We are incredibly fortunate to have Michael Keating join us at the start of this fiscal year as the new Chair of Citizen Schools’ National Board of Directors. Mike is currently a Partner at Foley Hoag and former Board Chair of The Boston Foundation. "A lawyer and lifelong advocate for expanded opportunity, Mike Keating is one of Boston and the nation's great civic leaders and we at Citizen Schools are excited to welcome him as the next chair of our Board of Directors," said Eric Schwarz, Co-Founder of Citizen Schools and outgoing Chair of the Board.
We interviewed Mike recently and discussed what inspired him to serve his community and to his new role with Citizen Schools.
With 124,000 U.S. public and private schools closed and 51 million students impacted, the effects of COVID-19 can be felt far and wide. Our making communities have stepped up to the challenge in critical ways to continue maker-centered learning and to apply capacity and resources to support healthcare workers and first responders.
Bob France taught his first Lego Robotics Apprenticeship with Citizen Schools in 2013, then went on to develop a 3D Printing class, and later led a Girls’ Backpacking trip. It’s become a family affair, where his son participated in facilitating the 3D Printing class and his wife, Dianne, partnered with him on the backpacking trip. What do all of these have in common? It’s about building skills and ultimately, confidence for life and career. Bob said, “Years from now kids may not remember the specifics of what they learned but I hope they will always have that confidence. Confidence is actually a job skill!”
Chuck taught several Citizen Schools apprenticeships including Generation Citizen, Talk Like a Pro, Shark Tank and creative writing. He comes back year after year because he’s always “blown away” during the WOW!, where students showcase their projects to volunteers, teachers, family and fellow students. Oftentimes, he finds “those that you least expect, shine the most.”
When you first meet Sonali, you might be surprised that at only 17 years old, she’s already volunteered for several Citizen Schools Game Coding apprenticeships and started her own “chapter” of volunteers at Saratoga High School. Sonali has a love for Computer Science and wanted to find ways to give back to the larger community. In her research, she found Citizen Schools, which gave her an outlet for sharing her passion for coding, working with middle-school students of diverse backgrounds, and partnering with passionate STEM professionals to student teach classes.
Giovanni Green has taught 12 Apprenticeships across Renaissance Academy, Urban Assembly, and Isaac Newton Middle School, finally reaching the “cool” factor that makes students stop to talk to him in the hallways—even if they’re not one of his students. It’s no wonder his Backstage Pass Apprenticeship is one of the most popular. Students write the lyrics, lay down the beats, finish an original song, and get to visit a real music studio.
Bin Wu is a 10-time Citizen Teacher for Citizen Schools California, participating in Tech Challenge and several other Apprenticeships over the last five years. Though her background of growing up in China is quite different from the students she serves or the campuses she’s on, she believes deeply in exposing people to something different.
TheAmerican Student Assistance (ASA) meeting on October 22nd at theBoston Chamber of Commerce brought together educators, nonprofits and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to drive home the need to engage students early in career exploration and pathways. We also need to evolve collective assumptions that success for students means a four-year college degree. And to engage and motivate students, we should share all the options of technical education, associate’s degrees, certificates, and apprenticeships. All of this work begins early as students disengage starting in ninth grade.
As we look back on a summer well spent, one of our highlights across our regions is always Summer Institute, during which our incoming Teaching Fellows (TFs) receive training, get to know Citizen Schools and meet other TFs. Our amazing regional staff in Massachusetts, California and New York welcomed each of their new TF cohorts and helped them get ready for the school year ahead.
Mehmet Kanik embodies all the enthusiasm you would expect from a first-time volunteer. Not only has he brought his work from Research at MIT into the classroom, he also draws energy and confidence from the students he teaches. Mehmet is conducting research and was recently published in Science Magazine, for the same fiber-based artificial muscle samples he brought into the classroom.
From April through June, coast to coast, Citizen Schools celebrated the school year’s apprenticeship programs with two WOW!NOW breakfasts in Massachusetts and New York and a mock-trial themed benefitEd in California. These events mark the culmination of both the 10-week apprenticeships and also the school year.
Rounding the corner on two years of piloting Catalyst programs, we’re shining a light on those generous professionals that give generously of themselves to inspire the next generation of engineers, programmers, scientists, and more. Catalyst volunteers come from a range of STEM professions and bring a wealth of real-world knowledge into the classroom. Here are two of our inspirational volunteers, who reflected on their time with the program:
Kyle Conley joins Citizen Schools as Vice President, Impact on April 23, 2019. In her role, she will focus on driving impact in direct service with Expanded Learning Time and with Catalyst, Citizen Schools’ new teacher support initiative. Kyle will also oversee a national center of excellence around the core input and support for Citizen Schools program models, including talent, curriculum, training and Research and Evaluation. She joins a dynamic and committed team of leaders at both the regional and national level.
