Full STEAM ahead

Several Marshall Middle School students made the decision to take part in a Future City competition this year — the first time the project-based learning program was offered after school for MMS sixth- through eighth-grade students. The students are now looking forward to state competition on Jan. 20 in Rosemount.

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December 2017 WOW! Week Recap

Here at Citizen Schools New York, December is when our students get to showcase what they have learned in their 10-week apprenticeships, while their volunteer Citizen Teachers get to say WOW! At our semi-annual Google MegaWOW!, 75 students across our four schools were able to showcase their final products to more than 20 Citizen Teachers, 30 staff members, 25 guest and other special guests.

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Reflections from a First-Year Teaching Fellow

Cameron Tulloch joined Citizen Schools this past fall as a first-year Teaching Fellow. Originally from Melville, New York, Cameron enjoys writing and recording his own music and is passionate about the nonprofit industry and helping others. Over the past semester, Cameron has proven that he is not only committed to supporting students through his work with Citizen Schools, but that he is dedicated to learning himself, as he is also a full-time student at St. John’s University in Queens. As part of his studies, Cameron, was asked to record reflections on his experiences as a new teacher. Included below is a selection of his work, documenting his first semester of teaching with Citizen Schools.

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Impact at Work Employee Volunteer Spotlight: May Chen

This holiday season, we’re spotlighting May Chen, one of our inspiring employee volunteers from Fidelity Investments. May has now volunteered on two skills-based volunteering projects, where she helped develop a Salesforce community application for Citizen Schools and an IT assessment and strategic roadmap with Metrocrest Services. Throughout both projects, May has been an incredible team player and is extremely dedicated to developing the most effective deliverable for her nonprofit partners.

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Lost Einsteins: What does it take to realize every child’s potential?

IN A KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, our greatest natural resources are not pulled from the ground. They’re in the minds of our children. But while we have continued to invent clever new ways to extract natural capital, a recent report from the Equality of Opportunity Project makes the case that we’ve been less successful in tapping the potential of our students.

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Empowering “Girls in Charge” to Become Women in Charge

Guest Post By: Lucy Vasserman, Google - Current Volunteer Citizen Teacher and Citizen Schools New York Board of Advocates Member

I am a software engineer at Google. I teach with Citizen Schools because, as a woman in a male-dominated field, I know personally just how important education is to empowering women and minorities to join the tech industry.

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Catalyst Innovation Pilot: Launch Update

It is our pleasure to share this first update on Catalyst. And we look forward to sharing similar updates throughout the pilot. It is our commitment to share what we are learning through this iterative innovation pilot with partners like you to continue to keep you informed and to benefit from your feedback, insights, and questions as we pursue this shared learning agenda.

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Duke Students Develop After-school Program To Bring Science To Low-Income Middle Schoolers

Two students have created an after-school program at a nearby middle school intended to broaden participation in computer science. Now, they are trying to expand the curriculum. ophomore Carter Zenke and senior Tanner Johnson took on their ambitious goal to teach middle-schoolers computer science skills by designing Mobile Citizens. David Malone, professor of the practice of education, described the program as "one of the most thoughtful, student-created community engagement projects I have worked with over the past 25 years." 

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AmeriCorps Member Spotlight: Jamal Smith

I wanted to service the young people in my community through the education field by creating unique programs and raising awareness on opportunities. Citizen Schools is continuously making efforts to achieve equity through education and nurtures and encourages teaching fellows to prioritize forward thinking. As a teaching fellow, I have developed valuable skills with the help of my colleagues and campus directors that I will be able to take with me after my two years of service.

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Partnership Spotlight on CAW: Nonprofit Collaboration Maximizes Impact in the Classroom

One of Citizen Schools New York's most impactful and valued partnerships to-date is with a longstanding nonprofit partner: Creative Art Works (CAW). CAW is a 31-year-old nonprofit that empowers NYC young people through the visual and multimedia arts. A Citizen Schools collaborator and partner since 2012, CAW has led nearly 40 apprenticeships covering innovative topics such as Cartooning and Anatomy, Urban Design, Stop-Motion Animation, and Sneaker Branding.

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AmeriCorps Member Spotlight: Madeline Vargas

I decided to become an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow because I wanted to have the opportunity to discover If teaching was a possibility for me. I am currently In school majoring in Early Childhood Education and plan to continue for my B.A. in English Literature with a concentration in Middle School and High School Education.

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