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5 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Black History Month celebrates contributions made by African Americans and people of African descent around the world. It was started by an African American man named Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926.  Back then, it was called Negro History Week and was celebrated the second week of February.  Now it is celebrated for the whole month of February in the United States and Canada.

Here are five ways you and your family can celebrate Black History Month with you and your family.

  1. Yes we can… change the world, find cures for diseases, or feed the hungry. Inspired by President Barack Obama’s famous 2008 presidential campaign phrase, “Yes we can,” Kids can decorate cans  to raise money for their favorite cause or charity to ultimately make Earth a better place.
  2. African-Americans and Canadians have made tremendous contributions to every facet of life—from science to music to athletics. Take your family to a local museum to learn about the significant contributions of African Americans.
  3. Jackie Robinson, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver,
    are just some of the renowned African Americans to be celebrated during February and throughout American history. Go to your local school and host a seminar detailing the history of Black History Month and the historical events and contributions of African Americans. 
  4. Attend a storytelling performance with your family. The West African storytelling tradition of griot, or village storyteller, is a great way to celebrate Black History Month. The dramatic storytelling and puppetry storytelling brings Black history to life with the stories of various African-Americans who have contributed to American History.
  5. Puzzles!!! Who doesn’t love a good puzzle! For you and your family, solving crossword puzzles is another way for children and adults to improve concentration and memory. Look online for websites devoted to Black History Month Crossword puzzles, you’ll find printable, criss-cross style crossword games for primary level students as well as those at the secondary and even the college level.

Black History Month is an excellent way to learn about all of the amazing contributions of African Americans and to spend time with your family. Tell us how you plan on celebrating Black History Month in the COMMENTS.

 

Tags: AfricanAmerican, , Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson, George Washington Carver, Jackie Robinson, Sojourner Truth,
Posted in Education, Events, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Join the AmeriCorps Book Club

Monday, January 30th, 2012

Today’s post originally appeared on the AmeriCorps Alums blog site January 23, 2012. The post was written by Ken Tran the External Relations Coordinator at AmeriCorps Alums.

January is Book Blitz Month – an opportunity for authors to promote with media to get their books into the best sellers list and into the hands of readers like us! As an AmeriCorps Alum, I’d like to see some of our next New York Times Bestselling Authors to be ones that are passionate about National Service and care about  Millennials leading in that movement.

After a great twitter conversation with (Arizona’s CNCS State Director) and (Seattle AmeriCorps Alums Chapter Leader) about starting an , I put together a list of recommended books that would be great to read as we all continue our Lifetime of Service. All the books on this list feature stories of AmeriCorps or National Service; helping us understand where Service has been and where it is going, especially as we continue to advocate to Save Service and why it is essential to fostering a stronger future for America.

See what we’ll be reading on our AmeriCorps Book Club Reading List:

The Time of Our Lives – Tom Brokaw

Why you should read it: Brokaw, former anchor of NBC’s Nightly News, looks at some of the prevalent issues affecting our Millennial generation and offers insight into how we can revitalize the American Dream through civic engagement and community. Weaving stories from his family’s upbringing in South Dakota and reflections from Americans who are change agents in their communities, he provides a hopeful vision of what our country can be, even in these hard times.

The Bill – Steven Waldman

Why you should read it: In recent years, many cuts to National Service and AmeriCorps have been debated in Congress. To understand the public policies and legislative processes at work, we’ll need to take a trip down memory lane and look at how the National Service Bill was initially passed under the Clinton administration. For those of us who aren’t as knowledgeable in the workings at the Hill, this will be a great read to help us understand what’s in motion and at stake as we continuing to Save Service.

A Call to Civic Service – Charles Moskos

Why you should read it: Moskos calls for all young Americans, between the ages of 18 – 23, to serve in some capacity in National Service to their country. Whether it be serving in day care, correctional facilities, with the poor in health, etc or in the All-Volunteer Military Force, he believes that young Americans should be giving back to strengthen their country. Sounds like something we all can relate too…

Of Kennedys and Kings – Harris Wofford

Why you should read it: Wofford, one of the founders of Peace Corps and former CEO of the Corporation of National and Community Service, recounts what can be accomplished with leaders, like the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, JR, who committed to public service and being responsible with their political powers. As the 2012 elections are coming up, we as alumni of National Service, we want to make sure that we elect a leader that will reflect, support, and implement our values.

This is just a short list and I’m positive there are other books you’d love to see on this growing list. What books would you recommend to be added in the AmeriCorps Book Club?

