Hands-on Technology Experience for Low-Income Kids

Each year there is one student who is shy and hides under their hood ad insists they are not going to speak. Little by little with each class you are able to get them to open up and participate. These are the students that continually amaze me when we get to the WOW!... -Janet (MA)

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 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (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 was really inspired by my group and how they engaged in research and learning more about Child Sex Trafficking and Homelessness. The students had excellent answers to our questions and responded well to the videos and presentations that we offered to educate them more about the experiences of those in these positions... -Hannah (NY)

During the past couple of months, we held our Annual BenefitED Gala in California and our WOW!NOW Breakfast in Massachusetts. Students, families, community leaders, volunteer Citizen Teachers, sponsors, and Citizen Schools’ staff all came together to highlight the success of students and allow them to present on the diverse topics they learned over the semester. In Massachusetts, 32 students presented on 11 apprenticeships, demonstrating their knowledge on a wide range of social issues and other subjects: from men’s health to gang violence and recruitment. There were over 300 attendees that came to support students at the WOW!NOW Breakfast. In California, 21 students presented on 7 apprenticeships and there were over 150 attendees. The topics ranged from journalism to electrical engineering. Students in California even put their knowledge of public speaking to the test by serving as emcees, panelists, and guest speakers. Overall, the rooms were filled with joy and there was a sense of community, pride, passion, excitement and a whole lot of “WOW!”.

In New York, our first ever Coding Academy program was launched at the Isaac Newton Middle School and it was a great success! Coding Academy is a year long apprenticeship that pairs each student with a volunteer from Google to learn the basics of coding. Coding Academy will be expanded to three additional campuses in New York this fall, allowing more students to have coding experience and closing the STEM education gap.     

I was inspired when the students gained enough mastery of their coding skills in App Lab that they were able to problem-solve themselves and share their knowledge with other students on their teams. -Hayley (NC)

Citizen Schools is extremely grateful for all of our students who came out to showcase what they learned in their 10 week apprenticeships, as well as all the families and community members that made the celebration of students and their work possible.

Links:

• Citizen Schools website