This month, Citizen Schools students at Joseph George Middle School in San Jose, California created a drug awareness campaign on campus. Staff and students worked with the Leadership Academy, a group of 30 seventh and eighth grade Citizen Schools students responsible for promoting school spirit and bringing attention to school-wide issues.
Read MoreEach semester, Citizen Schools California hosts apprenticeships, 10-week long hands-on projects led by passionate volunteers who teach students topics ranging from cooking to coding. This semester, we are excited to offer Qigong and Taiji as an apprenticeship at Renaissance Academy at Mathson, taught by Citizen Teacher Jerriline Martinez from Cisco, with support from Teaching Fellow Renee Lemieux. Read what Jerriline had to say about her experience as a Citizen Teacher:
Read MoreOn November 5th, community members from across the Bay Area came together to watch our apprenticeships in action at the McKinley Institute of Technology (MIT) site visit in Redwood City, CA. Attendees had the opportunity to meet with the Citizen Schools leadership team and hear from a panel of school partners and volunteer Citizen Teachers. They took a tour of the Tuesday after-school program and sat in on featured apprenticeships such as Fit Kids, Career Horizons, Making Beats, and Lego Robotics.
Read MoreElisha Glass is an AmeriCorp Alumni and first year Teaching Fellow at Renaissance School of the Arts. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Business and Economics at Ohio State University. Shortly after graduating, Elisha moved to New York City, where he first committed to service in 2016. With this newfound ambition for service, Elisha wishes to dismantle systems of oppression through education and creative strategies individuals can apply towards their everyday lives.
Read MoreThis fall, Citizen Schools New York welcomed a new staff member to our team. Sierra Bush, Director of Corporate Engagement, drives corporate partnership and business development, diversifying the corporate apprenticeship experience for students while securing new corporate funding opportunities.
Read MoreThe human brain has never been more fun for our sixth and seventh graders at Renaissance School of Arts (RSA)! Every week, Columbia University volunteers introduce students to the scientific study of brain anatomy. Our RSA kids explore matters related to memory and emotions, brain disorders and injuries. Students are very active and are constantly at the edge of their seat every Monday afternoon, anticipating their next lesson.
Read MoreThe American Student Assistance (ASA) meeting on October 22nd at the Boston Chamber of Commerce brought together educators, nonprofits and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to drive home the need to engage students early in career exploration and pathways. We also need to evolve collective assumptions that success for students means a four-year college degree. And to engage and motivate students, we should share all the options of technical education, associate’s degrees, certificates, and apprenticeships. All of this work begins early as students disengage starting in ninth grade.
Read MoreThis fall, Danielle Wang, Vice President of Bain Capital and Kristy Cunningham, Chief Marketing Officer of Bright Horizons Family Solutions joined our National Board. Danielle and Kristy are joining a vibrant, diverse group of Citizen Schools advisers and champions. When selecting board members, our Governance Committee looks for a diversity of experience in professional background with a deep belief in our mission.
Read MoreAs we look back on a summer well spent, one of our highlights across our regions is always Summer Institute, during which our incoming Teaching Fellows (TFs) receive training, get to know Citizen Schools and meet other TFs. Our amazing regional staff in Massachusetts, California and New York welcomed each of their new TF cohorts and helped them get ready for the school year ahead.
Read MoreThis summer, five Citizen Schools students from the East Somerville Community School, Winter Hill Community Innovation School and Trotter Innovation School were given the opportunity to participate in an iD Tech Camp at Bentley University. Our students spent a week engaging in hands-on STEM courses like coding mobile apps and building a computer that they were able to take home. The funding for our students’ enrollment in the camp was provided by the Patriots social justice grants. On July 26th, camp participants and family members headed to Gillette Stadium, where they were able to watch the Patriots practice.
To see more, check out the Patriots’ coverage of the day here.
Read MoreThis summer, Citizen Schools Massachusetts was excited to welcome two new staff members to our team! Ani and Shanay jumped right in as leaders during summer Teaching Fellow training, and both have already proven to be incredible assets to our organization. Read on below to learn more about their diverse backgrounds and positions at Citizen Schools.
Read MoreEight months ago, first time Citizen Teacher Matt Collier moved from the United Kingdom, where he worked with an education-focused volunteer program. Here in the U.S., Matt feeds his passion to make a difference in two ways: first, as a Citizen Teacher at the Renaissance School Of The Arts, where he teaches Math Mysteries and second, as a part of a company that collects and refactors old computers, donating them to schools and families lacking technical resources.
Read MoreThis year, Citizen Schools Massachusetts welcomed eight returning and six new AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows (TFs). This year’s TFs come from a diverse range of personal and professional experiences, united by their deep commitment to public service and social justice for the 300+ students we are serving at our three partner middle schools in Somerville.
Read MoreThis past summer, Citizen Schools California kicked off the year with Summer Institute, where rising and returning campus staff came together to prepare for the school year ahead of them. New Teaching Fellows came from all over the country, eager to tackle the opportunity gap that our students face. They learned skills such as lesson planning, classroom management and culturally responsive teaching.
Read MoreKaren Abraham is a graduate of Mercy College and a Brooklyn native dedicated to the creative expression of students. With a deep interest in hip-hop education, Karen uses it as a way to promote literacy and creativity.
Read MoreAfter weeks of intensive preparation, including Summer Institute and campus-based training, Citizen Schools New York welcomed more than 300 students during our Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Launch Week. Across two campuses, Renaissance School Of The Arts M.S. 377 and P.S. 157 Benjamin Franklin, excited faces filled our classrooms with anticipation. Teaching Fellows eased into their roles with all the necessary tools and energy needed to support our students. With over 20 apprenticeships such as Hydroponics, Google Girls in Charge, Capital One Coding Academy and Math Mysteries, the New York region is ready to introduce students to fascinating companies, helping them gain real world skills and broaden their horizons.
Read MoreCINCINNATI, OH, August 8, 2019 – US2020, a division of Citizen Schools that partners with communities to dramatically scale the number of STEM professionals mentoring and teaching underrepresented youth, announced the winners of its fourth annual US2020 STEM Mentoring + Making Awards today. Presented by sponsors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the awards are a national platform to celebrate and encourage exceptional work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) mentoring and maker-centered learning. At the annual convening, US2020 also unveiled a brand refresh, starting with a new name, Makers + Mentors Network, to reflect the growth of the national STEM initiative.
Read MoreMehmet Kanik embodies all the enthusiasm you would expect from a first-time volunteer. Not only has he brought his work from Research at MIT into the classroom, he also draws energy and confidence from the students he teaches. Mehmet is conducting research and was recently published in Science Magazine, for the same fiber-based artificial muscle samples he brought into the classroom.
Read MoreOn June 30, a group of new players took to the field at Oracle Park before the San Francisco Giants game against the Arizona Diamondbacks! Thanks to Bank of America’s support, 9 middle school students from Citizen Schools were able to run onto the field and take positions for the Kids Take the Field presentation. Students were even able to meet the players while out on the field, an experience the students said that they would never forget!
Read MoreFrom April through June, coast to coast, Citizen Schools celebrated the school year’s apprenticeship programs with two WOW!NOW breakfasts in Massachusetts and New York and a mock-trial themed benefitEd in California. These events mark the culmination of both the 10-week apprenticeships and also the school year.
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