 

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8 Ways to Raise Awareness About Bullying During No Name-Calling Week

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Two years ago, as 18-year-old Bobby Tillman was leaving a house party, a group of teens randomly beat and killed Bobby. Coroners reported Bobby was stomped so badly that one of his bones broke and pierced his heart. The slightly built Tillman was randomly selected as he passed a group of teenagers who said they intended to attack the next male they saw.

Whether it occurs randomly, via text message, via facebook, or because one person disagrees with someone’s sexual preference, bullying is an ongoing problem. 2010 bullying statistics revealed about 56 percent, of all students have witnessed a bullying crime take place while at school. Similarly, there are about 282,000 students that are reportedly attacked in high schools throughout the nation each month.

January 23rd thru the 27th is No Name-Calling Week. According to nonamecallingweek.org, No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and raising awareness about bullying. Want to know how you can eradicate bullying in your local schools and communities? We have 8 ways you can help raise awareness about bullying during no name-calling week!

  1.  Have the whole school make posters against bullying to be hung in classrooms and on the school walls. This will get the students to begin thinking about the consequences of bullying. Also, seeing the posters in their classrooms will remind students of the importance of bully prevention or reporting bullying.
  2. Host a poster contest! A poster contest will get students even more involved and excited about eliminating bullying!
  3. During your school’s morning announcements stress the importance of kindness and positive problem solving. Including positive messages in the morning sets the tone for students’ day and encourages kindness with amongst each other.
  4. Make announcements during lunch to remind students to report inappropriate behavior concerning calling names.
  5. Report “Random Act of Kindness”: Encourage students to report random acts of kindness by their peers and announce the acts of kindness during the morning announcements. This will encourage positive behavior amongst students throughout the week and school year.
  6. At the conclusion of No Name-Calling Week perform a skit at your school-wide assembly. A grade-level or school wide assembly brings together everyone. Students see and understand that this is a school-wide cause.
  7. Host a pep rally! This exciting event can include parents, community leaders, and/or highlight a bullying story to address the seriousness of bullying and its potential consequences.
  8. Have your students compile a “Top 10 reasons not to call names” list. This fun, while beneficial activity will encourage thought-provoking reasons to eliminate bullying and name calling.

In addition to impacting the victim’s life, bullying is a national issue that potentially affects parents and other students. This week we hope you choose to raise awareness in your local school and community and continue to report any acts of bullying. Tell us how you plan on eliminating bullying in your school in the comments section.

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Posted in Education, Impact, Kids, Social Justice | 2 Comments »

5 Ideas for Getting Involved in Your Community During the Holidays

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

So you want to help your community this holiday season, but while brainstorming ideas for the project you find yourself stumped? The media confronts us daily with the many social problems that plague our nation, without a solution in sight. It is easy to feel helpless when this information is talked about because no solution is foreseen.

It’s a good idea to start looking for holiday volunteer opportunities now, so you can be sure to find something you’d like to do. Just like shopping for a turkey the night before Thanksgiving, you might not find what you’re looking for if you wait until the last minute to find somewhere to volunteer.

It is easy to become involved in making a difference for your community by following these simple project tips. And remember, you can always get in touch with one of our HandsOn Network volunteer centers to find volunteer opportunities!

  • Hunger or Housing. From big to small projects there are tons of ways that you can help tackle this issue in your community! Help cook and serve meals at a soup kitchen, gather clothing and donate it to your local shelter, make toiletry kits for the homeless, make care packages full of winter clothing for your local children’s shelter, help repair a local homeless shelter, or partner with Habitat for Humanity and help with a build.
  • Elderly. Helping the older population in your community can be both fun and rewarding from any level. You can spend time with a senior citizen in your community, deliver meals to a homebound individual, perform home repairs or yard work for senior citizens in need, hold a social event for your local nursing home, adopt a “grandfriend” at your local nursing home and make regular visits.
  • volunteer tutorEducation. Education has become a big topic in the media over the years; there are many ways that you can help improve your community’s education system through volunteering. Ideas include raising money for Braille or large print books for the visually impaired, plan a school supply drive to assemble “back to school” kits for your local schools, set up a buddy system for kids needing friends, bring toys to hospitalized children, read books or the newspaper to visually impaired individuals, raise money to purchase and install playground equipment.
  • Health. Participate in a local AIDS or breast cancer walk, volunteer at a Special Olympics event, hold a blood drive, help a local agency create health promotion kits, host a health screening at a local store, library, or school.
  • Environment. You can help tackle your community’s environmental issues at many different levels. Set up a recycling center at your local school or retirement community, clean up a vacant lot or river bank, raise funds to adopt an acre of the rainforest or other habitat, clean up trash in your local park, partner with volunteers to paint a mural at a local school or park.

