April 2020 Newsletter

Program Highlights

At-Home Service-Learning Project Guides

Check out the new Service in Schools online resource page , featuring remote resources for carrying out service-learning at home. Access Service in Schools’ project guide on combating food waste. Investigate what goes from your fridge to your trash can and how to stop the waste. From conducting a waste audit to considering tips for reusing food scraps, students of all ages can engage in the stages of service-learning from the comfort of their own kitchens!

We Want to Hear From You!

We want to feature your school’s service-learning projects on social media or in our newsletter, especially if they relate to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Let us know how you are taking service-learning remote and how you and your students are supporting each other and your community. Send us an email at serviceinschools@schools.nyc.gov for a chance to be featured. 

School Spotlight

P.S. 369 Young Leaders Elementary - The Bronx

The Young Leaders Elementary school has shown a commitment to service-learning as a component of remote learning. Earlier in the year, students in grade 4 studied the issues of hunger, homelessness, and the environment and advocated for changes in their neighborhood, as featured on Service in Schools’ Twitter and Instagram . Now, students in several grade levels are participating in remote service-learning projects. The school is currently focusing their service-learning initiatives on internet access and equitable distribution of technology. These issues have been pushed to the forefront due to remote learning becoming the new normal. Students at P.S. 369 have undertaken a number of projects focusing on this topic, such as writing and filming speeches that advocate for Wi-Fi and updated technology, writing advocacy poems, and developing argumentative essays that outline why these needs are so pressing. One fifth grade teacher, Ms. Rosario, even recorded a rap video of herself advocating for technology and internet access for all! In preparation, the students are reading an article about distance learning and completing video responses debating the pros and cons of remote learning. In the coming weeks, students will finalize and share their advocacy pieces.

At-Home Service Project Ideas

Love for the Elderly Love for the Elderly believes that anyone can make a difference in the lives of seniors. Love for the Elderly has brought joy to tens of thousands of seniors across the globe, motivating and inspiring people in over 60 countries to give back to their elders. Learn how to participate in their initiative Letters of Love , in which young people create handwritten letters to uplift seniors in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and senior centers. 

Resources for Remote Service-Learning Instruction

The Pulitzer Center The Pulitzer Center has launched its youth poetry contest (deadline Friday, May 15, 2020). How can poetry be an effective response to current events and under-reported stories? How can we use poetry to connect global issues to our local and personal contexts? Students are invited to explore these questions and make their voices heard in their entries to the Fighting Words Poetry Contest. Any current K-12 student in the United States or internationally may enter. Students and educators can review submission guidelines and workshop materials . For questions, email hberk@pulitzercenter.org

The Paley Center for Media The Paley Center for Media ’ s Education Department uses Paley’s media archive in partnership with schools and other educational institutions to explore important themes and issues that have shaped contemporary history and to develop students’ media literacy skills. During this period of remote learning, the Paley Education Department is offering online versions of their classes for grades 4-12 and home media recommendations for all grades. Check out their online resources and sign up for their newsletter for additional resources and upcoming opportunities.

NYC DOE's Office of Sustainability The NYC Department of Education’s Office of Sustainability is making New York City public schools more sustainable by making school buildings eco-friendly and efficient, inspiring students, teachers, parents, and school communities to take part in environmental programs, and promoting everyday practices that benefit the environment. Students and educators can continue to learn about and implement sustainability at home using the Office of Sustainability’s resource portal , a collection of resources, lessons, and activities that support remote education around sustainability, environmental science, and social justice .

Contact the Service in Schools Team

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.

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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.

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.