Hands-on Technology Experience for Low-Income Kids

“Citizen Schools provided me an opportunity to have a direct impact on at-risk youth and to learn more about the challenges of inner city education. It is a very well designed program run by true professionals, and one of the most rewarding volunteer programs I have participated in.” - Richard Achee, Google Volunteer Citizen Teacher (currently teaching Snack Attack! at Bronx Writing Academy in New York)

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. In the 2014-15 school year, Citizen Schools serves 4,877 students from disadvantaged urban neighborhoods, 80% of whom are children of color. Google remains one of Citizen Schools’ leading supporters – not only through financial contributions but especially through the human capital of Googlers, who teach our students in 10-week, hands-on apprenticeships.

In this spring semester, 42 Google Citizen Teachers are leading 18 apprenticeships in Citizen Schools programs, bringing learning to life for more than 260 students. Apprenticeships taught by Googlers include:

• Google Fitness – This semester, John, a Performance Specialist at Google, is leading students from the McCormack Middle School in Boston in weekly challenges from jumping jacks, crunches, to wall sits. After students master their physical challenges, they track and record this progress in Google Spreadsheets. Students create charts and graphs to show their improvements in weekly challenges. Working closely with his Citizen Schools Teaching Fellow, Brandon, John has been able to create a class in which all students can be successful. Serving students from the school's Therapeutic Learning Community, some of our most challenging students are succeeding week after week in this class.

• Time to Invent! – Our Boston students this semester have the opportunity to meet a new Googler each week in Time to Invent! In this Apprenticeship, students create, design, brainstorm, and build their very own inventions. Each week a Googler in Cambridge signs on to be the "client" and reveals to students what they will build for that week. This has been a great opportunity for students to work with Google employees across the office and for Googlers to meet our students and see how creative they are!
  
  
• Design Thinking – Barkha, from Google Mountain View, is teaching 22 students at William Sheppard Middle School in San Jose how to tackle real-world problems by thinking of innovative and out-of-the-box solutions. Students began by completing small design challenges to familiarize themselves with the design thinking process. Currently, Barkha is working with them to create a final project that will go through each step of the design process to solve a large-scale and relevant challenge: “Design something to solve a problem that is occurring during lunch or recess at your school.”

“Not all volunteer experiences give you the opportunity to directly see the impact that you are making over time. Volunteering for Citizen Schools allowed me to see students blossom and grow in ways that I wasn't expecting. I consider it an honor to be a part of the program.” - Amy Armstrong, Google Volunteer Citizen Teacher (most recently taught Brand You in the fall of 2014 at Elmhurst Community Prep in Oakland)

 “I will always remember when our class became so quiet because the kids were so engaged in programming their apps. This took several weeks of getting them used to the software and with us—but there was something magical about getting the right tools and lessons in front of a class of 18 6th graders and getting them to want to learn. No one asks to use the bathroom, no one distracts their classmates. It was magic.” - Albert Ching, Google Volunteer Citizen Teacher (currently teaching Android App Design at Elmhurst Community Prep in Oakland)

Citizen Schools’ signature apprenticeships all culminate in a celebration of students’ learning and the projects they have created called the WOW!. Citizen Schools and Google will again have several opportunities to celebrate our partnership this spring at special WOW! events that will be held at Google headquarters in Cambridge, MA and Chicago.

Citizen Schools is so grateful for our powerful partnership with Google and its employees. The enthusiasm of Google volunteers continues to inspire children and colleagues alike, as they explore new worlds with students and set them on a course for success in high school, college, and careers.

Links:

• Citizen Schools