These are just a few tips that can be incorporated into your holiday resolutions that will make a big difference in your local community. From big to small you can help improve your community this holiday season.

Have a great holiday season! We’d love to hear about how you’re helping your community this year in the comment section below

 

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Posted in Education, Environment, Volunteering | 1 Comment »

3 Big Ideas for Building Service Learning Partnerships

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Shane Williamson, Community Learning Specialist at HandsOn Battle Creek.

HandsOn Battle Creek, located in Battle Creek, Michigan, has worked with their local community college (Kellogg Community College), K-12 public/private schools, and The LEAGUE Michigan, to lay the foundation for a community wide service-learning partnership. The goal of the partnership is to incorporate the concept of service learning into school lesson plans and missions as well as increase the amount of support and capacity for non-profits to manage volunteers and their own community impact goals. While this process takes time, there are some guides, from our experience, for those volunteer centers looking to start these types of initiatives in their community.

  1. Seek out your local higher educational institution. Colleges and universities are almost always looking for a way to get involved in the community in which they are located. Between your volunteer center’s contacts, the college’s contacts with community partners and their base of students (who are great volunteers), you will be able to begin incorporating service through those channels. This can lead to inclusion of faculty and academic programs in the future; thus leading to service learning.
  2. Do not try to “reinvent the wheel”. Work with organizations that are already doing the work you want to accomplish. At HandsOn Battle Creek, we already were partnered with The LEAGUE Michigan. This organization’s mission is to recruit and train K-12 teachers in the concept of service learning leading to a sustained presence of this concept in the schools. HandsOn Battle Creek was able to use their partnership to branch out to almost every school in the Battle Creek area. We are now seeing positive results from the trainings with the amount of projects taking place in the schools that are tied back to academic curriculum.
  3. Engage community partners every step of the way.  Your community partners will let you know what type of capacity they have for student volunteering. They will also let you know what they need in order to increase that capacity. Meeting with community partners, offering trainings on the concept of service-learning, and regularly checking in, has made the process of building this community-wide initiative possible. Without these commitments from our community it would be impossible for our college to begin making a service learning experience mandatory in the coming academic year.

These are basic types of guidelines, but the bottom line to each of them is that you must listen to your community at every level. This type of concept cannot be prescriptive. If all groups, students, schools, and organizations come together and have a stake in the process of building this type of relationship; the outcome will be more sustainable and long lasting.

We would love to share our experiences, information, and work in this field. let us know what your experience working to build a service-learning program has been in the comments!

 

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Is Your School Ready for a Service Learning Program?

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

In service learning, one element builds on another. Plans lead to service that fosters learning. Students build on what they learn and develop their leadership skills in ways that enhance future planning and service efforts.

When a school wants to begin offering service learning opportunities to its students, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure that the school, the students, and the partner organization all benefit from the experience.

A good place to start is simply asking whether the school is ready to support a service learning program. Here are some questions that schools need to ask themselves before starting a service learning program.

  • How much are students currently engaged in school based service project, including extra curricular programs?
  • How much does the school integrate service, give credit for documented service experiences, or require that students perform service?
  • How available is an assigned teacher or coordinator to organize the program, meet with students and agency representatives?
  • How convinced is the faculty that community based learning experience can be an important component of an effective educational program?
  • How supportive of service and experiential learning are the principal and other administrators?
  • How much experience does the school have in setting up and running effective business or community partnerships?
  • How much contact does the school have in the community with people who could facilitate a service learning partnership?
  • How much does the school set and follow through on goals to improve its curriculum and educational programs?
  • How many people on staff have a solid understanding of service learning and an ability and commitment to lead and support his or her peers?
  • How well can the school’s ongoing staff development process include education in service learning best practices?
  • How flexible is the schedule to allow students to be in the community as part of their education experience?
  • How much are learning outcomes that include citizenship, community involvement, respect for diversity, and social responsibility seen as part of the school’s mission?
  • How prepared is the school to measure learning gains that result from service learning?
This isn’t a comprehensive list of questions to ask about service learning programs, but its a good place to start. Asking questions will inevitably lead to more questions, and that’s ok!
Making sure your school has addressed these issues, and can answer the questions positively is an important first step to building a successful, long-lasting service learning program.
Have you helped to prepare a school to begin using service learning in the classroom? What troubles did you have, and what was easy about it? Let us know in the comments!
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The Benefits of Volunteering in Schools

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Volunteering in schools can be beneficial for everyone involved: the students get to meet older students or adults from outside of the school, the school benefits from the skills and talent that the volunteer brings to the table, and the volunteer can grow their network and circle of friends!

