"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
Day of Service | April 19, 2017
On Wednesday, April 19, Lower School and Upper School students and teachers participated in a Day of Service.
On Wednesday, April 19, Lower School and Upper School students and teachers participated in a Day of Service. (The Middle School participated in a Day of Service in November.) See below for a list of service activities.
UPPER SCHOOL
Grade 9
Through the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), history students represented their selected nonprofits to a panel of judges who awarded grants. Friends has been provided this opportunity to engage our students in the philanthropic sector through a program created by the Toskan Casale Foundation. YPI is an international multi-award-winning youth service program that has directed over $12 million in grants to nonprofits across the United States, Canada, England and Scotland. Through Friends Seminary’s partnership with YPI over the last five years, our students have connected to 60 NYC nonprofits and have been able to award over $25K in grants to winning organizations. On Wednesday, April 19, we will continue this tradition. Faculty, staff and parents are invited to stop by the Meetinghouse at any point during the day to listen to some of these presentations. The audience provide feedback and help determine one of the secondary grants awarded to a student group’s nonprofit.
Through the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), history students represented their selected nonprofits to a panel of judges who awarded grants. Friends has been provided this opportunity to engage our students in the philanthropic sector through a program created by the Toskan Casale Foundation. YPI is an international multi-award-winning youth service program that has directed over $12 million in grants to nonprofits across the United States, Canada, England and Scotland. Through Friends Seminary’s partnership with YPI over the last five years, our students have connected to 60 NYC nonprofits and have been able to award over $25K in grants to winning organizations. On Wednesday, April 19, we will continue this tradition. Faculty, staff and parents are invited to stop by the Meetinghouse at any point during the day to listen to some of these presentations. The audience provide feedback and help determine one of the secondary grants awarded to a student group’s nonprofit.
Grade 10
A group of tenth graders worked with the AFYA Foundation, an organization that collects and distributes medical supplies for humanitarian relief efforts around the world. Students traveled to AFYA’s warehouse in Yonkers where they learned about the organization’s recent efforts in the Philippines, Africa and Haiti. Afterward, student volunteer groups helped sort no-longer-needed, but still-usable medical and humanitarian supplies that are donated by hospitals, nursing homes, corporations and individuals. AFYA ships these supplies in sea cargo containers to organizations such as Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders. Since 2008, AFYA has sent more than 1100 containers to countries-in-need, which translates into about 6,000,000 pounds of recovered material worth about $26,000,000.
A group of tenth graders worked with the AFYA Foundation, an organization that collects and distributes medical supplies for humanitarian relief efforts around the world. Students traveled to AFYA’s warehouse in Yonkers where they learned about the organization’s recent efforts in the Philippines, Africa and Haiti. Afterward, student volunteer groups helped sort no-longer-needed, but still-usable medical and humanitarian supplies that are donated by hospitals, nursing homes, corporations and individuals. AFYA ships these supplies in sea cargo containers to organizations such as Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders. Since 2008, AFYA has sent more than 1100 containers to countries-in-need, which translates into about 6,000,000 pounds of recovered material worth about $26,000,000.
Another group of tenth graders volunteered with the LES Ecology Center, one of New York City’s oldest community composting programs. The Lower East Side Ecology Center in partnership with the NYC Compost Project, is supporting the City’s effort to contribute zero waste to landfills by 2030 by already diverting over 400 tons of food scraps from landfills annually. Food scraps are collected from local apartments and green market drop offs and then processed into compost at the East River Park Compost Yard. The finished compost is then used for community greening projects to revitalize tree beds and soils across the city. Volunteers supported the project by sifting and bagging finished compost, performing general compost site maintenance such as cleaning up debris and organizing, in addition to other activities related to the composting operations.
Grade 11
A group of students traveled by bus to the Bronx Food Distribution Warehouse to work with the Food Bank, which distributes food to charities throughout the five boroughs, supplying 64 million meals to New Yorkers in need each day. Volunteers at the warehouse helped staff with the highest-impact initiative by sorting and repacking bulk shipped food and goods for redistribution around the city.
A group of students traveled by bus to the Bronx Food Distribution Warehouse to work with the Food Bank, which distributes food to charities throughout the five boroughs, supplying 64 million meals to New Yorkers in need each day. Volunteers at the warehouse helped staff with the highest-impact initiative by sorting and repacking bulk shipped food and goods for redistribution around the city.
Another group of volunteers traveled uptown to the Community Kitchen of West Harlem to assist seniors that visit the pantry, check out and bag groceries, and restock shelves at this choice-style food pantry that provides more than 40,000 meals a month.
A third group of eleventh graders volunteered at the headquarters of longtime partner, God’s Love We Deliver, where they learned more about the organization, delivered meals to homebound clients, and created cards through their birthday cake and card program.
Grade 12
Seniors traveled to Governor’s Island where the Billion Oyster Project’s MAST School is located. The Billion Oyster Project is an ecosystem restoration and education project aimed at restoring one billion live oysters around 100 acres of reefs, making New York Harbor once again the most productive waterbody in the North Atlantic and reclaiming its title as the oyster capital of the world. Oysters provide valuable ecosystem services to the region by filtering pollutants out of water, providing habitat for other marine species, and reducing the force of wave energy. Students assisted with oyster cage building and oyster shell recycling. In the past, Friends science students participated in a field study that helped determine the effectiveness of the oyster reintroduction project.
Seniors traveled to Governor’s Island where the Billion Oyster Project’s MAST School is located. The Billion Oyster Project is an ecosystem restoration and education project aimed at restoring one billion live oysters around 100 acres of reefs, making New York Harbor once again the most productive waterbody in the North Atlantic and reclaiming its title as the oyster capital of the world. Oysters provide valuable ecosystem services to the region by filtering pollutants out of water, providing habitat for other marine species, and reducing the force of wave energy. Students assisted with oyster cage building and oyster shell recycling. In the past, Friends science students participated in a field study that helped determine the effectiveness of the oyster reintroduction project.
LOWER SCHOOL
In coordination with the art and science classes, the second grade prepared seed balls with seeds native to the East Village and Lower East Side. Students assembled the balls on Wednesday and travel to the Lower East Side Ecology Center at East River Park to disperse the balls in the beginning of May.
Some Lower Schoolers created birthday cards for DOROT Seniors. DOROT is a non-profit organization with the goal of alleviating social isolation and providing concrete services to older adults. Their greeting card project helps bring joy and celebration to some of their frailest and most isolated seniors. Each month, DOROT mails over 200 birthday cards, created by volunteers, to seniors. Often, this card is the only recognition a senior receives on his or her birthday.
Some Lower Schoolers created birthday cards for DOROT Seniors. DOROT is a non-profit organization with the goal of alleviating social isolation and providing concrete services to older adults. Their greeting card project helps bring joy and celebration to some of their frailest and most isolated seniors. Each month, DOROT mails over 200 birthday cards, created by volunteers, to seniors. Often, this card is the only recognition a senior receives on his or her birthday.
Three classes also joined Mike in the Cafeteria during the first and last periods of the day to help cook a meal for the guests at the shelter. The Friends Shelter is particularly unique because it is the only co-ed shelter that is completely volunteer-run and open seven days a week, every day of the year.
Finally, Lower School students volunteered with the Stuyvesant Square Neighborhood Association in planting and painting projects in the Park.
Finally, Lower School students volunteered with the Stuyvesant Square Neighborhood Association in planting and painting projects in the Park.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer.
Friends Seminary — the oldest continuously operated, coeducational school in NYC — serves college-bound day students in Kindergarten-Grade 12.
