By Michael Trabert | Manager of Corporate Engagement
It is a very rewarding experience. You don't get that many opportunities to be part of impacting the future generation. - Citizen Schools Volunteer, California
Citizen Schools' mission is "Educating Children, Strengthening Communities." Our vision is to close the opportunity and achievement gap for middle school students from low-income communities and move students onto a successful track, heading toward high school graduation, college attainment, and positions of leadership in their careers and communities. Since its inception in Boston in 1995, Citizen Schools has partnered with middle schools and communities to reimagine the learning day and provide all students with rigorous and engaging experiences that connect students’ current learning to their future. We mobilize a second shift of afternoon educators, who provide academic support, leadership development, and apprenticeships - hands-on projects taught by volunteers from business and civic organizations. By focusing on middle school, Citizen Schools capitalizes on this critical developmental period and inflection point, effectively setting students' sights on graduation, college matriculation, and ultimately a successful career. Citizen Schools also seeks to build a strong and skilled pipeline of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technology professionals to fill the national gap in qualified STEM professions. Our Citizen Teachers continue to be a source of great support for Citizen Schools – not only through financial contributions but especially through their human capital, teaching our students in 10-week, hands-on apprenticeships.
I really enjoyed seeing the student's attitudes about Math change over the course of our time together. By the end of the apprenticeship, they seemed to really enjoy the challenges and saw that Math could be enjoyable. I have always enjoyed working with children, and I do not get the opportunity to in my profession. The apprenticeship was a great way to help make an impact on some students and share my love of teaching with them. - Citizen Schools Volunteer, New York
This past December, we celebrated the conclusion of our fall apprenticeships at our WOW!s, held across our network. From Massachusetts to California, we had 394 apprenticeships featured at our WOW!s. These semester-end events are where students are able to show what they’ve learned during their apprenticeship to the community. Here are some of examples of what was on display this December:
Mock Trial: Students learned about the judicial system and court proceedings and worked on a "mock " criminal case. They presented agruments in teams representing the prosecution and the defense. Students also learned about different career paths in the judicial system and practiced their public speaking.
Pencil Code: In Pencil Code students learned the value of coding (i.e. what coding can accomplish in the modern world), how to read CSS and HTML, and got experience in coding. For their end-of-semester event, they showcased the videogame that they created!
Biz Kidz: During Biz Kidz, students started their own business by learning how to apply for a micro-loan to create a company and sell a product. They started off by learning about the leaders of a company, and then held elections for different departments and roles. Students also learned about manufacturing, distribution, profit, and loss. For their big project, students created and sold a product through their buisness at their WOW! event and donated their money to a charity.
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