 and under from Wednesday, June 28, through Friday, September 1, 2023. Designated public schools, community pool centers, parks, and food trucks will be open for service. No registration, documentation, or ID is necessary to receive a free breakfast from 8:00-9:15am or lunch from 11:00am-1:15pm. Select locations will open Wednesday, June 28 (Eid al-Adha) and citywide locations will open on Thursday, June 29. There will be no service on Tuesday, July 4. Find a location near you. There are a few key dates below: 

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 will schedule a visit to your school to learn about your project and see the impact you are making on the community. 

Visit our website. Follow @ServiceinSchools on Twitter and @ServiceinSchools on Instagram 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.