Hands-On Learning
Last December, at schools and community centers, federal courthouses and theaters around the country, Citizen Schools apprentices presented unique, creative projects, designed and completed over 10 weeks with volunteer professionals.  Many of these events were covered in local media – a few are shared below:

• Charlotte, North Carolina
Apprentices from Eastway Middle School, with Red Ventures marketing firm volunteers, raised money for the Make a Wish Foundation. Watch the News 14 Carolina coverage.

• Redwood City, California
With training from Wilmer Hale volunteers and other experts, apprentices from Kennedy Middle School fought for justice in mock trials at the San Mateo County History Museum.  Read the Redwood City Daily News article “Programs school kids in law.”

• New Brunswick, New Jersey
Apprentices from McKinley Community School learned film, news and documentary-style media from experts, as well as law enforcement from the elite New Jersey State Police helicopter squad.  Read the Home News Tribune article “Kids undertake media projects.”

McKinley apprentices also produced their own movie—a dramatic mock-news report, complete with an anchor, field reporter, exclusive interviews, and more. View the video.

A Leading Organization
Citizen Schools Tapped as Smart Business Model
Two highly respected business publications, The Wall Street Journal and the Boston Business Journal, recently praised Citizen Schools President and CEO Eric Schwarz as a social entrepreneur with smart business strategy and a notable approach to growth and development.
Read The Wall Street Journal article “Save the Children (But Pay the Bills, Too).”

Read the Boston Business Journal article “Nonprofits wired for fast growth.”

RECENT EVENTS at the national and state levels make clear that – now more than ever – our mission is aligned with a greater need. 

Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts has introduced the Teaching Fellows for Expanded Learning and After-School Act (T-FELAS). This initiative would create a 10,000-member national corps of recent college graduates who would lead after-school programs, working in schools in the morning. Inspired by Citizen Schools’ National Teaching Fellowship, this proposal holds incredible potential to dramatically strengthen the after-school learning sector, to advance achievement for lower income children, and to create a new professional pathway for young educators.

Similarly, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick introduced, as his first legislative proposal, a Commonwealth Corps to place full- and part-time corps members in non-profit organizations and public agencies.  Corps members will perform direct service work and recruit and support thousands more volunteers for community-based and state-wide projects. Citizen Schools played a lead role in developing this initiative, in which after-school programs have been highlighted as a leading venue where Commonwealth Corps members can serve. 

Citizen Schools is also playing a leading role in Massachusetts’ Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative.  At two middle schools in Boston and one in Malden, Citizen Schools is the primary nonprofit partner, significantly extending the school day for all students and providing diverse hands-on learning activities.  Expanded Learning Time was piloted at 10 middle schools across the state this year, with plans to serve more students at more schools in years to come.

These initiatives are powerful examples of how Citizen Schools, as a direct service organization, can identify emerging issues, pilot solutions, and propose and advocate for broader public policy strategies.  We will continue to connect with policy makers to present out-of-school time, 21st century skills, and relevant, experiential learning as valuable – and necessary – solutions to the persistent and deeply troubling achievement gap.

Thank you for your continued support of Citizen Schools.  We hope to see you at our annual spring celebration, A WOW! Affair, April 21, 2007.

Eric Schwarz
President and CEO
Citizen Schools