March 2020 Newsletter
SIS Program Update
The Service in Schools team sends well wishes to all of our students, educators, families, and community partners during this challenging time. While we are disappointed that we will not be carrying out our in-person program offerings for students and teachers this school year, the health and safety of our communities are of utmost importance. 

In the meantime, the Service in Schools team would like to continue to support teachers, students, and families in engaging in service and supporting your communities from your homes and through digital platforms. We remain available to you by email , Twitter , and Instagram and have launched an online resource page for remote service-learning. Our team would love to hear the ways young people are helping their community at this time and which types of resources educators and students would like to see. 

We will continue to send out monthly newsletters, though the content may look a bit different as we shift toward remote learning resources and support. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing what you're working on.
School Spotlight
P.S. 376 - Queens
Project Summary: P.S. 376's service-learning process began before Thanksgiving, with a multicultural fresh food drive for a local food pantry. This inspired students to want to do more for people who are hungry. They have planned to hold an art auction of their own creations to raise money for the food pantry. 

Investigation: The school’s principal read the book Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt to all classes using video chat. The book sparked a lively conversation about hunger and what that looks like in the school’s community. Students decided to conduct a food drive.

Preparation: In social studies, students learned about families and culture. The students selected a local pantry to support and wanted to keep in mind the diverse cultures of the pantry recipients when collecting donations. After receiving information from staff at the pantry, students decided to request fresh food for their drive. They worked with the art teacher to create posters and signs requesting fresh food representing many cultures.

Action: The food collected at P.S.376 was delivered to the pantry before Thanksgiving break. Upon reflecting on the food drive, the students felt they could do more to support the pantry. They analyzed famous logos and created their own logos and bumper stickers that reminded the school community to not waste food and to continue to donate. The students watched public service announcements about hunger and read Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan. They discussed more ways they could help and, based on previous fundraisers, decided to hold an art auction of their creations, which will take place at a future date. The proceeds will be used to purchase high-need items for the food pantry.

Demonstration: Class representatives plan on sharing out about their service-learning project at a district showcase for service leadership projects.

Reflection: Students will share their work with the school and community through ClassDojo and their school’s Twitter account. 
At-Home Service Project Ideas

Generation On
GenerationOn is the youth and family division of Points of Light that highlights community volunteer opportunities and ways to be a #LocalLight during its first ever Global Volunteer Month! GenerationOn recommends ways to help youth of all ages and their families stay engaged in service projects at home.
Resources for Remote Service-Learning Instruction
PBLWorks
PBLWorks helps teachers lead project based learning (PBL), a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Ideas from the PBLWorks project library can be adapted for individual or remote learning and many are aligned with topics for service.
LA Theatre Works
LA Theatre Works ’ Setting the Stage for Learning resources bring free audio recordings of important stage plays to middle and high schools around the world, harnessing the power of professional theatre to deepen students’ understanding of complex literature and subject content. For educators experiencing distance and online learning, LATW is offering an expanded collection of 25 education titles that cover topics such as pollution, immigration, and desegregation.
EarthEcho
EarthEcho International’s   Educator Resources   are a collection of videos, lesson plans, and other materials designed to support students and the adults who work with them to engage in environmental action. To bolster STEM and service-learning remote curriculum, register for Virtual Career Connection live streams with women in marine science and view Youth in Action to inspire students to fight for legislative action on environmental issues.
North American Association for Environmental Education
North American Association for Environmental Education is dedicated to strengthening the field of environmental education and increasing the visibility and efficacy of the profession. Check out their resource bank for environmental lesson plans and journal articles to share with students.
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 [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 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.