The LEAGUE Roster
The LEAGUE goes green for Earth Day!
This Earth Day LEAGUE students are not only painting murals and cleaning up their neighborhood, but students are planting the seeds for a better earth. Earth Day is the last LEAGUE Event of the school year; let's make it the biggest and best!
If you are not already a part of The LEAGUE it's time to join in with the 1,723 teams (classes), 211 schools and 57,572 students actively participating in LEAGUE events and programs.
To date, The LEAGUE teams have contributed $4,785,930 in time (hours), talent and treasure (donations raised) back to their communities nationwide. To find out more, visit www.theleague.org.
U.S Secretary of Education To Recognize All American Service Team!
Save The Date! June 5, 2009 8:00am – 11:00 am for The LEAGUE National Awards & Recognition Breakfast in New York City where U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, will recognize and honor five high school students from across the country that have made a positive difference on issues in society.
High School students can submit an application to be considered for the All America High School Service Team in any of five categories: Health, Education, Environment, Economics, and Community. Winners will be determined in a two-tier judging process represented by a cross section of a blue ribbon panel of judges. The All America High School Service Team is a recognition and acknowledgement of students for doing measurable work to make a positive difference on issues in society. This award creates a team of high school philanthropists that will serve as the national "face of service." Winners will receive an all expense paid trip to NYC to receive the award at The LEAGUE June 5th event from the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. In addition, winners will become a national youth spokesperson for service and a member of The LEAGUE National Youth Commission as well as recognition in Parade.com. To find out more information on the All America High School Service Team Award go to www.theleague.org.
We hope that you can join us and title sponsor ING on June 5th to celebrate the All America High School Service Team as well as our top LEAGUE school, classes, districts and students for their accomplishments during the 2008-2009 school year.
Last June, The LEAGUE held its inaugural National Awards & Recognition Luncheon in NYC. The event was hosted by Queen2008 Awards Latifah (pictured at right), and awards were presented by notable individuals like actor Stephen Baldwin, American Idol Finalist Melinda Doolittle, and CNN.com news anchor Nicole Lapin.
Save the date and join us for another great celebration in 2009!
Purchase tickets today!
* Table Sponsorship Opportunities Available
* 2009 National Awards & Recognition Co-Chairpersons:
o David Musto - Managing Director, JP Morgan Funds Management
o Rica Orszag - Founder, Rica PR
For more information contact Luanne Samuel at luanne.samuel@leagueworldwide.org.
The LEAGUE "Challenged" and Our Students Accepted
The LEAGUE is pleased to announce the two winners of The Freeborn Challenge: Victor Vargas from La Porte High School (Indiana) and Nobel Graham from Shelby Public Schools (Michigan) are our two Freeborn Challenge Winners! CONGRATULATIONS!
Victor Vargas and his team will be spearheading a literacy program in their community. They will be hosting Reading Saturdays where they will have reading and arts and crafts for lower income children at their local library.
Nobel Graham and his team will be putting together a two-day service learning camp for students in the Shelby School District where they will focus on developing leadership skills, creating project ideas and connecting students from around the entire district.
The LEAGUE and Freeborn Foundation are very excited to be a part of the development of these projects and to highlight and recognize the positive difference that today's youth are making in their communities.
The LEAGUE Spreads to Atlanta
In January 2009, The LEAGUE launched in Georgia through the generous funding from the New York Life Foundation. Just this past March, twenty-three teachers from ten Atlanta Public Schools (APS) completed The LEAGUE coaches training. The full-day training kicked off with a warm welcome from Randolph Bynum, Associate Superintendent, APS High Schools. The APS teachers who participated in the service-learning training cited The LEAGUE as valuable to help students become better connected with their community. Teachers will utilize the Learning to Give curriculum and service project resources from The LEAGUE to introduce students to new service learning theories, practices, and help engage them in service projects in their community. By day's end, teachers were congratulated by The LEAGUE Georgia State Director, Patience Allan-Glick, and awarded LEAGUE Coach Certificates. A second LEAGUE coaches training is planned for APS elementary and middle schools this upcoming September.
Detroit Pistons and LEAGUE Michigan Team Up To Help Stop Hunger
The LEAGUE Michigan recently partnered with the Detroit Pistons and Feed the Children to host the challenge, "We've Got Big Shoes to Fill". Sixty-two classrooms from across the state of Michigan helped collect almost $16,000 for the 2nd Annual Pistons Care Telethon benefiting the Feed the Children program. Basic necessities such as food and personal care itemMichigan Services will be distributed to needy families across the state of Michigan from the money raised.
The top classroom this year was Mrs. Libby Brown's class from Jackson High School with a total donation of $4,343! Pathfinder School in Pinckney, Michigan and Cory Elementary in Romulus, Michigan also hosted several money raising events. The students were honored during halftime at the March 11 Pistons Game with an on-court check presentation. They also received a $500 educational grant from the Pistons-Palace Foundation, 120 tickets to an upcoming Pistons game, a pizza party, and a Feed the Children truck - which will now deliver all their donations, such as food and personal care items to the Salvation Army in Jackson, MI. The donation will provide up to 400 families with a 25-pound box including food and personal care items.
The LEAGUE Michigan, the Detroit Pistons, and Feed the Children are very grateful to all the classrooms that helped make the "We've Got Big Shoes to Fill" challenge a huge success!
And The Winners Are . . .
The LEAGUE Austin, a partnership with A Legacy of Giving, partnered with the SoochSooch Foundation Foundation to create the Sooch Empowerment Challenge, a program designed to empower students in disadvantaged areas. Seniors at Akins High School in Austin, TX submitted the winning proposal. The winning project called "A High School Experience" is centered on encouraging elementary school students to attend high school and graduate in four years. For this project, Menchaca Elementary School students from will take school buses to Akins High School, and learn what life is like as a young adult. When the elementary students return to their school, they will work on posters depicting their high school experience. The goal of the project is to inspire high school students to become leaders in the real world and give the next generation the encouragement and support that they need to graduate in four years. Stay tuned next month to find out what projects the six other Sooch Empowerment Challenge Schools will be working on!
An Exciting Week For National Service!
On Thursday, March 26th, the United States Senate voted 79-19 to pass the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act -- the largest expansion of national and community service in this country in a generation. The Senate action followed the House vote of 321-105 the prior week.
But when the story is written about this bill, it will not be any one Member of Congress, or even a President, that is solely credited with its passage. Rather, it will be a story of citizens, organizations, and their supporters, that came together with a shared belief that national and community service can transform our country and put this issue on the national agenda. Through hard work and mobilization, this commitment led to the passage of this historic Act.
The TIPping Point - Earth Day Countdown
The countdown to Earth Day has begun! Do you know what the three R's of environmental stewardship are? If reduce, reuse, and recycle don't come to mind, it's time to explore our practices and habits to remodel our lives in green tones. This Earth Day, LEAGUE students are leading the green movement in their schools, communities, and families. You can be part of the movement with us:
Check out our Green Lesson Plans:
- Three R's of Environmental Stewardship: provides literature and activities that explore ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle at school and home. Students learn the facts and weigh the alternatives about the perennial question: paper or plastic? Students will also use the carbon footprint calculator to measure their impact on the environment and learn how to reduce it.
- "Green Your School" flyer: guides students as they assess needs and design a meaningful service project at school.