Gun violence influences students' service-learning project
November 21st, 2007
Germeik Turner, a 6th grader, and Thomas McDonald, a 5th grader at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School, have football practice at Olney Recreation Center. So it’s understandable how, after a shooting incident there this summer . . .read more ...
Littering project energizes students
May 30th, 2007
Lisa Hantman’s third grade class at McCall Elementary School considered plenty of issues for their service-learning project this year. Day care, bullying, abandoned houses, and blindness all made the list.read more ...
Hip hop music and violence
June 6th, 2007
Joanna Bottaro’s 7th grade students at Andrew Jackston Elementary School chose an interesting slant on violence. Their premise is that negative messages in hip-hop music contribute to the violent behavior of some young people.read more ...
Student voice yields reading gains
May 9th, 2007
Elizabeth Soslau, at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School, “gets” the idea of student voice. Her 8th grade students were the drivers for their project on child abuse.read more ...
Elizabeth Soslau joins Need in Deed Board
August 3rd, 2007
We met Elizabeth Soslau during her first year of full-time teaching at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School. As a member of Need in Deed’s My Voice Teacher Network, she guided her students . . . .read more ...
An Appetite for Learning
March 19th, 2008
One day last fall the students in Room 210 at the McCall School got a little “taste” of what it feels like to be hungry. Really hungry. The situation gave the children a chance to experience what it’s like when you don’t get enough food.read more ...
Lisa Hantman Wins My Voice Award
April 9th, 2008
Lisa Hantman helps students expand their vocabulary while contributing to the United Nations World of Food program.read more ...
Joanna Bottaro wins My Voice Award
November 16th, 2008
Joanna Bottaro thinks of service-learning as “guided curiosity,” a way to bring out students’ innate interests in order to develop lifelong learners. “It gives students a reason to learn and gets them involved in something new and exciting."read more ...
Students shape project's early stages
November 17th, 2008
After her 5th grade class at the McCall School completed Need in Deed’s Information Gap activity, Joanna Bottaro’s students discovered that four issues attracted their attention: homelessness, animal abuse, poverty and urban blight.read more ...
Congratulations, Cidney Alexander!
December 2nd, 2008
Walk into Cidney Alexander’s 6th grade classroom at the Hackett School in Fishtown and it’s apparent that service-learning is an integral part of her students’ day. All around the room you see evidence of specific activities...read more ...
A perfect storm of service-learning
December 2nd, 2008
“It feels like a big swirling circle --- like a tornado --- and we’re getting to the eye of the storm!” Alicia and Shianne excitedly shared. They were experiencing NID's service-learning process with Fishtown’s Hackett School 6th grade...read more ...
Unexpected sources of student inspiration provide direction
January 26th, 2009
Alison Barnes’ and Amy Gottesman’s 5th grade classroom in Olney used lyrics from rapper Tupac Shakur’s “Keep Ya Head Up.” The students compiled a list of of over 20 social issues referenced in the song in a lesson on figurative language.read more ...
Need in Deed’s Classroom Partners – supporting change that’s “tangible"
January 5th, 2009
Chelsea Badeau, editor-in-chief of the Comcast.net homepage, and Mark Greenberg, president of Compass North Realty, work where success is evaluated in tangible results. Both "invest" in the measurable impact that NID's service-learning can provide.read more ...
Real-life stories ignite learning
Joe Davis, from Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, knows the impact of gun violence, viscerally. He is paralyzed, the victim of a drug-related retaliation that happened when he was in his 20’s. Students sit mesmerized...read more ...
Comcast and Sprout add a professional touch to student PSA
August 1st, 2009
Comcast Interactive Media, a NID Classroom Partner, chose to ramp up its involvement with "their class" at Logan Elementary, to stunning effect.read more ...
Phillies & Need in Deed
June 29th, 2009
Representatives from local corporations met at Citizens Bank Park in June to recognize some important champions: Celeste Rodriguez, from Stetson Middle School, and . . .read more ...
Spotlight on Fairmount Water Works
August 1st, 2009
This weekend, at our two-day overnight retreat for NID Network teachers, Robert Rivera from Willard Elementary will be describing his students' project and the help he received from community partner Ellen Schultz at Fairmount Water Works...read more ...
Tough times, you can help
January 11th, 2010
Several members of NID's Teacher Network, aware of the financial pressures that face Need in Deed, are volunteering to help us raise money through a viral email campaign.read more ...
“If we want it to work, we’ve gotta make people cry.”
The story of Katie McGarry's second grade class' project in 2006 illustrates the power of NID's "My Voice" process to change lives. . . . It started when a studentread more ...
"Balling to Prevent Brawling"
July 6th, 2010
To hear a podcast of the game, click here:
Inspired by Joe Davis, the victim of gun violence, students in Leslie Greenberg's 8th grade class at Jay Cooke Elementary squared off againstread more ...
