This summer, Citizen Schools began a 2-year pilot, with teacher design partners, to develop and test a new approach to classroom instruction - one that pairs teachers with community experts to deliver engaging, real-world projects in middle school classrooms.
Read More1.Why did you decide to become an AmeriCorps VISTA?
I became an AmeriCorps VISTA because I wanted to go a different direction with my professional life and gain an experience that I would not have anywhere else.
Read MoreIn the quest for college and career readiness, policymakers are slowly but surely coming around to the importance of career readiness. Though much of this nascent effort is focused on career readiness for high schoolers, middle school is beginning to enter the discussion, too. The middle grades are a crucial time to engage, or reengage, students and put them on a path to college and career success. Research has demonstrated that grades, attendance, and engagement in middle school are strong predictors of high school graduation and postsecondary success. The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University found that “sixth graders who failed math or English/reading, or attended school less than 80% of the time, or received an unsatisfactory behavior grade in a core course had only a 10% to 20% chance of graduating [high school] on time.”
Read MoreThe University City Science Center is among the Philadelphia area organizations to receive a national recognition Tuesday morning when US2020 announced it is the recipient of its third annual STEM Mentoring Awards.
The Science Center, Steppingstone Scholars Inc. and Spark are among those honored Tuesday by US2020, a division of the national nonprofit Citizen Schools developed following a White House call to foster science, technology, engineering and math [STEM] professionals.
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. – October 10, 2017 – Today US2020 announced the launch of the STEM Coalition Challenge, a call to action for nonprofit organizations, school districts, universities, businesses, and public offices to increase the quantity and quality of STEM volunteerism and maker-centered learning across the country. The challenge will expand the US2020 Learning Network to a total of 16 locations, reaching more than 25,000 children within the first year of programming.
Read MoreThis morning, US2020 announced the winners of the third annual US2020 STEM Mentoring Awards. The awards are a national platform to celebrate and encourage exceptional work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mentoring. Awards were handed out at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, where national leaders in this field are discussing strategies for advancing STEM opportunity in the United States.
Read MoreBecky Shipp, a veteran policy advisor for the Senate Finance Committee, has been named vice president of The Sheridan Group, a D.C.-based consulting firm that specializes in helping to create advocacy campaigns.
Read MoreChoosing a high school in New York City can be a daunting task, with more than 700 programs to choose from in 400-plus schools throughout the five boroughs. Now, a new app helps students and families simplify their search by focusing the choice process on a personalized list of 20 best-fit schools.
Read MoreCitizen Schools MA is proud to be partnering with 7 schools this year, including 2 launch campuses and 1 new district. Our team of 12 Campus Leaders and 73 Teaching Fellows are now serving over 1,700 students in the region.
Read MoreLOWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kronos Incorporated and Flex Ltd. will host innovators from leading organizations on Sept. 29 at the Flex Boston Innovation Center. In recognition of national Manufacturing Day, the event will feature manufacturing and technology organizations including BAE Systems, Flex, Mass Robotics, and Massachusetts Technology Collaborative at the Flex Boston Innovation Center, offering middle and high school students an opportunity to participate in a day of learning focused on careers in manufacturing.
Read MoreFifth- and sixth-graders at East Somerville Community School have additional learning opportunities, including the chance to serve as apprentices, through a new partnership. The nonprofit Citizen Schools is providing enrichment and academic support to students both in school and during after-school hours to help develop real-world skills and guide them toward college and career success.
Read MoreLast school year we made a shocking realization: only 40% of schools nation-wide currently teach computer programming - and that percentage is drastically lower in low-income communities. Add to that an increasing number of STEM jobs in the US with decreasing numbers of diverse, trained professionals to fill them. Our solution: offering students a year long opportunity to learn rigorous coding skills, build a high quality website, and be mentored by software engineers eager to inspire the next generation of coders.
Read MoreOn August 15th, we celebrated the hundreds of volunteers mentored and taught over 540 students in NYC with an evening of comedy at the PIT in Kips Bay. Laughter flowed freely as CTs mingled and some of NYC's funniest rising stars entertained our guests with an improv show to remember, including a brief improv appearance by CSNY's own CE Team!
Read MoreOn August 24th, Citizen Schools students from Urban Assembly Unison had the opportunity to visit the Afropunk festival site. The students experienced how the organization set up for their annual festival in Brooklyn. The staff at Afropunk emphasized the importance of “ going for what you want in life and never letting fear control your destiny".
Read More“ Citizen Schools is part of the community at RSA, the young men and women from Citizen Schools build such rich relationships with our students that transcend academics. Their presence here has a truly lasting effect on our students.”
Read MoreCitizen Schools welcomes 21 new teaching fellows and 9 returning Fellows this year. The teachers spread out across four middle schools and three grade levels. Fellows bring diverse professional experience—as artists, social workers, entrepreneurs, and recent grads—into the classroom. Our Teaching Fellow cohort went through three weeks of Summer Institute. Our CSNY orientation is an opportunity to welcome our new staff to Citizen Schools, educate them about our mission and core values, and show them all we have to offer for academic, social and emotional learning. From the start, we want to make them feel like a part of the Citizen Schools family.
Read MoreAs summer’s blaze softens into autumn hues, our city’s children are back in the schoolhouse. For many students in the Boston Public Schools, summer was more productive, inspirational and fun than they expected. This is thanks to citywide work to replace traditional summer school with creative and research-based summer learning, as well as a growing commitment in Boston to ensure all students, regardless of family income, access a wide range of summer activities.
Read MoreStudents will be exposed to hands-on learning that will equip them with the skills, opportunities, and mindset to succeed in the 21st century economy
Read MoreStudents across Somerville are settling into a new school year. Just a few weeks ago they (nervously, excitedly, or even begrudgingly, I’m sure) returned to the classroom. They may or may not know they returned to a district that has been steadily racking up achievements and accolades in recent years. To name a few, on the 2016 MCAS, Somerville was the state-leading urban district for growth, the Brown School earned the prestigious Commendation School Award for outstanding growth, and Somerville High School remained the only Level 1 urban high school, a distinction they’ve held for the past four years. We should all be proud that our schools are on an upward trend. But we shouldn’t be complacent. These successes didn’t happen overnight.
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