Service in Schools High School Leadership Institute
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Instead of hitting the beach this spring break, high school student leaders from across all five boroughs joined together to participate in the Service in Schools (SIS) Leadership Institute. The students were chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, and each of the selected 36 students expressed a deep commitment to making a difference in their community.
During the Institute, SIS Leaders investigated different issues affecting NYC: hunger, homelessness, health, water pollution, and animal welfare. To enrich the SIS Leaders’ learning on these topics, Service in Schools partnered with
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
,
The Bowery Mission
,
Fit 4 Life NYC
,
Bronx River Alliance
, and
The Humane Society of New York
. SIS Leaders interviewed representatives from these partner organizations in order to learn more about how youth can help to combat each issue. After meeting with these representatives, the SIS Leaders prepared original lesson plans and service activities for the SIS Youth Service Summit on May 25, 2018.
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The Youth Service Summit will bring together over 200 elementary school students from across the city to engage in service activities facilitated by these student leaders. Through the lessons they designed, high school students will inform elementary students about each community issue and execute a project in service of their partner organization. The 2018 SIS Leadership Institute proved to be a meaningful and fun experience for everyone involved, and the SIS Team is looking forward to the Summit!
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Final Session of 2017-2018 Service-Learning Institute
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On April 18, Service in Schools held the final professional learning session of the 2017-18 Service-Learning Institute. Participants reflected on their experience implementing service-learning in their classrooms and school communities. They shared student work samples, photographs, and videos of the actions their students took to address issues such as hunger, immigration, and access to healthy foods. Throughout the school year, teachers in the Service-Learning Institute helped students navigate roadblocks to their proposed actions and connected classroom curriculum to service initiatives.
The session ended with participants engaging in active reflection methods, which included impromptu singing and acting. Service in Schools thanks all of this year’s Institute participants for their enthusiasm and dedication to implementing service-learning in their schools. We look forward to hearing about their students’ continued progress on service initiatives started this school year!
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P.S. 17 Henry David Thoreau
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Project Summary:
Fifth grade students in Mr. Baez’s Service in Schools Kids Action Team are raising awareness of homelessness and supporting the homeless population in New York City through a donation project based on their rigorous research.
Investigation:
First, students conducted research by reading articles about homelessness from the New York Times. Then
,
Mr. Baez and Mrs. Slouffman’s 5th grade ICT class invited the Director of Outreach from the
Bowery Mission
, James Macklin, to their classroom for an interview. Mr. Macklin spoke to students about his own experience being homeless, and his role at the Bowery Mission today.
Planning:
During Mr. Macklin’s visit, he informed students that the Bowery Mission always accepts food donations and shared that socks were one of the nonfood items the Bowery would gladly accept. Every student brought in nonperishable items, and Mr. Baez is working with his Kids Action Team to create a DonorsChoose.org page specifically for acquiring socks.
Action:
On March 14, 2018, students embarked on a school bus and visited the Bowery Mission in downtown Manhattan. Mr. Macklin was amazed by the volume of food items the students brought. Then, Mr. Macklin gave students a tour of the Bowery Mission, and staff informed students of how they can continue supporting people experiencing homelessness in NYC.
Reflection:
The students were inspired to make a change following the visit to the Bowery Mission. This opportunity allowed students to see other people through a different lens and not to judge others. Following the visit to the Bowery Mission, one student shared, “I can’t wait until I am old enough to volunteer there.” To hear more about these students’ fantastic work, follow
@EducatorBaez
on Twitter!
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Current and Upcoming Opportunities
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Take the Students Rebuild Challenge
Deadline: May 4, 2018
Since 2010,
Students Rebuild
has helped young people connect, learn, and take action on critical global issues. This year, their
Facing Difference Challenge
is helping educators worldwide empower young people to reflect and take action toward building understanding, empathy, and peace. To participate, students create meaningful self-portraits that reflect their sense of identity. Each portrait submitted generates $3—up to $600,000—in funding from the Bezos Family Foundation to support programs run by
CARE
and
Search for Common Ground
that help youth on different sides of conflict build peace
.
The Facing Difference Challenge deadline is May 4, 2018. Click
here
to register for the Facing Difference Challenge and access the free learning resources which include videos, lessons, and project-based learning curriculum.
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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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SummerTrek
A Service-Learning and Leadership Summer Program
Summertime loss of up to three months of learning and skill development significantly widens the achievement gap between disadvantaged youth and their peers. For the past four years, SummerTrek
has provided a variety of school and community-based organizations around the country with a four-to-six-week customized program designed to engage middle school students as community problem-solvers while building literacy and other academic skills. Through a series of personally motivating and dynamic project-based activities, participating youth become “trekkers,” developing and building upon their interests, skills, and expertise in the process of making positive contributions to their communities and to the world. The program can be incorporated into pre-existing summer programming and does not require prior experience with service-learning to facilitate. Professional development, ongoing coaching, and a step-by-step curriculum is included. To learn more, email
Susan Abravanel
.
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GrowNYC Recycling Champions Program
Free Student Activities
Nearly all materials that leave the school building as waste can be recycled or composted. However, recyclable and compostable materials that New Yorkers throw away are brought to landfills, putting a strain on our city’s budget and environment.
GrowNYC’s Recycling Champions Program
aims to help solve this problem by raising awareness in schools. Their free student activities spark enthusiasm for environmental justice and recycling by showing students the impacts of excess waste and the various ways they can make a difference. Click
here
to view activities for all grade levels.
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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
[email protected]
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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