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I use my BLANK to encourage NYC public schools to participate in service, and I use my BLANK to create a website to publicize service projects online.

Service became an integral component of my life in college.  Starting in my freshman year at Purchase College, I was presented with endless opportunities to volunteer.  I hadn’t even finished unpacking, when an upper classman handed me a flier to help distribute food and clothes to homeless individuals in New York City.  From there, things pretty much snowballed.  I met with students around ten o’clock that evening and on-boarded a van to the city.  It was a cold October night and there were people living in the streets, around homeless shelters and churches.  We handed out jackets and sandwiches and engaged in serious discussions around poverty and homelessness.  It was rewarding to be in the company of like minded and kind individuals from my school’s advocacy organizations dedicated to helping people who needed it the most.

It became clear to me then, that helping individuals and organizations in need isn’t just something you do to feel good about yourself, but rather, it is a matter of civic responsibility.  As I worked on various volunteer and advocacy projects, I knew that I did not want to stop helping others once I received my diploma.  I decided that no matter what profession I pursued, I would always give back.

So after college, and a stint in Corporate America, I joined the NYC Civic Corps to make a difference in my hometown: New York City.  I wanted to put my education and technology skills to good use, and thought that the corps would provide the perfect opportunity.  I was placed in the NYC Department of Education, where my role is to educate school leaders on Service in Schools, an initiative that expects principals to incorporate service or service learning projects in their schools.  The Service in Schools program introduces and educates students on why they should help others and give back, and offers various service opportunities for students and schools to participate in.  The program also ensures that schools receive service ideas, topics and curricula from a variety of agencies, so schools will not feel like they have to do it alone. 

My role also involves the creation of a website that provides a space for schools to showcase and promote service projects, and that offers tools to empower students, school leaders and ultimately, the community.  The website is also a mechanism to foster a culture of community responsibility in public schools and could help teachers and principals become familiar with using online technologies.

I am ecstatic about using my education and technology skills to help schools make a difference in their communities.  I believe that the NYC Civic Corps and NYC Services are excellent resources that will help make the City of New York a better place to live and volunteer.