Exciting Service Learning News

3/4/2022

York School is hosting our first-ever, school-wide Service Learning Day on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Twelve courses are getting out into the community, connecting curriculum with organizational and community needs. Students and faculty will spend the school day (8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) off-site at eleven community partners. Rosters are available to families in The Falcon newsletter. More about these experiences are below.

Asian Cultural Experience - https://www.salinasace.org/ ACE seeks to revitalize Salinas’ Chinatown, while preserving, promoting, and enriching the history and identity of the AAPI residents of Salinas. ACE is currently raising funds to create the Chinatown Cultural Center and Museum in the historic Republic Cafe and Lotus Inn buildings, where they will offer education, cooking demonstrations, live storytelling, and historical exhibits.

Students in Chinese IV & V, World History II, and Asian Politics along with our Global Scholars will be touring Salinas’ Chinatown, visiting the Republic Cafe, Moongate Plaza, the Confucius Church, and Filipino Hall. In doing so, students will learn about the rich histories of Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese immigrants and residents in the Salinas Valley. Working with the Asian Cultural Experience (ACE), students will generate media products for ACE to disseminate, help York’s Global Scholars with their project to bring a pop-up museum exhibit to York School, as well as assist in creating decorations for future events such as the Asian Festival and Chinese New Year.

Big Sur Land Trust -https://bigsurlandtrust.org/ BSLT inspires the love of land across generations, the conservation of our unique Monterey County landscapes, and ensures access to outdoor experiences for all.

Led by the Return of the Natives Restoration team, and the Center for Community Advocacy, students in Spanish IV and V will be returning native plants like white yarrow, mugwort, milkweed and California poppies to the seasonally dry lakebed of Carr Lake Park. Big Sur Land Trust’s 73-acre Carr Lake Park Project site is the future location of a neighborhood park and wetlands project in the center of Salinas. The site’s native plant garden relies on volunteers to help it continue to thrive in the heart of the city.
Students in 8th grade Science and 9th grade Biology will be visiting historic Marks Ranch in Salinas. Adjacent to Toro County Park, the ranch is recovering after burning in the 2020 River Fire. Led by Big Sur Land Trust staff, students will be conducting a “Bioblitz” to identify as many species as possible with the iNaturalist app. This project is important to collecting data about the biodiversity of this magnificent, conserved land. Students will also be removing invasive species including mallow and milk thistle.

Food Bank for Monterey County, Rancho Cielo, & National Steinbeck Center -

Students in junior English and U.S. History will either visit the Food Bank to learn more about and support the access to healthy foods for our communities or visit Rancho Cielo to learn more about their innovative programs and to help beautify their garden spaces. Afterward, both groups will tour the National Steinbeck Center. Through these experiences, students will learn about the impact of our American system on people and they will be able to consider solutions (including the models of charity and empowerment).

Loaves, Fishes, & Computers - https://www.loavesfishescomputers.org/ LFC enables people to reach their full potential by providing low-cost computers and bilingual computer literacy classes to low-income families.

Students in 9th grade English will assist LFC in various tasks, including sorting e-waste, figuring out how to address the tech-gap issue, and elevating their computer literacy classes; all connected to the themes of poverty and social power the class will be exploring through their literature.

All Saints’ Day School - https://www.asds.org/ In a joyful and spiritual environment, ASDS prepares children for lives of learning and service.

Students in Latin will take their Latin, art, and language-learning skills to ASDS for a fun, engaging day inspiring young minds to continue their Latin and language development.

Veterans Transition Center & Last Chance Mercantile - https://www.vtcmonterey.org/ VTC empowers veterans to move from crisis to self-sufficiency.

Students in sophomore English will learn more about VTC’s important work, and their new partnership with Monterey Waste Management District in the running of the Last Chance Mercantile, where the missions of helping people and planet merge harmoniously. After reading All Quiet on the Western Front in 3rd quarter, students will see how local individuals are impacted by and recovering from war.

Youth Orchestra Salinas (YOSAL) - https://www.yosal.org/ YOSAL is committed to social change in our youth and communities through the inspiration, discipline, and performance of classical and ensemble music.

A select few seniors in AP Music Theory and musical ensembles will learn more about and assist in the important work YOSAL does, through the power of music education, to help students learn to be responsible citizens & develop interpersonal & collaborative skills as their self-confidence grows!

Special Kids Connect & The Village Project, Inc. -

Select students will assist Special Kids Connect in preparation for their annual Spring event while learning about this organization that provides young people with disabilities access to and experiences in recreation activities. In the afternoon, the group will visit the Mae C. Johnson Academy of The Village Project to assist with marketing and promotional materials to support the important work they do to support every child and family who comes to their organization seeking help.

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