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.
It aims to offer a range of resources for schools to empower students, as well as recognize and sustain outstanding service and service-learning programs of schools.
Contact Us
For questions or to sign up for the Service in Schools monthly newsletter, please click
here.
Upcoming Service and Service-Learning Opportunities for Schools
listed in chronological order
These opportunities are for educators, students, and school leaders who want to develop community service or service-learning activities with their school.
Disclaimer: The NYC Department of Education does not endorse and is not responsible for the policies and practices of these organizations. All work with partner organizations, particularly off-site visits, should be conducted in accordance with the Chancellor's Regulations.
All Schools are invited to apply for the 2nd Annual Service in Schools Awards, which celebrate schools that demonstrate strong commitment to community service. Award recipients will receive free materials and professional development to implement service-learning, a teaching strategy that integrates meaningful community service with classroom curriculum, from GenerationOn.
The application will evaluate the development, sustainability, and impact of schools’ community service projects on students and the community. Click here to apply.
Participate on February 14: Free “March Moments of Service” Webinar
GenerationOn invites all educators to this free webinar which will provide ideas for service projects inspired by upcoming March holidays, such as Women’s Appreciation Month and Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Click here to learn more and enroll.
Event: February 14-20, 2012
Educators are invited to participate in Random Acts of Kindness Week, which encourages students to participate in acts of kindness and inspire others to do the same. Click here to access free lesson plans and activities for this event.
Deadline: February 16, 2012
Contact: Discovery Education at (800) 323-9084
All high school educators are invited to apply for this challenge which awards up to $5,000 and other prizes for developing an action plan to improve safe teen driving at their school or community. This award is provided courtesy of Toyota and Discovery Education. Click here for more information and to apply.
Students ages 8-18 who provide extraordinary community service in their communities are invited to apply for this $7,500 education scholarship from Build-A-Bear Workshop. Award recipients will also visit the Build-A-Bear headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, where they will be honored for their work. Click here for more information and to apply.
$1000 Disney Friends for Change Grants for Student Service Projects
Deadline: February 29, 2012
Contact: Amanda McDonald at amcdonald@ysa.org
All students are invited to apply for a $1000 grant to help make a difference in their community. These grants are meant to highlight the creativity and commitment of students helping others. All interests are welcomed, such as environmental or hunger needs. Click here to learn more and apply.
DonorsChoose.org’s Matching Grant for Anti-Bullying Service Projects in Schools
All teachers are eligible to receive a matching grant of up to $400 to assist projects that incorporate anti-bullying lessons. If students are involved in the planning of the projects, schools may be eligible to receive additional funding. Click here for more information. Click here to sign up and submit a project to apply. The grant is sponsored by Townsend Press in honor of their new book, Bullying in Schools.
Deadline: March 1, 2012
Contact: Ellie Zeitlin at 212-254-2390 or helpme@dosomething.org
Students from all grade levels are invited to apply for the Do Something Award. This award is for individuals who have done much for their cause and issue and helped positively transform their community. The Do Something Award Community Grant money is paid directly to the nominee's organization or the not-for-profit of the nominee’s choice. All student winners have the option of receiving $5,000 of the total money awarded in the form of an educational scholarship. Five finalists will receive a $10,000 community grant, while one person will be selected for a $100,000 prize. Click here to learn more and apply.
Events: March 1-May 31, 2012
Contact: Gail Cunningham at (203) 659-3008 or gcunningham@kab.org
The Great American Cleanup is one of the nation's largest community improvement program. An estimated 3 million volunteers and attendees are involved. Activities include beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events. Click here to find out how students can become involved in this national community service program.
For questions, please contact Gail Cunningham, the Managing Director, Great American Cleanup, at (203) 659-3008 or gcunningham@kab.org.
Event: March 8, 2012
Contact: Jennifer Pothen at 651-999-7379
All educators are invited to attend this free webinar about service-learning. Find out the best practices and discuss a step-by-step plan to get you started. The webinar will be on March 8 from 6-7pm (Eastern time). Click here to learn more and enroll.
Fourth Annual New York Metro Area Partnership for Service-Learning (NYMAPS) Symposium
Event: March 30, 2012
Contact: Genéa Stewart at gstewart@ccny.cuny.edu
NYMAPS is a coalition of colleges, universities, and community-based organizations dedicated to realizing the civic mission of higher education and to advancing service-learning.
