Service Learning

Urban School is committed to extending education beyond the walls of the school. Urban's pioneering four-year community service learning program encompasses multicultural education, civic engagement and community service. Through classroom discussion, community projects and self-reflection, students become responsible, resourceful citizens with a sense of personal, social and political awareness. Ninth graders prepare for engagement in the local community through an exploration of race, ethnicity, culture, immigration and class and the impact these factors have on one's identity and experiences. Tenth graders extend this understanding outward by looking at the needs of the local community and engaging in group service projects. Both 11th and 12th graders  deepen their understanding of citizenship by engaging in independent community service projects. Community service learning helps Urban students become responsible, resourceful citizens, often achieving a level of social and political awareness that is rare among teenagers.

Katina Papson-Rigby
Director of Service Learning
415 626 2919 x510

Required Service Courses by Grade


Multidisciplinary Service Course

Course offered in Alternate Years

Global Migration: Who, Where, Why examines current trends in the movement of people around the world. We will cover three themes—war and violence, poverty and climate change—and how each impacts the movement of people. The goal of this course is to humanize the immigration debate and offer a deeper context of push and pull factors in the movement of people. In case studies and in engaging with local community organizations in the Bay Area working on migration issues, students will achieve a deeper and more nuanced understanding of global migration trends, social issues impacting migration, and the practical efforts of local organizations that work on migration issues. In addition to academic study and research, students will partner with a local organization serving the immigrant community in the Bay Area. This course is multidisciplinary and also meets the requirement for the Senior Service Learning course. The course will start with introductory frameworks around global migration, including international standards for refugees and migrant workers. Students will then investigate three different case studies looking at historical contexts and root causes of migration, experiences of migration, and experiences upon arrival. Students will conduct a final case study research project on a topic examining migration from one of three perspectives: South to South, South to North, or internal migration. (½ credit; fulfills Service Learning 12 requirement for 12th graders) (11th and 12th graders only)

 

 

Service Learning Partner Organizations 

Rosa parks elementary school
18 reasons cooking class/food education for teens
826 Valencia Street
Aquarium of the Bay
Arthropod research with Matt Madeiros
Bike It Forward/San Francisco Bike Coalition
Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8
Buena Vista Manor
BVHM Elementary School
Cathedral
Children’s Book Project
Don Fisher Clubhouse
Entomology program, research for University of Hawaii
FAAE Pistahan
Faces SF
Food Runners
Francis Memorial Hospital
GLIDE- harm reduction
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy as a volunteer at the Presidio Nursery
Hawaii Research Project
Homeless Prenatal Program
Horizons

Institute on Aging
Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program at Clarendon Elementary School
JFCS Food Pantry
Library of Congress
Local library (Golden Gate Library)
Martin de Porres House of Hospitality
Mission Greenway
Music Non Profit
Muttville
Note Love
Old Weather Forum
Park Branch Library
Peer Point and Youth Transforming Justice, FLY Program.
Personal, Editing Resources - creating free and accessible resources for editors
Planetary Patterns/ Old Weather
Playworks
Presidio Trust
Project Open Hand
Redding Elementary School
SF Citi Impact
SF Community Health Center

Sf/Marin Food Bank
Silent Knowledge
Smithsonian
SOMA Skate Park
St Anthony’s FCP Clothing Distribution
St Anthony’s kitchen
St. Anthony's food drive
St. Gregory’s
Stem E
Street Soccer
Support Girls (Zimbabwe)
Take to the Hills
Teacher Salary Project
The Beat Within
The Gubbio Project
The Highlighter Project
Uncommon Law
United Playaz
Vote Forward