Figuring out how to volunteer with a school is an important step in planning your volunteer role, but so is understanding the costs (mostly time) and benefits of volunteering.

Benefits for Students

Volunteers in schools can play an important role in the lives of students. They can be an important adult connection for students. students who have involved adult volunteers in their school generally have better grades, better attendance, and higher graduation rates. Increased adult involvement also causes students to have more positive attitudes, more motivation, and higher self-esteem.

Volunteers may also help students by serving as a link between a school and a community. Students do better when schools, families, and communities work together, and involvement is strong.

Volunteers can be a strong advocate for the school they volunteer with. They can be a voice in the community for the school, helping to bring in needed resources or helping people to see the school as a positive force in their neighborhood.

Benefits for Schools

Schools can benefit from adult volunteers through:

  • Increased individual attention for students
  • Extra support on projects
  • Stronger ties to the community
  • Higher levels of parent-teacher communication
  • Increased capacity to better serve a wider variety of youth needs
  • Higher test/grade scores
  • Strengthened programs
  • Improved student behavior

Benefits for Volunteers

Volunteers benefit from volunteering, whether it’s from a closer peer-relationship with teachers and staff at the school or by building positive relationships with students. Volunteers benefit from their work with schools through:

  • Opportunities to meet new people
  • Improving communication, management, and interpersonal skills
  • Improving problem-solving skills
  • Increased self-confidence
  • A clearer understanding of school structure and curriculum
  • Gaining valuable job experience
  • The opportunity to serve as a role model for students
  • The chance to inspire, educate, and motivate future generations

Parents who are active in their child’s school can benefits at home, too. Parent volunteers can form tighter bonds with their children and often find themselves having more open discussions about life at, and outside of, school. Family members that volunteer aid their child’s transition from the home to school. By assisting in this transition, parents learn the structure and expectations of schools.

If you want to volunteer at your child’s school, get in touch with the school’s principal to find out where volunteers are needed in the school. If

Do you volunteer at a school? What benefits do you see from what you do? Let us know in the comments!

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10 Ideas for Volunteering in Schools

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Yesterday’s post talked about the importance of bringing volunteering into the classroom, and how service learning can help to show students the importance of service.

It’s important for parents and other adults to get involved in schools by volunteering. Here are ten ways that you can get more involved in schools:

  • Join the club. The PTA, home and school club, or school site council are ways for parents to get involved in schools. Being a part of any of these groups will also help to connect you with other parents and community members.
  • Attend school board meetings. Attending school board meetings gives you an opportunity to know what direction stendts’ education is taking.
  • Give a boost to a school club. In the era of disappearing recess and music and arts programs, schools may need help providing these kinds of classes. If your child is involved with any clubs or activities at school, call the person in charge of the group and see if you can help with transportation, supplies, or planning.
  • Get technical. If you have strong computer skills, such as Web site creation or network administration, see if your school needs help setting up a computer system or maintaining or upgrading the equipment they already have.
  • Share your time and talents. Teachers often need parent volunteers to help with small-group activities, reading to children, or correcting papers. Are you a fabulous chef or a craft whiz? Volunteer to give students a classroom demonstration of how to make tasty snack or a special holiday gift.
  • Organize a workplace tour. Do you work for a company that would be an interesting place for a field trip? Suggest a class visit to your office. Make sure that the tour is age appropriate, and that the students will be safe during their visit.
  • Start a cleanup crew. Are crushed soda cans and scrap paper taking over the school grounds? Why not plan a school cleanup day? Include parents, students, teachers, and any community members who want to help. Participants will feel a sense of ownership and will be less likely to ignore litter in the future.
  • Nurture your green thumb. Have you noticed that the school grounds could use some work? Talk to the principal or PTA about gathering a group of parents to plant trees or flowers in a few spots around the school. Maybe even plan a garden that can help to supply fresh fruits and veggies for students!
  • Be in the driver’s seat. Teachers often need parents to drive or chaperon on school field trips. Plus, you get to go on a field trip!
  • Volunteer at the school library. A lot of schools are short on funds and look to parents to help keep the library open for students. Offer to check out or shelve books, assist students, or donate money to buy books for the library.
Of course, these aren’t the only ways to volunteer in a school. Maybe you have a skill that you can share with the school and the students. Maybe you can help in a music class, or coach a sports team after classes, or be a mentor for a student.
Try getting in touch with the school’s principal and sharing your ideas for how you can volunteer.
Do you volunteer in a school? Tell us about it in the comments!
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The Importance of Meaningful Service Learning

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Davida Gatlin, Manager, Training and Technical Assistance for generationOn.