While the target audience members work in higher education, all K-12 educators are invited to attend this symposium, which aims to inspire participants to learn best practices and examples of service-learning innovation and increase their knowledge of service-learning. Click here to learn more and sign-up.
“Global Youth Service Day” for Students
Event: April 20-22, 2012
Contact: Steve Colbertson at steve@ysa.org
Students from all grade levels are invited to participate in Global Youth Service Day, one of the largest community service events in the world that is dedicated to children and youth. This event mobilizes millions of students to improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. Click here to learn more. Registration begins the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 16, 2012).
Deadline: April 30, 2012
Contact: Scholarship America at ing@scholarshipamerica.org
All educators are invited to apply for the education awards sponsored by ING North American Insurance Corporation. Teachers will be judged on their creative and innovative classroom projects and unique educational programs. One hundred teachers will receive awards of $2000, and 3 will receive an additional award ranging from $5000 to $25,000 dollars. Click here for more information and to apply.
Community Service Resources
Getting started in community service? These planning guides and resources will help inspire and develop community service with your school.
-
Youth Service America: Find free guides to get started in community service, including “Effective Practices for Engaging At-Risk Youth in Service,” the “Disney Action Plan,” and “Effective Practices to Creating Inclusive and Accessible Days of Service.”
-
Global Youth Service Day: Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign to mobilize the millions of students to improve their communities each day of the year through community service. Download free community service planning guides, including “Gathering Resources,” “Preparation & Planning,” “Choosing a Project,” “Mobilizing Volunteers,” and “Partnerships.”
-
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots: This resource provides free project planning documents for community service that supports the animal community, human community, and environment. Materials include a community survey and a guide to choosing a project.
-
Pennies for the Memorial Campaign Action Guide: In order to give all NYC students the opportunity to contribute to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum-an American landmark- Mayor Bloomberg, the NYC Department of Education, Common Cents, and the 9/11 Memorial Foundation launched the "Pennies for the Memorial Campaign." The Campaign for the City's public, private, and parochial schools encourages 1.3 million students to donate a penny to the Memorial at the World Trade Center site. This action guide for educators contains tips for making the best use of the lesson plans and all the important information needed to join the Campaign.
-
Fresh Youth Initiatives: This community based youth development organization is located in Washington Heights. It uses community service and enrichment activities as a vehicle to teach young people leadership and life skills.
-
Partnernship for After School Education's Directory of Afterschool Programs: Find afterschool programs for your school and students by zip code.
-
Pencils of Promise: Locate free lesson plans, toolkits, and workbooks to teach students about social activism and how to take action on social justice issues. Each lesson has an easy to follow PowerPoint.
Getting started in service-learning? These lesson plans and resources will help inspire and develop service-learning in the school classroom.
- Learning to Give: Educators can find 1,600 free K-12 service-learning lesson plans and units, searching by Common Core Learning Standards, New York State standards, classroom subject, and keywords. There are also "Moments of Service," a monthly list of holidays and seasons that inspire community service for students.
- National Service-Learning Clearinghouse: Educators can find free K-12 service-learning lesson plans by area of service (for example, homelessness or violence prevention) - as well as service-learning toolkits, which provide strategies, curriculum guides, and classroom handouts to enhance schools' service-learning programs.
- Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Service-Learning Program: This curriculum-based, service-learning program provides free K-12 service-learning lesson plans about creating a positive impact for the animal community, human community, and the environment. Educators can search by elementary, middle, and high school levels.
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development's Teen Action Curriculum: This city department provides a service-learning curriculum that can be downloaded from the web site, which also offers a list of community-based organizations that implement the Teen Action Curriculum.
- Frederick Douglass Family Foundation: Request free service-learning resources about student public awareness campaigns regarding the issue of human trafficking in the U.S. Educators can also ask for volunteer opportunities for students or guest speakers to visit their schools.
- Youth Service America’s Semester of Service Strategy Guide: Use this free guide to develop 70 hours of service-learning for an upcoming semester at your school.
- Generator School Network: This website is meant to link educators who are passionate about service-learning. This gives educators the ability to assess, share, and refine their practice while learning from each other, whether online or in person. Membership is free and open to any educator interested in utilizing service-learning resources in their work with students.