Author: slpRachel

Matt Gonzales, Appleseed’s School Diversity Project Director, believes that students are a critical part of the process of integrating NYC schools. We agree! He elaborated in a recent interview:  “We need to highlight the voices of students and actually ask them what they want, and try to help those students tell their parents what they…

As part of the effort to overhaul it’s evaluation of public schools, the New York State Department of Education (SED) recently released a draft list of guiding principals. These are measures New York education officials believe should be used to determine whether a school is successful or “highly effective.” We were thrilled to see that SED…

SLP was thrilled to participate in last week’s “Taking Stock” Elementary Youth Leadership Event hosted by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development.  Liz was a panelist along with staff from two inspiring NYC organizations: Urban Arts Partnership and the Leadership Program.  The audience included more than 50 Directors and staff from after-school programs located throughout NYC.  All…

The most persuasive advocates are so often young people directly affected by a pernicious social problem. Last year, SLP worked with an inspiring group of 5th graders in Brooklyn who persuaded their principal to improve the food and environment in their school cafeteria.  Their project was motivated by concerns about students who eat school lunch…

SLP is excited to announce the launch of our first online fundraising campaign.  All donations will be used to cover the expense of our Residency Program at multiple underserved public schools in Eastern Brooklyn, a neighborhood where more than 50% of children are living below the poverty line.  Although service learning benefits students from all…

Another piece calls service learning the key strategy for creating more engaged citizens.  In an October 15th, 2015 opinion piece, WNYC calls for more youth to “Step Up to the Political Plate.” Calling out youth voters in the 2014 midterm elections for the lowest turnout (19%) in the last 40 years, WNYC challenges the U.S. to help young…

Last night, SLP students helped raise more than $25,000 for NYC-based non-profit Care for the Homeless (CFH)! CFH is an advocacy organization founded 30 years ago to provide healthcare to homeless individuals and families in NYC. During the research phase of their SLP project, 3rd and 4th graders at an elementary school in Brooklyn met with CFH…

According to the New York Times, the turnout rate for the 2014 national election was one of the lowest ever with only 36.3% of the country participating. In this September 2014 opinion piece from the Gotham Gazette, Executive Editor Ben Man argues that service learning in schools is the best way to increase voter participation…