Need in Deed

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4th Graders Take Action Against Racism

You may remember a post earlier this year where a student in JoAnn Baldwin’s class said to the class, “Let’s finish what Dr. King started!” 👊🏽

Although our work is centered on providing free services to Philadelphia public schools teachers and classrooms, occasionally we work with private schools. The infamous JoAnn Baldwin ’s classroom at St. Stephen's Episcopal School - Harrisburg, PA is one such example. At the end of this school year we received a message from Joann:

My third graders totally loved their service-learning shirts. We wore our shirts last Friday. We were a BIG hit around the entire school.

I met my new group of third graders for the 2024-2025 school year. One of the students wanted to know if we were going to "March" and do "service learning."

I think I am making young activists. 😃

Thank you JoAnn, for integrating this model into your classroom, mentoring young activists, and always, always amplifying student voice. We hope your summer is awesome. 😎 👏🏾

Student voices are critical. Don't take our word for it- listen to Philly School District teachers:
Kate Collier

The Importance of Student Voice Philadelphia School District teachers Maliha Chowdhury, Teresa Kelley Rugerio and Kate Collier discuss the importance of student voice in the classroom. Vide...

3rd graders talk trash.

We're 40% of the way towards our fundraising goal ensuring that next year Philadelphia students have access to quality education that centers their voice and makes a local impact. Please consider making a donation today. Thank you!

Cleaning Up Filthadelphia- "Go green for a better tomorrow" Clip from 3rd grade students in Marie Clarke's class at Lea Elementary offering remarks at the 2024 Shout Out on the environmental impact of trash in the cit...

We're a third of the way to our goal! Will you help us before June 30th? https://needindeed.networkforgood.com/

Join us at the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday and support Need in Deed! Need in Deed Night at the Phillies!

Board Member Spotlight 🔦
Joe Moorman
Senior Director, ImpactED at the University of Pennsylvania

Joe is a former Need in Deed Teacher! 📚

Joe’s Need in Deed ‘Why’: My experience as a Need in Deed teacher was the single most impactful part of my time in the classroom - both for me and for my students.

I’ve been a huge believer in Need in Deed, and I’m fortunate to be able to support the organization now as a board member. Need in Deed is about the work - the staff is truly committed to supporting educators and to celebrating the greatness of young people, and who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? 😎

How does Joe embody Need in Deed in his life? Says Joe: “As a father to two small boys, I have so many opportunities every day to help them explore and learn about the world around them, including our community right here in Philly. In my role at ImpactED, I have the opportunity to support so many incredible organizations that are putting students at the center of the work and helping them reach their fullest potential. ”

Joe started his career as a middle school English teacher and basketball coach at Stetson Middle School in Kensington. Since then, he’s worked in a multitude of roles in the nonprofit sector, both in Philly and in his hometown of Cincinnati. He is currently the Senior Director at ImpactED at the University of Pennsylvania, where they help provide mission driven leaders and organizations with the skills, resources and networks they need to accelerate social change in our city. ✊🏀📖

Joe Fun Facts: 🎉
Joe lives in Queen Village with his wife, Kate, his two sons, Graham and Benjamin, and their dog, George. His favorite activities include grilling on his back patio, exploring the city with his boys, traveling, and both watching and playing sports. ✈️🏀⚽️⚾️🚌

Thank you Joe! We’re honored to have you on the Need in Deed team! 🙏🏻🙏🏼🙏🏾

More Shout Out 2024 pics! Philly Youth and Teachers are leading the way!

Civic action in progress!

Spent the morning conducting a schoolyard and garden cleanup for my students service learning project with They had a hands-on experience with plastic pollution and got to see the dreaded Spotted Lanternfly nymph on Tree of Heaven! Going to use educational materials from with them this week!

Will spend the evening volunteering in full Master Gardener mode 👩🏾‍🌾 What can be better than a full day doing two things I love: education and gardening 🌱🌱🌱

Some 2024 Shout Out pics (more to come!) We applaud Philly youth and their bravery to use their voice and talents to advocate for change. We thank them for their willingness to talk with adults and to teach us! Three cheers for youth activism- Philly youth are seeding the visionary, love and care-filled future we imagine! A special thank you to Weavers Way Co-op and Boxed Water Is Better for keeping the youth nourished while they schooled us. 🏫🍏💦📚🚌 And BeauMonde Originals for the amazing pics!

Shout out for the Shout out in Chalkbeat Philadelphia! Philly youth don't back down from talking about hard things. Adults should take their lead...

Philly students are leading their own discussions of Gaza, gun violence, and climate change Guided by the nonprofit Need in Deed, teachers and students are tackling difficult subjects in the city and around the world with a focus on community and service learning.

Today is day two of the Shout Out! We were blown away learning from the students!

Philly Youth Care About Mental Health!
May is Mental Health Month

Students in Kathie Wainwright’s LightBulb Learners after-school program chose
Mental Health as a topic that was meaningful to them.

