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See photos of YCS participants in action!

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On Oct 31, 2011 YCS Middle and High School students participated in Halloween for Hunger. Halloween for Hunger is a unique event where students go door to door on Halloween collecting canned goods instead of candy for local food banks. This year students collected cans for the Second Harvest Food Bank and Ecumenical Hunger Program. YCS students worked alongside with Paly and Gunn Key Club students in the neighborhoods surrounding JLS Middle School to collect bags full of canned goods. Halloween for Hunger, an event started by Free the Children gives youth a unique opportunity to help end hunger in their own communities and raise awareness of an often invisible local problem.

On Wednesday, March 16, middle and high school students came together at the Cubberley Community Center to learn and share their different cultures through food. We learned about the colorful traditions of Diwali, tasted delicious German bratwurst, made spicy salsa, drank boba milk tea, and much more! Students also presented on their cultures through photos, Powerpoint presentations, songs, musical instruments, and oral histories. We had a great time playing games on how to understand different cultures and enjoying each other's company!

On Thursday, March 3, Gunn high school students took time out to work on community service projects at over 13 different sites, including the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District. YCS works with several non-profit organizations to facilitate these opportunities for students to give back to their local communities.

On Monday, February 14, YCS middle school students helped out at Lytton Gardens Senior Center for their Valentine's Day Auction! Students passed out Valentine's Day cards, helped seniors to win prizes, and connected with each other and the seniors in our community.

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 17), the City of Palo Alto held a Day of Service Fair at Lytton Plaza to provide community members with local volunteer service projects. Youth Community Service, along with other community organizations, provided hands-on projects at the Plaza, and YCS partnered with Public Allies to enable community members to serve at James Flood Elementary in East Palo Alto. Volunteers did clean up and painting at the school. The Day of Service Fair was spearheaded by Palo Alto Mayor Sid Espinosa.

Family Service Day is an annual event organized by YCS and several local organizations in order to celebrate the commitment of youth to service throughout the Peninsula. At this year's Family Service Day, we had more than 600 participants, 40 organizations, a variety of on- and off-site activities, and plenty of food and entertainment.

Celebration of Service 2009

Celebration of Service is an event held every year as a way for YCS to thank all of the service club members for their efforts in strengthening community. Alongside the food and entertainment are various displays of what was accomplished by each of the middle and high school clubs. Towards the conclusion of the celebration the club members were presented with awards, which recognize the great commitment that they showed all year.

Lytton Gardens Cinco de Mayo Celebration 2009

Lytton Gardens Cinco de Mayo Celebration: Club members from Palo Alto and Ravenswood district schools volunteered at Lytton Gardens to make potpourri bags for the residents, as well as to participate in the Cinco de Mayo festivities which included food, music, and dancing.

Gunn Service Day 2009

Gunn Service Day: For several years Youth Community Service has worked along side several non-profit organizations in order to provide an opportunity for Gunn High School Students to engage in community service work throughout the bay area. Gunn Students participate in both in-door and out-door service opportunities that revolve around issues of homelessness, childcare, and environmental restoration among others.

JLS Middle School Tree Planting 2009

JLS Tree Planting: YCS Club members from JLS and the urban forest advocacy organization Canopy, participated in a tree planting on the middle school campus to honor 2009 Tall Tree Award recipient and YCS founder Megan Swezey Fogarty. The students learned about the importance of caring and planting for trees, and received hands on training on proper planting protocols.

EPA/FLC 2009

EPA/FLC: Every Summer the East Palo Alto Freshmen Leadership Corps venture out on exciting trips all over the bay area. For 2009, one of the trips included a scavenger hunt to San Francisco’s Chinatown. Throughout the day, the FLC team visited various landmarks and sites that distinguish the district as an essential part of the city.

Academy of Sciences 2009

California Academy of Sciences: Ravenswood Club members had the opportunity to visit the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences. At the academy the students were exposed to 38,000 live animals at the Steinhart Aquarium, a multitude of distant galaxies through the largest all-digital planetarium in the world, a 2 ½  acre living roof  filled with native species, and a 4-story rainforest.

Coastal Cleanup 2009

Coastal Cleanup: Every year on the third Saturday of September, tens of thousands of volunteers participate at over 800 sites including beaches, shorelines, and inland locations. This year, YCS staff, coordinators, and Ravenswood club members gathered to collect trash from the shores of Ryder Park in San Mateo. It was a successful outing that helped to instill the value of serving and protecting the environment.

Summer of Service 2009

Summer of Service: Every Summer, YCS engages youth in community service projects, the development of their leadership skills, meeting new friends, and having fun. Middle school youth are encouraged to participate in two week Summer of Service Camps, while high school freshmen are eligible to serve in a Freshmen Leadership Camp. This year, campers served their community by traveling to and volunteering at food banks, senior centers, and parks throughout the Peninsula.

YCS Peace Walk 2009

YCS Peace Walk: On January 21st 2009, a youth-organized peace walk took place in front of East Palo Alto City Hall, with adults and youth carrying signs against violence and promoting peace. The walk was initiated in response to the surge of violence that had broken out in East Palo Alto, as well as to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday and the inauguration of Barrack Obama. The idea of the peace walk itself came from eight graders within the YCS clubs.

Halloween for Hunger 2009

: YCS Middle and High School club members came together on Halloween evening to raise awareness about hunger in their community. Students went trick or treating for non-perishable food items to donate to our local food bank, Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP). The following week YCS club members delivered the food to EHP and learned first hand about how a food bank operates. 'Halloween for Hunger' is an international campaign, organized by Free the Children with over one thousand youth participants from both the US and Canada.

 

Click on thumnails for 2008 slide shows

Summer of Service 2008		Gunn Servce Day 2008
Cesar Chavez Service Day 2008		YCS Celebration of Service 2008
Youth Ranch Retreat 2008		Coastal Cleanup 2008
Jasper Ridge 2008		Make a Difference Day 2008