Combine a day of games with 60 kids from two different schools who have never met each other and what do you get? The first ever inter-school competition. All of the planning and organizing paid off to see the students play competitively and have fun at the same time:

The schools were only 20 minutes apart, within a reasonable walking distance from each other. Yet, they were two very different populations of students. It became an opportunity to meet children around their own age, as well as expose volunteers to two sports programs on the Lower East Side. The anticipation in the air was tangible as we boarded the bus that cold Saturday morning. Nervous, one of the Team Leaders from PS 2 told me under her breath that she was worried that a couple of her kids would get into an argument because of their competitive side. 

But that’s not at all what happened. 

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Katherine Keintz, one of our program managers, received the following letter from one of our Community Partners around the holidays. Maria Verdesoto and Hope Salas from the Museum Magnet School were so pleased with our volunteers, they asked to share it with all of you! And we are happy to do so. Keep up the great work volunteers, as you can see, it’s clearly appreciated.

Dearest Katherine & New York Cares Volunteers,

I write to extend the warmest thank you to the New York Cares volunteers that assisted the teachers and staff at the Museum Magnet School prepare for our Dream, Think, Do! Gallery Tour event on December 18th.

Our school has a bi-annual celebration called Dream, Think, Do! This event allows us all at the Museum Magnet School to celebrate the work of our Pre-K – 8 students, which illustrates their knowledge and skill of the content they are currently studying in the core subjects. Our teachers, staff, students, and parents work very hard to ready the school for this very exciting event.

This year our school also called upon the volunteers at New York Cares on December 14th and 17th to help us create display panels, mount & label work, and complete all the tasks on our interminable To Do List. Without the exceptional support and hard work of the volunteers our event would not have been as successful as it was. We received many kudos and accolades from the 285 visitors who came to explore the incredible work of our students throughout the day and evening. Much of the thanks goes to the volunteers.

So, from the bottom of every heart at the Museum Magnet School, we thank you for your support and for being such a good friend to our school.

Happy New Year to all!

In kindness and gratitude,

Maria Verdesoto
Principal, Museum Magnet School

Hope Salas
Museum Magnet Specialist
Museum Magnet School

By Rayshan Sosa, Teen Service Team Member

During the summer I volunteered for New York Cares’ first Teen Service Team program. The first day I met with the team I was a little shy. I thought my summer vacation was going to be boring. But, as soon as I got to know everyone, I couldn’t wait to go back for the next assignment.

My overall experience as a volunteer was rewarding. I didn’t know that helping others would be so fun and educational. I can’t wait to restart volunteering with the Teen Service Team and meet the new volunteers this weekend.

In my opinion, what made this experience very exciting are the program leaders, Tiffany and Dakotah. They made each assignment fun and interesting. If there was one thing that I would change about the program, it would be the amount of days to volunteer. I would have liked to volunteer at least four times a week instead of twice a week.

But, overall I had a great learning experience. I’m anxious for the new fall season to begin!!

The new school year is well under way, and that means you only have a few more days to get involved in our Kaplan SAT program! The last training for new tutors will be next Monday, September 27, at 6:30 p.m.

We’re looking for volunteers available on Saturdays or weeknights at our sites in the outer boroughs. Sign up for training today, and within a few weeks you’ll be giving at-risk high school students the boost they need to overcome academic obstacles, increase their SAT scores, get into the college of their dreams.

Two hours a week is all it takes to change someone’s life. As a New York Cares Kaplan SAT Prep Tutor, you can give hundreds of at-risk high school students the boost they need to overcome academic obstacles, increase their SAT scores, get into the college of their dreams – and beyond.

You’ll work weekly with groups of two or three students throughout the school year, showing them that someone believes they’ve got what it takes to succeed. New York Cares will provide you with all the training you need to be a great tutor. Sign up for Kaplan SAT Training Part A today!

New York Cares Day may seem like the distant future, but we’ve been visiting schools all over the city to plan projects – and they definitely need our help on October 23.

One East New York charter school in its inaugural year is currently totally empty, with white walls, empty shelves, and spotless closets. We hope New York Cares Day volunteers come with paintbrushes swinging when its time to turn this bare canvas into a work of art!

At another school, we found four 25-year-old never-used Atari computers in a storage closet. We can’t wait to get in there to clean and organize the space. If you work at a public school that could use a little love and care this fall, apply now to become a New York Cares Day project site.

Volunteer registration opens on July 20, so check back soon for more details!

Earlier this month volunteers from Fidelity Investments led a Community Design Day at M.S. 354 K in Crown Heights. They worked with students and school administrators to identify pressing concerns and brainstorm on how to transform the school to best meet their needs. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Do your classrooms need a new coat of paint? Could your hallways use some colorful murals? Does your library desperately need to be reorganized? Does your playground need livening up?

Complete the New York Cares Day School Application by Friday, May 14, and your school could be one of the 100+ schools that we’ll send thousands of volunteers to revitalize on our fall day of service.

New York Cares Day takes place on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The event is free for participating schools. Apply now!

As summer approaches and outdoor distractions abound, NYC students can often use a little extra help making sure they stay focused on their school work and end the year with great grades.

We have several new after school Homework Help programs ready to go in Queens, but our partners at I.S. 5 Q in Elmhurst, Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities in Corona, and St. Michael’s School in Flushing have been waiting months on Team Leaders to launch these projects!

Help us get them off the ground – contact Priscilla.Lam@newyorkcares.org about becoming a Homework Help Team Leader. You can choose to work with students from kindergarten to middle school age, reviewing assignments and providing academic support through the end of the school year.

Volunteers have been working since January to brighten up I.S. 119 in Glendale, Queens, by painting murals centering around diversity, patriotism, and school spirit.

The murals were completed this weekend after several Saturdays of hard work and many pieces of pizza. Principal Fagan thinks the murals are “absolutely beautiful,” and we do too. Thanks to everyone who pitched in! Check out more photos on Facebook.