Summer of Service and LeadershipJessica Chethik

Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago

2009 Project Citizen Coordinator Conference October 9-12, 2009

Summer of Service and Leadership Program

15 Chicago Public high schools in 2009Freshman Connection Summer Program• Implementing Project Citizen • Taking part in direct service

experiences set up by Chicago Cares and MGR Foundation

• Reading and discussing Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

Objectives

1. Introduce/acclimate students to their new high school

2. Develop a cadre of student leaders for their high school

3. Build civic knowledge and skills by engaging students in service and policy analysis throughout the summer

4. Expose students to high school and college education

TimelineSpring 2009: • Chicago Public Schools recruited 15 teachers to participate• CRFC created the Summer of Service and Leadership

Curriculum

May 9, 2009:• Project Citizen training for teachers and college mentors

June 22 – July 23, 2009: Summer of Service Program• Week 1: team building, direct service, community walks,

bringing in speakers from the community, read and discuss Seedfolks

• Week 2: continue direct service and identify problem, Seedfolks

• Week 3: look at a variety of solutions to problem, Seedfolks• Weeks 4 & 5: select class policy and create and carry out

action plan, Seedfolks

July 21, 2009: • Culminating event with all participating schools

Curriculum• Scope and Sequence - Weekly Course

Outline • Daily sample activity outline including

correlations to Project Citizen text and other PC lessons

• Teambuilding, community mapping and leadership activities

• Discussion and journaling activities to be used with Seedfolks

• Reflection Section for students and teachers

Direct Service Opportunities

• Senior Centers/ Nursing Homes• Ronald McDonald House• Share Your Soles Organization• Forest Preserve of Cook County • Lincoln Park Community Shelter• Family Rescue• Organic Greenhouse• Hines VA Hospital

Preparing a Meal at the Greater Chicago Food

Depository

Getting Dirty at Various Community Gardens

Chicago Park District

Fixing Up the Parks

Implementing Project Citizen

Problems Identified Include:• High Drop-Out Rates• Peer Pressure• Local Hunger• Civil War and Genocide in Sudan• Affordable Housing• Beach Pollution• Teen Pregnancy• Neighborhood Resource Inequality

PROS of Using Project Citizen as part of Summer of Service

Program• Tapping into an existing program makes it

easy to recruit teachers and students• The direct service component helped to

inspire important community projects• Teachers don’t have to carve out time to fit

the project in their curriculum/ PC is the curriculum

• Meaningful way for freshman to learn about the community where their new school is located and to connect with other incoming students

CONS of Using Project Citizen as part of Summer of Service

Program• Process to adapt curriculum is time

consuming• Motivation and knowledge of teachers not

always optimal• Need to know that money for the program

is available• Once summer ends the program may not

carry over into the new school year• As with using Project Citizen in any

capacity, some teachers get the public policy component, some don’t

July 21, 2009

Culminating Event

Scavenger Hunt

Project Presentations