Phillies and State Farm recognize Need in Deed
June 29th, 2010
When Chase Utley knocked out a home run in the first inning of the Phillies-Cubs game on May 20th, NID Executive Director Barbara Dundon was sitting right behind home plate. The recipient of State Farmread more ...
Research study reveals NID's positive impact on students
July 28th, 2010
A recently released evaluation of our work by Research for Action uncovered positive impacts in several key areas. Most positive and affirming was the summary finding that NID is "a particularly effective interventionread more ...
Shout Out award winners address homelessness, animal abuse, drug addiction and gun violence
July 22nd, 2010
Four Need in Deed classes received special recognition at our annual Shout Out awards ceremony this spring. Listen to students describe the topics of their yearlong exploration.read more ...
NID Network member Lisa Hantman guides students in project that gets attention of policymakers
July 14th, 2010
To listen to a podcast of our interview with the students, click here
‘Know any nine-year-olds who have presented their research findings on a citywide problem to members of City Council?read more ...
Milwaukee public schools connect the classroom with the community
June 17th, 2010
Last August program staff from NID traveled to Milwaukee to launch a district-wide service-learning initiative with 40 teachers in Milwaukee elementary schools. Following is the story of one project that resulted from the trainingread more ...
Cooke kids take on Cozen lawyers in a game of hoops
June 8th, 2010
Come cheer on attorneys at Cozen O'Connor courageous enough to square up against 8th graders at Jay Cooke Elementary School in a basketball game to raise money and awareness for a program that combats teen violence.read more ...
Homeless 3rd grader opens officials eyes on serious issue
NBC Philadelphia covered Lisa Hantman's students' presentation before Philadelphia City Council -- the culmination of a year's research on their Need in Deed project on homelessness. To see the coverage, click here:read more ...
NID night at Wachovia Center: lots of fist pumping
March 31st, 2010
The 76ers’ coach analyzed the team’s season recently by saying the team didn’t "mesh and jell" early in the season. NID teachers and their classroom partners, on the other hand, did plenty of meshing and jelling Friday, March 26th atread more ...
Room 218 explores “exclusivity” – in theory and practice
March 29th, 2010
“She makes me laugh when I don’t feel good,” says Alexandria Jones of Katrina Cheng. “And I found out she’s shy, just like me.”
Katrina and Alexandria have been going to the McCall School for six years, ever sinceread more ...
For Joanna Bottaro “learning” is about problem solving
March 29th, 2010
Joanna Bottaro has been teaching for 18 years. Yet she freely admits there is a lot she doesn’t know. “That’s what I love about Need in Deed,” she says. “You really never know from year to year what you’re going to learn.read more ...
Valentine campaign raises money and awareness
February 19th, 2010
When Scott Bailey, at Comcast Interactive Media, learned how the recession was negatively impacting Need in Deed’s bottom line, he brought together his creative team and asked for their input.read more ...
Section 313 takes on the problem of teen violence
February 19th, 2010
Eighth graders Steven Long, Angela Brown and Atinera Lomax were sitting with their desks pushed together, talking about the problem of teen violence.read more ...
Leslie Greenberg has high expectations
“When I was in college [in Madison, Wisconsin], we talked about changing the world," said Leslie Greenberg. " Service-learning was part of the conversation. It was all about being part of the community where you live, feeling connected.read more ...
English language learners share their knowledge about the causes of water pollution
January 27th, 2010
The story of Robert Rivera's 4th grade class' project about water pollutio
n illustrates the power of NID's "My Voice" process to engage students in their own learning.read more ...
"There's a lot of drug use in our community."
January 27th, 2010
The story of Amy Gottesman and Denise Rogers' 5th grade class' project about the connection between crime and drugs illustrates the power of NID "My Voice" process to engage students in their own learning.read more ...
Jog-a-Thon raises money for Philadelphia's homeless population
January 26th, 2010
The story of Kim Rakosky's 4thgrade class' project on homelessness illustrates the power of NID's "My Voice" process to change lives. . . read more ...
Students tackle the problem of child abuse
January 26th, 2010
The story of Jasmine Williams' 4th grade class' project about child abuse illustrates the power of NID's "My Voice" process to change lives.
Child abuse is a challenging topic. Even for adults. So it’s not surprising . . .read more ...
Step over the line: students and Classroom Partners explore social issues
January 12th, 2010
“Step over the line if you’ve ever been bullied,” called out teacher Charron Zeigler-Fayall. Almost everyone stepped forward.read more ...
