EducationWorks Summer of Service Spotlight
Program
Spotlights focus on Summer of Service programs
doing exemplary work across the country. If you
would like to suggest a program, please email
Jean Manney at manney@icicp.org. Thank you!
In the spotlight: EducationWorks
EducationWorks (EW) is an organization that provides year round educational services for underserved elementary and secondary school students in the greater Philadelphia area. It was established as a nonprofit in 2001 as a ‘spin-off’ from another nonprofit, to operate its charter AmeriCorps program, the National School and Community Corps, and develop new programs. EW serves over 15,000 students and families annually with roughly a quarter being students in 6-8 grades. EW has run summer camps and service learning programs since 1993 and continues to be a leader in the youth development and service-learning fields. For the summer of 2010, EW is restructuring its summer programming to align with the recommendations in ICP’s 2005 report, “Summer of Service: A right of passage?” and the Summer of Service program in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, to incorporate more than 100 hours of direct service.
Every year, more than 300 middle and high school students serve as junior camp counselors in EW’s summer camps for K-5th grade students. The older students help and serve alongside the younger students in an array of service learning opportunities including environmental awareness campaigns and community cleanups and participation in Building Healthy Communities (BHC), an initiative whose goal is to “make children aware of the dangers of childhood obesity and encourage them to make personal and community changes to combat the [childhood obesity] epidemic.” BHC participants have made nutrition and fitness calendars for distribution to families and the community, created cooking and exercise videos, developed a fruit stand in a school’s cafeteria, and demonstrated and sold healthy snacks, like homemade trail mix, at community events.
Started as an afterschool initiative, BHC is now a year round service learning program, engaging more than 1000 students annually in a rich, ever-changing set of activities. Last year, for example, these inner-city students visited a farm in nearby Morrisville, PA where they encountered a number of farm animals including emus, ponies, and guinea hens and picked apples that were then sent to New Jersey families without access to fresh produce as part of the NJ Famers Against Hunger program.
Summer camp students also learn about the importance of civic engagement. This past summer, the camps participated in a citywide competition, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Youth Network, to develop the best service projects focused on how to improve their community. A group of junior counselors based out of South Philadelphia High School took first place in the “Education and Mentoring Category” for their project “Risk Watch,” which shared tips with youngsters on water, fire, and motor vehicle safety. Another group of counselors from the Duckrey Elementary School camp took first place in the “Community Beautification Category” for “Trashy to Flashy.” Their presentation included a fashion show where students modeled garments made of the trash that they picked up as part of a community cleanup and recycling project. Their goal was to raise awareness of the litter lining Philadelphia streets. Previous projects have included partnerships with the National Constitution Center, PennCord, and the Center for Civic Education where middle and high school youth implemented lessons around civics and government with campers.
EW builds on those relationships established and strengthened in its service learning programs in its many other programs and activities. For example, EW organizes college access tours for its 5th – 8th grade students to colleges in and near Philadelphia, including historically black colleges such as Lincoln and Cheney Universities.
For more information on EducationWorks and its many programs and services please contact Martin Friedman at 609-392-6662 or MFriedman@EducationWorks-Online.org. To learn more about the Summer of Service Initiative, please contact Marlin Payne at 202.775.0290
Previously:
Chicago Public Schools Summer of Service and Leadership Program Spotlight
Walkabout Program Insight
ManaTEENS Program Spotlight
In the spotlight: EducationWorks
EducationWorks (EW) is an organization that provides year round educational services for underserved elementary and secondary school students in the greater Philadelphia area. It was established as a nonprofit in 2001 as a ‘spin-off’ from another nonprofit, to operate its charter AmeriCorps program, the National School and Community Corps, and develop new programs. EW serves over 15,000 students and families annually with roughly a quarter being students in 6-8 grades. EW has run summer camps and service learning programs since 1993 and continues to be a leader in the youth development and service-learning fields. For the summer of 2010, EW is restructuring its summer programming to align with the recommendations in ICP’s 2005 report, “Summer of Service: A right of passage?” and the Summer of Service program in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, to incorporate more than 100 hours of direct service.
Every year, more than 300 middle and high school students serve as junior camp counselors in EW’s summer camps for K-5th grade students. The older students help and serve alongside the younger students in an array of service learning opportunities including environmental awareness campaigns and community cleanups and participation in Building Healthy Communities (BHC), an initiative whose goal is to “make children aware of the dangers of childhood obesity and encourage them to make personal and community changes to combat the [childhood obesity] epidemic.” BHC participants have made nutrition and fitness calendars for distribution to families and the community, created cooking and exercise videos, developed a fruit stand in a school’s cafeteria, and demonstrated and sold healthy snacks, like homemade trail mix, at community events.
Started as an afterschool initiative, BHC is now a year round service learning program, engaging more than 1000 students annually in a rich, ever-changing set of activities. Last year, for example, these inner-city students visited a farm in nearby Morrisville, PA where they encountered a number of farm animals including emus, ponies, and guinea hens and picked apples that were then sent to New Jersey families without access to fresh produce as part of the NJ Famers Against Hunger program.
Summer camp students also learn about the importance of civic engagement. This past summer, the camps participated in a citywide competition, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Youth Network, to develop the best service projects focused on how to improve their community. A group of junior counselors based out of South Philadelphia High School took first place in the “Education and Mentoring Category” for their project “Risk Watch,” which shared tips with youngsters on water, fire, and motor vehicle safety. Another group of counselors from the Duckrey Elementary School camp took first place in the “Community Beautification Category” for “Trashy to Flashy.” Their presentation included a fashion show where students modeled garments made of the trash that they picked up as part of a community cleanup and recycling project. Their goal was to raise awareness of the litter lining Philadelphia streets. Previous projects have included partnerships with the National Constitution Center, PennCord, and the Center for Civic Education where middle and high school youth implemented lessons around civics and government with campers.
| This is a
caption. |
Martin Friedman, the
Executive Director of EducationWorks, notes
that “these service learning projects, in
addition to all of the well-known benefits of
engaging students in service, are instrumental
in strengthening the mentoring relationships
between our AmeriCorps members and the
students. Those relationships are critically
important in the students coming to believe in
themselves and possibilities for their
futures.”
EW builds on those relationships established and strengthened in its service learning programs in its many other programs and activities. For example, EW organizes college access tours for its 5th – 8th grade students to colleges in and near Philadelphia, including historically black colleges such as Lincoln and Cheney Universities.
For more information on EducationWorks and its many programs and services please contact Martin Friedman at 609-392-6662 or MFriedman@EducationWorks-Online.org. To learn more about the Summer of Service Initiative, please contact Marlin Payne at 202.775.0290
Previously:
Chicago Public Schools Summer of Service and Leadership Program Spotlight
Walkabout Program Insight
ManaTEENS Program Spotlight