Incoming 11th Grade

Summer of Service

As incoming 11th graders, the expectation in the STEM and STEM-BMAH High School Magnet programs encompass self-advocacy for pursing independent passion-based undertakings. As a segue into both Community Challenge and Research & Data Capstone courses, students are expected to identify an area of need within a community. Then, their task is to dedicate 24 hours of their time focusing on this challenge. The overarching theme is to "recognize the importance to giving back." This program is directly aligned to the STEM Values of Empathy & Mindfulness, and Making & Changemaking.

The outline of requirements is listed below in the paragraph titled "Structure."

What does Summer of Service look like for...

...STUDENTS

For you, this experience will be different than the traditional summer program. There is no required attendance in a classroom or having to ride a bus to another school. You will notice that Summer of Service is largely self-driven. You have the control to make the decisions - you get to design what your experience will be like. Defending your ideas, running with your passions, and choosing to make a difference, those are all things you are being given the opportunity to do this summer. The STEM Summer of Service isn't about meeting a requirement or checking a box, it's about tapping into empathy, giving back and making a difference!

Making a Difference

Do you believe you can make a difference? If you don't, why is that? Is it because someone has told you that you are just a high school student, what change could you possibly make? Students do not have to wait until they are older or until they are adults to change the world around them, to make an impact, to accomplish something great. You already have that power inside of you, today. One of the greatest differences we can make is hidden in the way we treat the people around us. We all have the power to be kind, understanding, patient and caring.

That is what we want you to do this summer. Volunteer at a hospital, a shelter, a library, a park program, anywhere that you see a need. Service can be completed within or outside of your community, the county, the state....even out of the country. The possibilities are endless! This is the beginning of your interaction with the community. You will be amazed how powerful making a difference can be.

Tapping into Empathy

What is empathy? Empathy is defined as having the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, it is often visualized as taking a walk in someone else's shoes. Empathy & Mindfulness are core values of the STEM Program in AACPS. It is helpful to be able to understand where another person is coming from when developing an opinion on current events or reacting to controversial issues such as uniform policies in schools. Having the ability to build empathy puts you ahead of the game when it comes to developing solutions to any challenge you may observe.

Our expectation is that your experiences with the STEM Summer of Service adds to and shapes the skills you have already developed when interacting with others to help you continue to become a more empathetic person.

Giving Back

You have been given the opportunity to be part of countless experiences throughout your STEM journey. Think of the STEM Summer of Service as an opportunity to use your talents to give back to the people you interact with during your 24 hours of service. You can give back in so many ways. Show someone that they really are a changemaker, help someone build the capacity to be empathetic towards another, or help someone realize there is always more than one solution to a problem. You have turned your STEM experiences into gifts, share them with others by giving back to your local and global community.

"If you get, give. If you learn, teach. - Maya Angelou"

...PARENTS

We know that this is not the traditional Summer Program that you may be used to. We also know how important it is to clearly understand the framework of the STEM Summer of Service program that your student will have to complete in order to maintain good standing in the STEM Program. The goal of the STEM Summer of Service is to provide your child an outlet where they can give back by sharing the STEM knowledge, skills, resources and talents they have gained. Our hope is your child sees their ability to make a difference in ways big and small both in their own lives and in the lives of others. Through their first two years in STEM, we have provided them with the skills they need to interact professionally with community, local businesses, and organizations. They can utilize these skills now to reach out to a local organization to arrange their volunteer opportunity.

Structure

Unlike the summer programs for incoming 9th and 10th graders, the STEM Summer of Service is largely a self-driven program. Students will not have to attend classroom sessions at schools or be bused to offsite locations. Students may complete their service within their local community, in another state, or even in another country. We only require that students have their service opportunity approved by their Summer of Service teacher.

IMPORTANT: Students must submit a service application through the Google Classroom they are assigned to. Students will receive notification from their teacher liaison prior to beginning their service.

Academic Program Requirement: The Office of STEM requires incoming 11th graders to complete a minimum of 24 hours of approved service. Students will be expected to create a short presentation to display the impacts of their service to parents, community members, and other interested individuals. The individual presentations will be compiled onto a slideshow that will be shown during STEM/BMAH events.

Timing: Students may begin their service opportunity on the first day of summer vacation (June 15th, 2019). Students will have the entire summer to record their service hours and to create a presentation showcasing their activities.

Attendance: Students are not required to attend any organized Summer Program location during their summer vacation. However, students may be required to meet with their teacher and service mentor if needed.

Grading: The STEM Summer of Service is graded on a Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) basis. Completion of the presentation and other requested material from the STEM Service Liaison is required to receive a "passing" (S) grade for Summer of Service. Failure to complete Summer of Service will result in the inability of a student to receive their STEM Endorsement on their diploma.

STEM Service Liaison: Each student is assigned a STEM Summer of Service Liaison that will maintain a line of virtual communication with your student throughout the summer. Their role is to ensure that students are on track to complete their service activity and presentation by the end of summer 2019. Each student will be assigned a liaison at the beginning of May.

Goals

Allow students to engage with community members on an individual basis allowing students to further enhance their professional communication and collaboration abilities.
Actively engage students in the STEM Values of Emapthy & Mindfulness, and Making & Changemaking. Students will develop an understanding of what it means to help others and give back to the community.
Introduce students to the concepts and expectations of Community Challenge and Research & Data Capstone courses.
Encourage self-advocacy and self-empowerment through the application of self-led community activity.

Expectations

As with any student undertaking, we want to ensure the expectations are clear prior to the beginning of the project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Expectations of Students

Students will actively communicate with their assigned STEM Service Liaison regarding their Summer of Service - students should be proactive in communicating all of the following:
- Trouble locating a service opportunity
- Questions regarding approved service activities
Students will identify a service location mentor which can sign off on their logged service hours and communicate praise or concern to the STEM Service Liaison.
Students will create a presentation which accurately represents their service activity, how their service aligns with program values, as well as the impact they made on the community in which they worked. This presentation will be submitted as the Incoming 11th Grader Summer Program deliverable to their Google Classroom to be kept in the central record. A rubric will be provided by the student's liaison via Google Classroom.
Students will care deeply, invest time, and recognize the importance in their service - this activity was designed to allow you to explore how helping others through volunteer service creates change in the world.
Students will act professionally at all times while completing their service. For all intents and purposes, students are acting ambassadors of the school and STEM or STEM-BMAH High School Magnet Program while completing their service activity. Please act in a manner which is representative of the school and your program.

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