As a lifelong volunteer, now working in the volunteer management field, I must admit was shocked when a close friend told me, “I’m not that excited about volunteering.”

“Not excited? I just don’t understand.” I sputtered. What’s not to like, right? For those of us who serve regularly, it seems like second nature. Service gives you an opportunity to be part of a solution, to make a difference in the world, to use your talents, to exercise your skills and to build new ones.

“What’s not to like?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I guess I just wasn’t raised to be a volunteer”, my friend said. “It’s not something that I’m used to doing.”

This begs the question: Are raising a nation of volunteers? According to the most recent Volunteering in America report from the Corporation for National and Community Service, 4.4 million teenagers (age 16-19) dedicated 377 million hours of service in 2010. Impressive as these numbers are, 4.4 million teenagers only represent 26.1 of the total population of that age group. Far less information is available about the number of youth younger than 16 engaged in service.

So how do we reach more youth? And where do we reach them? Again, according to the Volunteering in America report, educational institutions are among the most popular organizations through which teenagers volunteer. Including service-learning, the intentional use of service to support academic as well as socio-emotional goals for students, in schools provides students space in which to engage in service activities as well as opportunities to for youth to learn to exercise their voice and choice.

5 reasons to include service learning in school curriculum

Participation in service-learning…

  1. promotes positive thinking about self and community
  2. encourages greater civic engagement
  3. supports positive cross-cultural and intergenerational experiences
  4. encourages positive behaviors
  5. can create a lifelong connection and commitment to service and volunteerism

And 5 ways to ensure that service learning in schools is meaningful

  1. Give students time for reflection, both pre- and post-service. Encourage students to ask questions, to make connections and to assess how they feel about the service experience and why.
  2. Intentionally connect service experiences to curricular goals and objectives. Consider the background knowledge and skills students need to carry out a service project.
  3. Engage in service activities that meet real community needs. The experience will be much richer and fulfilling if students see the positive effects of their actions.
  4. Give students the opportunity to lead. Youth can take an active role in every stage of the service-learning process from investigating a community need to project evaluation.
  5. Acknowledge the efforts of all participants. Help students find a forum through which they can showcase the results of their efforts.

Want to know more about service-learning? Visit generationOn, the youth division of Points of Light Institute, for more information. You can also sign up for generationOn’s upcoming educator webinar, Effective Planning for Service-Learning: Spotlight on Preparation, on October 5, 2011 at 3:30-4:30pm EDT.

You can also infuse service in your school culture as a generationOn School. Whether you are a teacher trying out service-learning for the first time in your classroom or a seasoned administrator working to sustain a school-wide culture of service-learning, you can join the generationOn Schools movement!

 

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Tips for Building School and Nonprofit Partnerships

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Service learning is a great tool to get students more involved in their communities and great way to teach lessons in a way that is meaningful. It allows students to put their lessons into practice and see the results of their efforts.

Before you start planning service-learning projects, though, it’s a good idea to build partnerships with some local nonprofits.

Building a partnership allows students an opportunity to return to the same nonprofits and see the impact of their work. Partnerships also let teachers build better projects with the help of the nonprofit, and nonprofits get to share their issue areas with students.

Before building partnerships, though, there are some questions that schools and nonprofits should find out the answers to.

What should nonprofits ask schools or teachers?

  • What experiences have you had in community service or volunteering? What impact have those experiences had on you?
  • Why are you interested in a partnership?
  • What do you think is the most important reason for involving youth in service learning?
  • How could service learning help you to address major challenges you face in educating students?
  • If you could make one dream come true through service learning, what would it be?
  • What is the one thing you hope your students would learn about our community and society?

What should schools or teachers ask nonprofits?

  • What have been your organization’s experiences in working with schools?
  • What have been your experiences working with children and teens in your agency?
  • Why are you interested in a partnership?
  • What do you think is the most important reason for involving youth in service learning through your organization?
  • What are the major challenges you face in providing service to our community?
  • If you could make one dream come true for those served through your agency, what would it be?
  • What is the one thing you most hope service learning will accomplish in our community and society?
Finding out the answers to these questions can help to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between schools and nonprofits that can help to support service learning programs.
Have you built partnerships with nonprofits or schools? Let us know in the comments what you think is important to know when you’re starting a new partnership!

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