As the school year and programs are well under way, the Service in Schools (SIS) team has begun visiting teachers and classes who are interested in receiving feedback on their service-learning projects and acquiring helpful resources and research tips. So far, the SIS team has met with students who surveyed their peers and teachers about single-use plastic waste, students looking to solve hunger in their community, and other young people who are brainstorming community needs to determine which issues they would like to address. These service initiatives are just the beginning, and we are incredibly excited to see where they go from here.
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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Nominate an Outstanding NYC Teacher for the Big Apple Awards
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Recognize and honor teachers who go above and beyond for their students and school community through service-learning or otherwise! Students, families, teachers, school and district staff, and community members are invited to
nominate a teacher
by Monday, December 2.
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P.S 57 Hubert H. Humphrey - Staten Island
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Project Summary:
Kids Action Team members created art to connect with seniors in the community and a local senior center.
Investigation:
The P.S. 57 Kids Action Team, made up of students in grades 3-5, chose to focus on elder care as many students have grandparents that are active participants in their lives or family members who work at the local senior center. They learned about the growing senior population in the U.S. and read articles about the benefits to both seniors and children when they have social connections with each other.
Planning:
Students drafted interview questions for senior citizens to find out about their lives and what the community was like when they were in school. Workers at the senior center informed students that their residents love artwork and would like to spend more time outdoors. The students learned how to paint landscapes and created artwork that they could share with the senior center residents and senior citizens that volunteer at the school. The students wrote messages to the senior citizens on the back of the canvases.
Action:
The Kids Action Team interviewed senior citizens about their daily lives. They presented their artwork to senior citizens that volunteer at the school and sent the artwork to the senior citizen center for the residents to display in their rooms. Everyone, young and old, enjoyed the time together.
Demonstration:
Student members presented their accomplishments at the Kids Action Team Celebration of Service on May 30, 2019. They shared the artwork and interviews they used to connect with seniors and gave suggestions for how the students, educators, and family members at the event could support senior citizens in their own communities.
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Current and Upcoming Opportunities
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National Youth Leadership Council Youth4Education
Application Deadline December 5, 2019
Youth4Ed is recruiting Lead Activists from high schools across the nation to pioneer service-learning projects that support educational equity.
National Youth Leadership Council
will provide training and resources and in turn, Lead Activists will create a school or afterschool-based Youth4Ed club to investigate, plan, and execute a service-learning project over the course of one year, after which they will share their experiences with other leaders in a digital forum. By empowering young people to fight for their communities, rather than imposing change, students are encouraged to learn about their realities which enables them to spur change from within. Service-learning is the best path towards education equity because it empowers young people to transform their communities deliberately in partnership with adults.
Apply now!
Applications are due December 5, 2019.
Interested in more information about service-learning? Check out the Resource tab at
www.nylc.org
, join the free Service-Learning Network under the Services tab, and check out
www.nylc.org/conference
for more information about the National Service-Learning Conference in New Orleans, April 16-18, 2020. Showcase applications are due December 16, and the early bird registration deadline is December 27. Service-Learning Network members receive an additional 10% off registration!
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GO Project
Ongoing Opportunity for High School Students (ages 16 and up)
The
GO Project
provides year-round educational and family support services to children who are performing below grade level and equips them with the confidence and skills needed to succeed in school, at home, and in life. Volunteers are at the heart of the work that the GO Project does. Their
volunteer opportunities
such as tutoring can make an impact on the lives of young learners. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Charlotte Karol at
volunteering@goprojectnyc.org
.
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Learning to Give
Service-Learning Curriculum and Lesson Plans
Learning to Give
’s free online teacher-created lessons and resources help educators magnify the impact of any academic content with themes of generosity, community, and civic and social responsibility. Check out
10 Ways to Get Started
to develop youth voice and build caring communities. Learning to Give’s standards-aligned lessons put learning in a meaningful context so students internalize that their learning and service matter.
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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
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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