A Swarthmore fellow visited over zoom to share her own experiences and tips for wellness and self-care aimed at a 5th grade level. The fellow helped students understand self care is a part of mental health as she shared a lot of her own struggles and experiences. Knowledge, tips, laughter and sharing were abundant!

These incredible students are continuing their informed investigation of mental health. They’ve already met with several members of the community and will meet with more…and then design and carry out a civic action project that will support wellbeing in the community. We wish all adults and policy makers would take their lead.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
- Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light and Other Essays

Youth voices are essential for real system change.
Need in Deed's Service Learning Framework is JUSTICE work, led by the youth and supported by adults.

Two of Joe Alberti's 8th grade English classes from Masterman who chose school funding as a topic they wanted to take action on went to Harrisburg today to talk with legislators and advocate for fair funding!

ChildrenFirst J. R. Masterman Home and School Association Masterman SAC

Board Member Spotlight
Elizabeth Soslau, PHD
Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware
Pronouns: she/her
Elizabeth has been a Need in Deed Board Member since 2007!

A little about Elizabeth:
An author and professor, Elizabeth was a Need in Deed teacher over 20 years ago. Today she says she will always be a Need in Deed teacher and enthusiast!

How do you embody Need in Deed in your life?
Says Elizabeth: “I use NID's MY VOICE framework in all of my undergraduate and graduate courses and I teach my son how to identify social issues and the underlying systemic root causes.”

Elizabeth Fun Fact:
Elizabeth is an educator’s educator. She has a new (second) book coming out soon: When You’re The New Teacher: 28 Strategies to Align Your Good Intentions with Your Teaching Practices. You can preorder it online now!

Elizabeth Fun Fact 2:
Elizabeth is an education researcher. Her research focuses on experiential learning opportunities in classrooms, schools, and the community. Some of her research
is on Need in Deed!

Thank you for all of your years of service, Elizabeth!
We’re honored to have you on the Need in Deed team!
Elizabeth Soslau

It's never too late to share good news! Harrisburg teacher JoAnn Baldwin, who utilizes the Need in Deed My Voice framework, is featured along with her students in the local news presenting Black History Month projects on the anniversary of MLK Jr.'s assassination JoAnn Baldwin St. Stephen's Episcopal School - Harrisburg, PA

Local students present Black History Month projects on the anniversary of MLK Jr.’s assassination (WHTM)– Local elementary students were at the Martin Luther King Jr. Government Center presenting their class projects from Black History Month. This was done Thursday because it’s the …

Several Need in Deed classes across the city identified climate change as an issue they care about. They welcomed experts to their schools to help them learn about the complex systems involved so they can determine what they can do to help. 🌍

One 5th grade class at Greenberg Elementary asked these great questions:

🌎How does burning fossil fuels damage the environment?

🌎Why can’t the earth hold all the gases in the air?

🌎What will happen if it gets worse?

🌎What are the consequences of the oceans rising?

🌎What will happen to cities closer to the beach?

🌎Will something really bad happen because of climate change?

Penn Professor Nikhil Anand helped these students learn about how climate change affects people all over the world. Professor Anand helped students understand that climate justice means the people that produce the problem have to do the most to solve the problem;

AND

Innocent people being harmed by climate change should be cared for by those most contributing to the problem.

In the next few weeks, students will continue their informed investigation of climate change globally and locally, and then design and carry out a civic action project that will ask for greater accountability from those causing the problem, or advocate for systems that will help those suffering from the consequences.

We wish all adults and policy makers would take their lead.

Youth voices are essential for real system change. 📣

Need in Deed’s Service Learning Framework is JUSTICE work, led by the youth and supported by adults.

Joseph J. Greenberg School - Home and School Association Clean Air Council Friends of FDR Park School District of Philadelphia Swarthmore Education Centre F***y Jackson Coppin Home and School Fairmount Park Conservancy

URGENT action item- send an email to City Council on behalf of Philly public schools today before 11am:

Action Alert: Tell City Council to Support Traditional Public Schools This Friday, April 19, at 11:00am, the Philadelphia City Council is meeting to approve Mayor Cherelle Parker’s nominees for the Board of Education. Late on Thursday, news has emerged that powerful charter school interests have been mobilizing to defeat two nominees whom they see as insufficiently ...

⚠️Caution⚠️ Our executive director Kyra Atterbury will not like this post!

Because it’s all about her.

We will risk her wrath anyway, because today marks the 1 year anniversary of her becoming executive director of Need in Deed (and her 16th year with the organization). We couldn’t be happier! 🎉

Here are some things about Kyra we think everyone should know:

Kyra is FEARLESS in advocating for youth and social change. She is also
-LOVING.
-THE BEST TEAMMATE EVER
-IMPACTFUL
-A FOREVER PHILLY SPORTS FAN
-NEVER CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT MATTERS MOST
-ALWAYS SHOWING UP FOR PHILADELPHIA YOUTH AND EDUCATORS

Kyra stated, “I want students in Philadelphia to be heard, to be seen as intelligent, and as having all the potential that any other child in any other area has. I believe that equity in education must not only be about resources but about equal access to engaging and rigorous curriculum that centers students’ experiences. It is my goal to amplify the voices of Philadelphia students so that when those in power make decisions that affect their lives, they know that students are watching and that they care deeply about their communities and what happens in and around them.”

We couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Kyra, for all you do at Need in Deed. For the staff, for the community, and especially for the youth and educators in Philly. 🙌🏽🙌🏾

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !
May this be the first of many… 🫶🏼🎉🥳

Save the date for this year's celebration of social action by Philadelphia youth! You won't want to miss it. Check out pics from last year's Shout Out! https://bit.ly/3vCIF9p

It's that time of year- spring is almost here and teacher applications for next school year are open!

Teacher Network - Need in Deed [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.needindeed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Become-A-Network-Teacher.mp4" poster="https://www.needindeed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/7-1.jpg"][/video]

Philly Youth Care About Gun Control

3rd and 4th grade students working with Rachel Rosenfeld at Heston Elementary School, as well as 8th grade students in Michael Rocco’s class at Longstreth Elementary, chose gun control as an issue that matters to them. They started the process of investigating the issue so they can take meaningful action.

Students generated questions for their visit with Community Partner-Carol Lastowka from CeaseFirePA.

Some 7th and 8th grade questions:
-What makes gun control effective?
-Why do people need guns?
-Does gun control save lives?
-Do you think gun violence in Philly will end?
-Is just anyone allowed to carry a gun?
-Why do you speak out about this?
-What kinds of things have you seen in your experience with this issue?
-How did you get to this point in your life gun control advocate)?
-How can we stop kids from getting guns?
-What prevents shootings and killings by a gun?

In addition to answering questions, Carol provided the 7th and 8th graders with some actionable steps to contact the head of the PA Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Lisa Baker There are 2 important gun violence prevention bills already passed in the House that the Senator is refusing to bring up for a hearing. Carol urged students to send postcards urging the Senator to take action in order to help these bills become laws.

In the next few months, these students will continue their informed investigation of gun control, doing research and meeting with community partners...
To come up with an actionable step informed by those most impacted by the issue.

We wish all adults and policy makers would take their lead.
Youth voices are essential for real system change. Need in Deed's Service Learning Framework is JUSTICE work, led by the youth and supported by adults.
CeaseFirePA

Kyra and Janet speaking at the PHENND conference!

Philly Youth Care About Housing Insecurity

Students in Brooke Silver Cohen’s 7th Grade classroom at Greenfield Elementary chose homelessness as the issue they wanted to explore and take action on this year. As part of their learning about the issue, Slate Hyacinthe (they/them) visited a classroom as a community partner, sharing their story of housing insecurity with a room full of riveted students.

Slate had to leave their family’s home quickly due to domestic abuse they experienced: initially living in a youth shelter, then couch-surfing, and eventually moving into an alternative affordable housing co-operative.

Slate found inner strength and courage in the face of intergenerational trauma, and the 7th graders were visibly moved, asking numerous questions.

Here’s what one student said after Slate’s visit: “I learned from our visit on Wednesday with Slate that many people don’t feel secure in their homes and run away. These people need a place to stay and their voices need to be heard. I think our class should do an awareness project for these people to be able to find a secure host family to stay with.
We should also make a way for people to talk with other people in a similar situation and let them speak out and raise awareness to make their voices heard!”

In the next few months, students in Brooke’s class will continue their informed investigation of homelessness, meeting community members, learning, and doing research to come up with an actionable step informed by those most impacted by the issue. 🧐

We wish all adults and policy makers would take their lead. 👏🏼👏🏻👏🏽👏🏿

Youth voices are essential for real system change.

Need in Deed’s Service Learning Framework is JUSTICE work, led by the youth and supported by adults.

Thank you Greenfield 7th Graders, Brooke Silvers Cohen, and Slate for working to make an impact in Philadelphia.

🏠 Housing insecurity is a topic close to the hearts of many of the classrooms we work with. It’s a frequently chosen subject that students want to dive into, interrogate and take action on. Often we’ll introduce fiction books as an additional resource to learn more.

📚This month, Need in Deed’s Good Reads Book Choice for February is Tyrell by Coe Booth. It’s a book we recommend for our older classrooms.

Tailored for older middle and high school students, the novel delves into the challenges faced by a young African-American teen grappling with homelessness and the responsibilities of caring for his family.

Have you read it or will you read it now and/or share it with a teenager you love? Are you using it with your classroom or adolescent? We want to know in the comments!

Free Philadelphia Orchestra Tix for any
School District of Philadelpia Teacher, staff or Admin!

APPLE - PhilOrch Your Philadelphia Orchestra supports teachers, administrators, and staff of the School District of Philadelphia. In appreciation for all that you do, we invite