City Year volunteers beautify Isaac Newton Middle School in East Harlem for annual day of service
NEW YORK — Hundreds of volunteers recently participated in a day of service to beautify Isaac Newton Middle School for Math and Science in East Harlem, but the City Year New York nonprofit has an impact on the community every day.
"This was our summer project," said Principal Florin Purice, as volunteers cleared clutter and added a splash of color. "We were like, little by little looking to get it all done, but it was never enough time. So when the opportunity came for City Year to come in and help us like restore, we were like, 'Yeah, bring it.'"
Beautifying an old-school school takes special consideration for preservation to maintain the identity of the unique space. That is why volunteers painted plenty of science- and math-themed murals on canvas to protect the walls.
"We don't want to change the incredible architecture and the feel of the school, but we do want to be able to bring a little color and energy and life to the space," said Annie Kessler, City Year New York's executive director.
They also updated the original hallway cases with a fresh sand and stain.
"The school can display student work and trophies, and lots of memorabilia," Kessler said.
"They are the unsung heroes in our community"
Beyond the dedicated day, City Year supplements classroom instruction with AmeriCorps staff to help students succeed, like Anya Warner, a criminal justice graduate who hopes to work with troubled youth caught up in the system. Her work at Issac Newton has taught her to catch some of the warning signs in advance.
"Kids really do fall through the cracks," Warner said. "It could just be a kid who was very quiet and they don't talk to anybody, and so they open up to one person, and then you learn about what's going on."
The state's first Chief Service Officer Matt Schaffer was once an AmeriCorps member himself through City Year. Now his role is to ensure organizations receive the support they need, including $100 million in dedicated federal funding for New York's AmeriCorps.
"With national service you can add more hands, have more tutoring and mentoring, student success, coach support," Schaffer said. "That's what City Year provides, and it's important."
Over the semesters, City Year has tracked increases in attendance and engagement among the students the success coaches serve, and the number of INMS students scoring proficiently on the state math test increased 14% within four years, with administrators acknowledging the role AmeriCorps members played.
"They are the unsung heroes in our community," Purice said.
City Year New York is one of 29 chapters across the country that recruits AmeriCorps members for placement in underserved schools.
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