GC+Projects+Grade+9+2014

=__**Generation Citizen Projects 2014**__=

Homelessness These students worked to help Housing Families, a local homeless shelter, to organize a cleaning supply drive and to try to reach out to a local cleaning supply manufacturer to become a partner in helping the organization provide cleaning supplies to families in need. || 3 Homeless youth This class also worked with Housing Families, targeting their GREAT Youth and Families program and working to re-purpose space at the high school to hold toy donations that Housing families can not currently accept. || 4 School Lunch This class examined the lunch served at their school as an issue that they discovered many students cared about. They researched where the food comes from, how they might have a say in the food that is served in the future, and the process by which companies are selected to serve school food. || 5 Energy Efficiency This class wanted to improve the energy efficiency of the three buildings at MHS. They researched the current energy efficient products and programs the school utilizes, and looked into other ways the school could achieve a LEED certification. ||  || School Funding School Funding - Per 1 School Funding - Per 6
 * **Teacher Name** || **Period #**
 * Focus Issue** || **Period #**
 * Focus Issue** || **Period #**
 * Focus Issue** || **Period #**
 * Focus Issue** || **Period #**
 * Focus Issue** ||
 * Damian Aufiero || 2
 * Jon Copithorne || 1 and 6

Both periods 1 and 6 focused on the issue of School Funding. Both classes examined the Chapter 70 Formula and identified that the formula was outdated. Period 1 focused on finding where the school funds that we have should go. Students sent out a survey to Malden Mail Users to identify areas where educators felt funds should be go. Period 6 researched ways that the Chapter 70 Formula could be updated and exposed. In their work, they researched the H.457 Bill and concluded that the bill should replace the formula. The class crafted letters and sent to state senators and representatives both thanking them for supporting the bill, and requesting further support for the bill. Both classes reached out to various decision makers and were able to bring both the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. David Deruosi, and Mayor Gary Christenson to speak and field questions.

Per 1 Per 6 || 3 Bullying Bullying Bullying Interviews Video

This class focused on Bullying and its consequences. Driven by the root cause that victims of bullying often do not know where to go when being bullied, and strategies to defend themselves, the class created posters to spread awareness of available support groups in Malden High School. The class also decided that students do not connect with anti-bullying videos because they do not know the victims, so they made a video (with the help of Mr. Valente and the MHS Media department) to show to the K-8 schools provide tips on how to deal with bullying and that the victims are not alone. || 4 Locked/Dirty Bathrooms in School Locked/Dirty Bathrooms

This class focused on the issue that too many bathrooms in Malden High School were locked and/or dirty. Principal Brown spoke to the class and helped them determine that the root cause of the issue was that students do not hold themselves accountable for their own hygiene. The class created posters to hang up in the bathrooms to show the germs that can be spread as a result of unclean bathrooms.

The class also created an app that allows users to take a picture and e-mail them directly to Principal Brown so that any vandalism/uncleanliness can be dealt with immediately.


 * This class won the "Systematic Impact" award at the Massachusetts Civics Day held on May 5, 2014. The award goes to the students who can provide logical and evidence-based reasoning to explain how their project goal addresses the systemic root cause(s) of their issue.

|| 5 Drugs/Drug Abuse Drug Abuse

This class focused on the issue of Drug Abuse within the community of Malden. The class determined that there are not enough attractive after school options for teens to dissuade them from using drugs.

The class created a survey that they sent to their peers to find out what after-school activities students would like to have and began to craft proposals for various activities.

This class also researched the consequences (legal and physical) of drug abuse and after-school programs that already exist in the community.

|| 6 School Funding/Student Achievement/Teacher Efficiency ||
 * Ann Pember || 2

Student Stress: how to help students cope with school stress

The class partnered with the Starr Center and the Cambridge Health Alliance to study stress, with the goal of adding this information as part of 9th grade orientation next year. They also planned some stress workshops to be taught to freshmen students next fall, through the Starr Center.

Stress twitter page

Stress Prezi



|| 3

Student stress

This class partnered with the Starr Center and the Teen Health Alliance to study stress and healthy ways for teens to cope. They want to pilot offering silent direct studies next year, as a way to relieve stress for both students and teachers. They polled staff and students and there is high interest in this. They will pilot this with a few direct studies later this year.

Stress Tumblr

|| 4

Teen jobs

This class partnered with Generation Citizen and their work on youth employment over the past few years. They reached out to Dunkin' Donuts to encourage hiring teens and created pamphlets and why businesses should hire teen workers.

Teen Jobs wikispace page

||  ||   || Improving the run down condition of the k-8 schools and school budgeting concerns/child restraint/car seat education and access || Improving the run down condition of the k-8 schools and school budgeting concerns /child restraint/car seat education and access || Improving the run down condition of the k-8 schools and school budgeting concerns || Improving the run down condition of the k-8 schools and school budgeting concerns/child restraint/car seat education and access ||   ||
 * Kerry Veritas || 2