AOL
Corporate Employees Stepping Up to Teach
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This spring, over 1,500 volunteer Citizen Teachers are teaching nearly 500 apprenticeships across the country. About 60 percent of those apprenticeships are being taught by volunteers from partner organizations and almost 300 Citizen Teachers come from ten companies: Google, Cisco, Fidelity, Cognizant, Bank of America, EMC, AOL, Facebook, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard.
These corporate volunteers are teaching our students about electrical engineering, investing, creating and marketing products, the science in baking, documentary filmmaking, LED technology, and so much more.
In New York, 230 sixth grade students from East Harlem and the Bronx visit the Google NY headquarters each week. Google is offering a wide range of exciting apprenticeships this semester including “Gourmet Google,” which looks at the cultural, biological, and economic aspects of food.
In North Carolina, Cisco employees are leading the “Brand You/Networking 101” apprenticeship, which teaches students about key marketing and business concepts. Cisco is also offering a math focused apprenticeship, “Building Blocks with Math,” which focuses on the fundamentals of math and design through the creation of 2D and 3D scalable models.
These are just a few examples of the tremendous learning opportunities our students are exposed to thanks to the support of our partners and Citizen Teachers. Learn more about how your company can get involved.
AOL Expands Support
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Citizen Schools apprentices WOW! a crowd of AOLers at their offices this fall.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since AOL burst onto the scene, introducing an unsuspecting world to the miracle of email, chat and the seemingly infinite resources provided on the web. Since then, AOL has innovated at a pace matched only by the internet itself, and now provides products and content to 250 million visitors looking for the latest news, art, music and more. You could call them pioneers, web gurus or media mavens – and you’d be right. But at Citizen Schools, we’re most proud to call them Citizen Teachers.
From one apprenticeship in NY just two years ago, to six in NY and MA today (and even more planned for the future), our partnership is growing in leaps and bounds. In addition to volunteer power, key financial support, and brand building campaigns, they’ve also introduced students to famous figures like AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and Arianna Huffington and Wyclef Jean.
When asked about why AOL partners with us, Blair Cobb, Director of Cause Marketing at AOL, said, “Citizen Schools enables us to utilize our most valuable asset, our people, to make a meaningful difference in our local communities. Empowering our employees to teach their passion with Citizen Schools has fostered an infectious culture of giving, prompting more and more employees to want to get involved. It is this enthusiasm and positive word of mouth that enabled our recent expansion to Boston, and I look forward to giving every AOL employee the opportunity to teach back with Citizen Schools.”
Citizen Schools and our students love AOL, and our stellar track record of providing high-impact volunteer opportunities ensures that the feeling is mutual!
Citizen Schools Video Airing in NYC Cabs
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If you are in New York City this week, take a taxi and tune in to taxi TV!
Through June 22nd, watch for the video below on your NYC taxi TV, celebrating Citizen Schools and AOL’s apprenticeship collaboration with Top Chef master Marcus Samuelsson.
AOL volunteers, along with Chef Samuelsson, taught Citizen Schools students in an “Incredible Edibles” apprenticeship about healthy eating, local foods, and the connection to their community.
Check out a student interview with Chef Samuelsson on AOL’s Black Voices blog.
The Network Journal: Teaching Beyond Borders – Citizen Schools Work To Enhance The Learning Experience in NYC
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Teaching Beyond Borders: Citizen Schools Work To Enhance The Learning Experience in NYC
The Network Journal
May 26, 2011
Citizen Schools recently teamed up with AOL and award-winning chef and author Marcus Samuelsson at Samuelsson’s new restaurant Red Rooster Harlem to promote healthy living for kids. Click here to read the full story.
Student Interview with Famous Chef on Black Voices
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New York City seventh grader Wahkeen Thomas has spent his Tuesdays this spring becoming an expert in local food. Now he’s a published journalist too! Read Wahkeen’s interview with top chef Marcus Samuelsson (of Aquavit and Red Rooster) on Black Voices now.
The TV star and culinary master told Wahkeen about cooking for the president, discovering cooking at a young age, and why cooking makes a great career. ”I really liked what he had to say,” writes the budding blogger. “Personally, I think Marcus is awesome!”
Wahkeen and his Citizen Schools classmates at Global Technology Prep in East Harlem have been taking an apprenticeship called “Incredible Edibles,” led by six volunteers from AOL. They’ve been exploring what it means to eat healthy all semester.
On May 16, they’ll be creating delicious three-course meal from local produce and serving it to family and friends at their WOW! event. You can sign up to be a taste-tester! Click here for event information.
