K-8 Teachers: Apply to a 2023 Service in Schools programs!

Are you interested in engaging your students in taking action to help their community? Would you like to provide your students with authentic connections to academic curriculum and social emotional learning? Service in Schools is excited to offer three professional learning and student programs for K-8 teachers and their students. Apply now for the Kids Action Team for grades K-3, Race Against Waste (in collaboration with the DOE Office of Sustainability) for grades 4-8, or Students Taking Action Today for grades 4-8. All three programs are designed to support teachers in leading students through a service-learning project to address a community need through action and/or advocacy, in either a classroom or after-school setting. Each program will run from January through June 2023 and includes professional learning sessions (in-person and virtual), access to digital resources, connections with community-based organizations, and personalized support from the Service in Schools team. Check out the FAQs to find the program that’s best for you and your students! Deadline to apply is 11:59pm on November 18! Email ServiceinSchools@schools.nyc.gov with any questions.

Glamour Gals

GlamourGals is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending senior isolation. GlamourGals volunteers, organized in student-led clubs in high schools and colleges, earn service hours, foster essential leadership skills, and receive awards and scholarships – all while improving the lives of elderly living in their community. Starting November 1, GlamourGals is on a mission to reach 10,000 isolated seniors in residential care through their Holiday My Dear Friend note writing campaign. Anyone, any age is invited to write notes to seniors this holiday season to brighten their day. Learn more on the GlamourGals website and sign up to get started.

Seal of Civic Readiness

Schools offering the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness this year should note that students can earn credit towards the Seal by completing a service-learning project. Service in Schools, in partnership with NYC Service, provides resources and support on implementing service-learning and community service. Information on this component of the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness is available in the NYCDOE Seal of Civic Readiness Handbook. Schools interested in offering the Seal of Civic Readiness in the 2023-24 school year, should contact Civics for All at civicsforall@schools.nyc.gov.

Keoni Movement Arts

Are you a service-minded individual seeking ways to help others in need? Do you have an interest in yoga, dance, and/or gymnastics? Are you interested in adding volunteer work to your profile for college applications? Do you like bringing smiles to another person less fortunate than you? If the answer is YES to any of these, Keoni Movement Arts may have some unique opportunities for you. With a mission to make yoga, dance, and gymnastics accessible to individuals in New York City, Keoni Movement Arts invites you to get involved by signing up to participate in the Free Community Yoga project, which works with individuals with special needs and disabilities. Once instructors see how you take to doing yoga, they will be able to assess whether you are a right fit to volunteer with their programs: Become a Karma Volunteer and Become a Volunteer Class Assistant. Note, individuals may still participate in the Free Community Yoga classes, even if you're not interested in volunteering, as yoga is great for your overall health and well-being. For questions, contact Paul Keoni Chun, President and Founder, at info@keonimovementarts.org or call 212.643.9013.

National Wildlife Federation



Did you know that students in the United States spend just two hours per school year, on average, learning about the climate crisis? According to UNESCO, only half of the national curricula in the world have a reference to climate change. The National Wildlife Federation and Bard College’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability launched #Teach10Hours4Climate in 2022 to increase the amount of time that K-12 students spend learning about this existential topic and gain the knowledge and skills they need to adapt to a rapidly changing world. Ten hours for climate education per school year sounds like a modest request – and it definitely is, given the scale of the crisis. But it’s an achievable start. Use this downloadable guide, complete with worksheets and links to curriculum resources, to help you and your students meet 10 hours.

 CBK Associates - From “Taxicab” Service to Meaningful Action

Transform the service initiatives at your school from community service to service learning this school year! Read the new blog post by Cathryn Berger Kaye from CBK Associates called “ From “Taxicab” Service to Meaningful Action,” which provides teachers with tools and resources to take their service efforts to the next level! CBK Associates grew out of Cathryn Berger Kaye’s long-standing professional leadership in joining service with classroom learning. In her new blog post, Cathy goes over the most common types of service initiatives at schools: food drives, coat drives, school supply drives, etc. Then, she provides real-life examples of how teachers can transform these initiatives into meaningful action through service learning. Access the blog, and explore their free service learning resources for teachers.

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.