Philanthropy Fever Sweeps the South Bronx : Common Cents: Penny Harvest, volunteer opportunities for students, school volunteer projects, community service for children students youth, youth volunteer opportunities, youth philanthropy, school children, student volunteers, volunteering, not-for-profit, non-profit, money raising, fund raising, fundraising, New York City

Common Cents Mission: Common Cents, creator of the Penny Harvest, nurtures a new generation of caring and capable young people between the ages of four and 24 by enabling them to strengthen their communities through philanthropy and service-learning.

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PHILANTHROPY FEVER SWEEPS THE SOUTH BRONX

By Jonathan Schifferes, Former Community Development Fellow

Principal Amy Andino at the new Academy of Public Relations in the South Bronx witnessed the mature leadership of her Penny Harvest students and realized these students could make other important decisions for their school. She was so impressed with their leadership that she made them the school’s first student counsel.

It all started when the school’s “Penny People”–students nominated from each home room–presented ideas to the school about where to find pennies and how to ask for them from their neighbors and family. Many students harvested from local businesses, such as bodegas, pizza parlors, supermarkets and restaurants.

In December the “Penny People” held an assembly to inform the school of its success in earning a Philanthropy Roundtable. One student encouraged her classmates to join the roundtable so they too can “choose where the money goes. Being a student leader has changed me a lot. Now I participate in class more than I used to. Also, now I am not scared or shy to speak in front of a crowd. Since I’ve been a student leader I’ve felt more and more proud of myself.”

Penny Harvest Coach Nicole Shiu-Horowitz said she was proud of students for “using their voice to make a positive change in the community.”

By January, 36 students had volunteered to meet every week. The roundtable had important work to do: they were making decisions about where to allocate their Penny Harvest funds for the whole school. As part of studying the needs of their community, the young people visited homeless and animal shelters, and then rallied the school to collect 266 cans of food in two days for the homeless shelter, where they got to take a tour and learn about other volunteer opportunities. The roundtable finished the year involving all students in making adoption kits for the animal shelter.

Astonished by the leadership abilities of this enterprising group, the principal appointed them the school’s first student counsel, and they all began planning for next year’s Penny Harvest!

Jonathan Schifferes of London, United Kingdom, graduated from the University of Cambridge. He intends to use this experience to help plan and design vibrant communities for the next generation.

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