Student efforts recognized at Shout Out
"I feel like a grown up," said a 3rd grader. Said another, "I'm glad you [teacher] are not the boss of everything!" NID students at Shout Out conveyed their sense of efficacy and empowerment-- and told us they had fun this year, too!read more ...
Feeling the fervor
April 16th, 2009
“It’s like bees swarming around,” says NID teacher Lisa Hantman describing what it’s like in her class right now as students go into full gear on their service-learning project. . . .read more ...
Exhibiting new found knowledge
April 10th, 2009
The 3rd graders in Lisa Hantman’s class at the McCall School could teach us all a thing or two about smoking. For instance, Brandon explains how the “nicotine is the addictive stuff, but other things in cigarettes are bad for you."read more ...
Now recruiting teachers for NID's Teacher Network
February 10th, 2009
Need in Deed is now recruiting Philadelphia 3rd through 8th grade teachers for our 2010-2011 Teacher Network. To download an application, click on the red link below.read more ...
The wonderful value of people helping people
December 8th, 2008
Recently, we received this letter from a donor. Because it so well captures the spirit of giving associated with this season, we are sharing it with you.
Children need a reason to care about education . . .read more ...
NID launches Charter School Consortium
October 9th, 2008
Need in Deed’s second Charter School Consortium workshop took place early October at FACTS in Chinatown. Fortified with spring rolls and dumplings,read more ...
Back to School with Need in Deed
September 29th, 2008
This was not a typical "Back to School Night." Instead of the teacher standing at the front of the class,read more ...
Need in Deed welcomes new staff member
September 2nd, 2008
We had an inkling of what we might be getting when we considered hiring Kyra Atterbury for our Program Coordinator position.read more ...
Need in Deed welcomes new Board members
June 6th, 2008
Three Philadelphians recently joined the Board of Need in Deed.read more ...
Alexis Fallen wins My Voice award
March 17th, 2008
Not every student in this 6th grade class at James Logan Elementary School favored obesity as the focus for their service-learning project. And ultimately, getting buy-in from all students is important to a project’s success...read more ...
Kim Rakosky wins My Voice Award
February 4th, 2008
Her 4th grade class at Bache-Martin Elementary School in Fairmount chose homelessness as the focus of their service-learning project. After connecting their topic with a book they're reading together, the kids realized how homelessnessread more ...
Alison Barnes wins My Voice award
November 21st, 2007
In the weeks prior to October 31, Alison Barnes’ 5th/6th learning support grade class at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School in Olney had been discussing which of several topics being considered they might choose. . .read more ...
Shout Out recognizes top projects
July 10th, 2007
What does it take to make a city work? What happens when it doesn’t? And what can we do? These are some of the questions students in Need in Deed classrooms explored this year. . . .read more ...
Portraits of slain children motivate 2nd grade class
June 8th, 2007
Nancy Goldschmidt’s 2nd grade class at McClure Elementary School took on a tough issue with their service-learning project: gun violence.read more ...
Lisa Hantman wins My Voice Award
June 1st, 2007
Taking on a service-learning project on a topic as broad as littering could pose a challenge to any teacher. Following the principles of the My Voice framework, first-year My Voice Teacher Network member Lisa Hantman looked toread more ...
Comcast employees get to know “their students”
“I was excited and nervous about our classroom visit to Jasmine Williams’ class,” confesses Comcast Interactive Media (CIM) employee Jillian O’Brien. “I wasn’t sure what to expect from a group of 4th graders. Would they like us?"read more ...
Talking about tough topics, and how books help
Child abuse is a challenging topic. Even for adults. So it’s not surprising to hear a 4th grader say it’s hard to talk about it. But that’s what Jasmine William’s students at the Logan School are doing. And they’re doing more than just talkread more ...
Charter Consortium bears fruit
Many teachers find service-learning projects driven by student voice to be challenging. “It’s like being handed a blank sheet of paper,” said Lauren DeHart, one of 16 teachers in a NID-initiated charter school consortium...read more ...
“Germany on line one.”
When Need in Deed’s phone rang one morning in early September, the caller ID simply said, “Germany.” On the other end of the line was Claudia Gorihs of the Volunteer Center in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt...read more ...
Scott Bailey joins Need in Deed Board
NID recently elected Scott Bailey to the Board of Need in Deed. “When Barbara and Kim approached me about becoming involved with Need in Deed, I knew this was the program I had to find time for,” says Scott.read more ...
Symposium on school climate attracts key education stakeholders
Never.
"School culture," said symposium keynoter Pedro Noguera, " is the part of school reform most often ignored. It's how we are greeted at the door, what we see on the playgroundread more ...
Charter School Award
Never.
Need in Deed is pleased to announce the availability of one-year scholarships for Philadelphia area elementary and middle charter schools to receive year-long professional development for the 2010-2011 school year. Preference will be given toread more ...
