BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 11, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Kids is excited to announce that the culminating ceremony for Global Kids' In-School Youth Summer Program, Summer of Service, will take place this Friday, August 13th, at the George Wingate Educational Campus in Brooklyn. This program was made possible through a partnership with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD); the Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders, BK Farmyards; and the four high schools located at the Wingate Campus: the High School for Public Service, the School for Democracy and Leadership, the School for Human Rights; and the International Arts and Business High School. Thirty-three youth, all students at the Wingate campus, spent seven weeks this summer gaining valuable work experience and developing job readiness skills.
The students are all participants in Global Kids' WIA-ISY Transition to Adulthood program at the Wingate Campus, funded through the federal Workforce Investment Act, which aims to prepare low-income youth with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in today's workforce. As an extension of the school-year program, Global Kids' Summer of Service experience provided students with the opportunity to understand the demands of today's changing workplace. The program merged workforce development practices with learning about social justice issues, through which students explored the relationship between the environment and food production throughout the world. They learned how access to healthy food choices in a given community is often directly related to racial and economic divides, as well as how a lack of healthy options leads to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. However, their work didn't stop with learning about food production; the students also got hands-on experience learning how food is grown on a real farm.
The ISY Summer Program participants worked on an innovative farm at the Wingate campus, funded through grants to the High School for Public Service and managed by BK Farmyards. Here they were able to experience the amount of work that it takes to maintain a working farm – participating in planting and caring for crops, harvesting them, and then selling the produce. Students also spent time working on other New York City farms, including East New York Farms and the Red Hook Community Farm.
Students were also trained on how to use various digital media tools in order to document their experiences and educate others about the importance of food justice, sustainable farming practices, and healthy choices. They created Public Service Announcement videos designed to inform the public about the dangers of unhealthy food, obesity, and the economic divide that separates low-cost food from healthier, but more expensive, options. The students are also preparing pamphlets focused on food politics, nutrition, and food-related diseases, which will be distributed at Friday's event. Throughout the course of the program, students developed key workforce readiness skills including communication, time management, workplace etiquette, teamwork, financial literacy, digital literacy, event planning, research skills, and learned how to understand a complex subject and its real-world implications.
DYCD Commissioner Jeanne Mullgrav is expected to speak at Friday's event, which will be an opportunity for the students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired, and to be recognized for their achievements. The program, which will last from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, will include student-run vendor and demonstration activities, such as sowing seeds, cooking, and healthy choices, as well as student-led entertainment and a raffle.
ISY Summer Program Culminating Ceremony
Friday, August 13, 2010
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Brooklyn Farmyards located at George Wingate Educational Campus
600 Kingston Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203
About Global Kids, Inc. – www.globalkids.org.
Founded in 1989, Global Kids' mission is to inspire and educate urban youth to become successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civic life and the democratic process. Through professional development initiatives, Global Kids provides educators with strategies for integrating experiential learning methods and international issues into urban classrooms. Over ninety percent of the high school seniors who participate in Global Kids' leadership programs graduate from high school.
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