In the 2014-15 school year, Citizen Schools, in partnership with UMASS Boston and the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, launched the Citizen Schools Teacher Residency (CSTR), a program designed to increase equitable access to effective teachers for low-income and high-need students in Citizen Schools Massachusetts’ partner districts. The program combines teaching in an expanded day setting, as part of the Citizen Schools AmeriCorps Teaching Fellowship, with mentorship and coursework that allows participants a pathway to teacher certification and a Master's Degree in education from UMASS Boston upon graduation.
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At Codman Academy Charter School in Dorchester, Sydney Chaffee likes to put the spotlight on her students during a weekly schoolwide assembly — having them write the scripts, act out the skits, and fully take charge of an event that is integral to the Codman’s identity.
But on Thursday morning, in the midst of school vacation week, it was Chaffee who stepped into the spotlight, with the announcement that she had been named National Teacher of the Year, making her the first Massachusetts educator to receive the top award in teaching.
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SYDNEY CHAFFEE, a 9th grade humanities teacher at a Dorchester charter school, is not just a good teacher, she is, by at least one measure, the best one in the country.
Chaffee was named National Teacher of the Year on Thursday, the first time a Massachusetts educator has won the award in the 65 years that it has been given. The award is made by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
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I’m a champion for environmental sustainability. As a member of Cisco’s Corporate Affairs team, I’m constantly looking for ways to be a global problem solver and positively impact people, society, and especially the planet. From employee initiatives like reducing paper cup usage to cross-functional teams like Make IT Green to this month’s Earth Aware activities, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to become champions for the planet.
Read MoreIn 2013, TripAdvisor software engineer Bill Stitson was a Citizen Teacher volunteer teaching computer programming and coding to students at the Orchard Gardens School in Roxbury, a low-income neighborhood in Boston. The Orchard Gardens school didn’t have enough laptops to go around, and the ones that they did have were in rough shape.
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Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford, Mass., could lose vital funding for most of its teachers if the AmeriCorps program is slashed from the federal budget. But such a threat also exposes the challenge of providing a tuition-free, private school education for students from low-income families.
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BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito recently appointed 29 members to the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council. The STEM Advisory Council strives to expand access to quality STEM education for students across the Commonwealth.
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Citizen Schools staff and Massachusetts Teaching Fellows came together for a discussion on the effects of the current political climate on issues of education and immigration. The event, “Engaging Multiple Perspectives on Race, Community Engagement and a Way Forward,” brought together an expert panel, including social activists, educators and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to discuss what is one of the most tumultuous times in our country’s history.
Read More“I never imagined that I would be serving as an AmeriCorps member with Citizen Schools at a school I once attended as a student. At first, it was jarring to be back at the Trotter after so many years, but the familiarity eventually made me feel comfortable.”
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Yaritza Sanchez is an Alumni of Citizen Schools Massachusetts. This is an excerpt from her blog, "Chile Through My Eyes."
I first got introduced to Citizen Schools as a 6th grader at the McCormack Middle School. Just like many students I was forced to enter by my parent who didn't want me to be home doing nothing after school. At first, I did not like it, but that was because I did not give it a chance. Once I started to make friends at the program, I did not mind being there. I continued the afterschool program until my 8th-grade year. By then I no longer had to be forced to attend. I loved everything about the program my friends and the team leaders. My classmates and the team leader had become like a family to me. Citizen Schools had opened my eyes to many opportunities there are for students.
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At this middle school in Chicago, it's not seeing, but hearing that's believing.
Citizen Schools students are learning about the science of sound in Motorola Mobility's "Hearing is Believing" Apprenticeship this semester.
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In the past year, our programming has continued to demonstrate measurable impact in academic growth and achievement, helping to narrow the opportunity gap in our schools. This report includes key national and regional results, as well as introductions to just a few of the many supporters, volunteers and Americorps members who help make it possible for middle schoolers across the country to discover and achieve their dreams.
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Clad in red jackets, khaki pants, and workboots, 265 City Year volunteers greet 10,000 students each morning at nearly two dozen Boston schools with cheers and clapping — a grand gesture to show they are welcome. Then the volunteers hit the phones and call those who didn’t show up.
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For the past year and a half I've seen the challenges and rewards in my work with middle-school girls in the Brookline-based non-profit MEDIAGIRLS, teaching a ten-week after school program to help them combat sexist media messaging.
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Mentoring inspires youth to discover their areas of passion and encourages them to pursue their interests in education. Citizen Schools shares how the concept of Growth Mindset is making a difference for the AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows who serve their students directly and the young scholars themselves.
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esident Trump revealed his first budget proposal to Congress yesterday, and it comes with a 13 percent cut to the Department of Education’s budget. One program the Administration proposes to eliminate completely is the $1.1 billion 21st Century Community Learning Centers program (21st CCLC), which provides grants to communities for out-of-school-time programs serving students in high-poverty and low-performing schools.
Read MoreAfter graduating from The College of New Jersey and earning a graduate degree at the University of Connecticut, Otto Katt knew he wanted to make a difference. Inspired by the Citizen Schools mission, he moved to Boston and began working with middle school students as a Teaching Fellow leading academic enrichment and interventions. After his two-year commitment, Otto decided the classroom was the place to continue his impact. He joined the 2012 Teach For America Charlotte corps and began leading his own middle school social studies class. His passion for education only grew, and he is now a Teach For America Capitol Hill Fellow, bringing his classroom experience to Washington, D.C.
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We think our AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows and our VISTAs are the best! We celebrated our AmeriCorps members and the work they do all week long... Click to see more photos and videos from AmeriCorps Week!
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Donald Trump’s revised travel ban takes effect Thursday — it blocks citizens of six (down from seven) predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States — but the revisions haven’t placated his opponents.
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I chose to serve with Americorps as a Teaching Fellow because I believe that each child deserves to be believed in. I wanted to impact my students the same way that I was impacted by my greatest teachers, with love, patience, and understanding.
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