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.

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.

New YorkRebecca GentschDecember 7, 2017Apprenticeship, girls in charge, Citizen Teachers (CTs), google

Citizen Schools Accepting Applications for National Teaching Fellowships

New York, NY—Nov 29, 2017—Citizen Schools is today announcing applications are available to become an AmeriCorps National Teaching Fellow in NY.

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.

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.

New App Helps New York City Students Navigate High School Admissions

Choosing a high school in New York City can be a daunting task, with more than 700 programs to choose from in 400-plus schools throughout the five boroughs. Now, a new app helps students and families simplify their search by focusing the choice process on a personalized list of 20 best-fit schools.

Media Coverage, New YorkRachel Harisson October 3, 2017new york city, New York, Admissions

New App Aims to Help Low-Income Kids Pick Better High Schools

To help low-income students pick the right high school, a foundation teamed up with researchers at New York University and a former city director of high school admissions to create a new app — deciding only to include schools with at least a 65 percent graduation rate.

New York, Media CoverageAmy Zimmer October 3, 2017Application, New York City, Technology

Coding Academy Launches this Fall with Google

Last school year we made a shocking realization: only 40% of schools nation-wide currently teach computer programming - and that percentage is drastically lower in low-income communities. Add to that an increasing number of STEM jobs in the US with decreasing numbers of diverse, trained professionals to fill them. Our solution: offering students a year long opportunity to learn rigorous coding skills, build a high quality website, and be mentored by software engineers eager to inspire the next generation of coders.

New YorkWhitney BuckleySeptember 20, 2017google, coding academy, STEM careers, isaac newton middle school

Summer Improv Event to Celebrate our Citizen Teachers!

On August 15th, we celebrated the hundreds of volunteers mentored and taught over 540 students in NYC with an evening of comedy at the PIT in Kips Bay. Laughter flowed freely as CTs mingled and some of NYC's funniest rising stars entertained our guests with an improv show to remember, including a brief improv appearance by CSNY's own CE Team!

Afropunk Inspires Brooklyn Students

On August 24th, Citizen Schools students from Urban Assembly Unison had the opportunity to visit the Afropunk festival site. The students experienced how the organization set up for their annual festival in Brooklyn. The staff at Afropunk emphasized the importance of “ going for what you want in life and never letting fear control your destiny".

New YorkLenard PittsSeptember 19, 2017Brooklyn, Education, Afropunk

CSNY School Principal Highlight: Dr. Brian Bradley Renaissance School of the Arts

“ Citizen Schools is part of the community at RSA, the young men and women from Citizen Schools build such rich relationships with our students that transcend academics. Their presence here has a truly lasting effect on our students.”

New YorkLenard PittsSeptember 19, 2017Education, back to school

Meet our 2017-18 Campus Teams!

Citizen Schools welcomes 21 new teaching fellows and 9 returning Fellows this year. The teachers spread out across four middle schools and three grade levels. Fellows bring diverse professional experience—as artists, social workers, entrepreneurs, and recent grads—into the classroom. Our Teaching Fellow cohort went through three weeks of Summer Institute. Our CSNY orientation is an opportunity to welcome our new staff to Citizen Schools, educate them about our mission and core values, and show them all we have to offer for academic, social and emotional learning. From the start, we want to make them feel like a part of the Citizen Schools family.

New YorkLenard PittsSeptember 19, 2017Education, new york, Teaching Fellow

Note from the CEO

This past week, I had the opportunity to sit with a group of rising Boston 9th grader girls, who were both graduates of our 8th Grade Academy program and summer interns at Citizen Schools. We gathered to talk about their experience with us and the ways in which Citizen Schools is – and isn’t yet – fulfilling its promise to help middle school students launch confidently into their high school years.

California, Massachusetts, New York, NationalEmily McCannAugust 21, 2017Emily McCann, citizen schools, US2020

Google/Coding Academy on Bronx News 12

Google handing over a big check to Citizen Schools in New York. Citizen Schools is a national nonprofit that partners with public schools to provide academic enrichment in under-served communities. The major financial investment of $500,000 from google will help launch a new coding academy pilot in our city students one on that will match one with a coding mentor from google.

New York, Media CoverageWhitney BuckleyAugust 4, 2017google, google.org, coding academy, citizen schools

A personal connection to Harlem brings New Campus Director Chantell Brown to Global Technology Preparatory School

"I am excited to return in a capacity that will allow me to work directly with students and families in programming designed to explore ideas, encourage self-discovery and promote lifelong learning through hands on experiences and connections to caring adults and professionals," says Brown.

Google.org Expands Major Funding for Citizen Schools in Bay Area

Redwood City, CA—August 1, 2017 – Today, Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with public schools to provide academic enrichment in underserved communities in four states, is announcing a major financial investment of $500,000 from Google.org, bringing the company’s total support of Citizen Schools to over $4.5 million.

Google.org Expands Major Funding for Citizen Schools in New York

Today, Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with public schools to provide academic enrichment in underserved communities in four states, is announcing a major financial investment of $500,000 from Google.org, bringing the company’s total support of Citizen Schools to over $4.5 million.

TF Spotlight: Liana St. Bernard

I decided to be an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow because I've met so many adults impacted by childhood trauma. I feel like if someone was able to be a positive light to them in their childhood things could have been different. It made me reflect on my life and the support I had. At that moment I realized my calling to be a resource to children through education.

Meet the performers at Citizen Schools New York's CT Celebration

This year, hundreds of volunteers mentored and taught our students in NYC! We cannot thank them enough for their commitment to our young people. On August 15th, we're celebrating with an evening of comedy and drinks at the PIT in Kips Bay. Citizen Teachers will enjoy two drinks on us while enjoying a comedy performance by some of New York's funniest rising stars!

New YorkdanagooleyJuly 7, 2017people's improv theater, PIT, New York

TF Spotlight: Barbara Lindor

I decided to be an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow because I genuinely love children. I wanted to learn from the students and well as my teaching and assisting the CT's during the apprenticeship. I remember teachers checking me and making sure I was on a path of success and that is what I want to contribute as well. It's funny because I still remember some of the analogies and life lessons that my elementary teachers taught me.

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