Science is Cool!

My students were hiding their noses behind any piece of cloth available and making dramatic fanning motions when I realized I probably should have refrigerated the cabbage juice. It must be STEM theme week at R.L Stevens!

Ms. Gold and her tutoring students

 Let me back up. I was demonstrating how red cabbage juice changes color according to whether the chemical it’s put in is an acid or a base. The table outside was set with various substances, and the students had learned where to place them on the pH scale according to the color they turned when we added the cabbage juice. A typical vinegar and baking soda reaction was suddenly a lot more interesting, though by day three, the cabbage juice had gone decidedly off. In spite of this, the students really got into the active experimentation part of the lesson, and unleashed their inner scientists.

The last lesson of the week involved Diet Coke and Mentos, (with a strong nutrition-related disclaimer) but before we got to the explosive fun, first we had to figure out why the reaction happened in the first place. My fourth grade group had used a K’nex set and rubber bands to learn about ways that potential energy can be stored (and released – quickly!), and my third graders had had endless fun learning about the phenomenon of lift and making and testing different types of paper airplanes. Each time I gave my kids a challenge or scientific problem to solve, they responded with boundless enthusiasm, ingenuity, and solutions that I hadn’t thought of.

 My students love STEM theme weeks. I can practically guarantee that every time I pick up my first group of third graders from class, I get the question “Are we doing science today?” During our first STEM theme week, they’d played a dry version of Marco Polo in order to learn about echolocation, and expanded that knowledge to learn about other special adaptations of plants and animals. I’ve discovered the trick to making Science, Technology, Engineering and Math irresistible subjects to students: make the scientific challenges so fun to solve that they don’t even realize they’re excelling at a subject so many people find complex. This play-to-learn approach is perfect for the After School environment, and by the time theme weeks are done, students who before had little to no confidence in their math and science skills are whooping, cheering, and saying that “Science is cool!”

by Sarah Gold, CalSERVES AmeriCorps Member at RL Stevens

2013 Cesar Chavez Heatlh Fair a Success!

AmeriCorps members get in the spirit of health!

On Saturday, April 6, AmeriCorps members gathered early in the morning to prepare for the 13th Annual Cesar Chavez Health Fair. 70 AmeriCorps members serving with the CalSERVES programs were there to help families access help and resources for dental health and nutrition, and to help families have a good time.

Partnering with organizations in the community like First 5 Sonoma County, St. Joseph's Health Care System of Sonoma County, Kaiser Permanente, and many others, CalSERVES created a family event where kids could receive free dental exams, families could sample healthy recipes and learn about resources in the community, and kids could play and have a fun time with physical activities.

Over 500 people in the community came down to celebrate with us. And those amazing AmeriCorps members made a big project run smoothly. When AmeriCorps members come together, there isn't anything they can't get done!

Volunteer dentists provided free exams for kids.

2013 Cesar Chavez Health Fair

Join us at the Cesar Chavez Health Fair!
Saturday, April 6, 2013 10am - 2pm
Cook Middle School, 2480 Sebastopol Rd. in Santa Rosa 

It's Springtime, and at CalSERVES that means we're gearing up for the annual Cesar Chavez Health Fair. We've been hosting the Health Fair every year since 2000, and there is a lot of time and energy poured into this event by our dedicated staff and AmeriCorps members!

In 2000, California declared March 31st as Cesar Chavez Day, and AmeriCorps programs throughout the state were invited to create a day of service around this new holiday. Chavez was known for his championing of those that are under-served, and so the folks at CalSERVES decided one of the best ways to honor him would be to bring health services to those who needed it the most.

This year, our event is focused on Dental Health and Nutrition. Tooth decay is the #1 childhood disease, 4 times more common than asthma. And many children don't have insurance and access to dental care. With a partnership with St. Joseph's Health Care System of Sonoma County, our fair will provide screenings and treatments for children ages 0-18, including follow up care where needed.

In addition to vising the dentist, families at our fair can learn how nutrition plays a role in healthy teeth and healthy bodies, accessing information from organizations throughout the county.

All services are offered free of charge, and the event includes free samples of healthy snacks and drinks, fun and games for children, and much more!

Join us at the Fair!
Saturday, April 6, 2013 10am - 2pm
Cook Middle School, 2480 Sebastopol Rd. in Santa Rosa

For more information, please visit the CalSERVES website: www.calserves.org

A big THANK YOU to the sponsors of the Cesar Chavez Health Fair!
First 5 Sonoma County
St. Joseph's Health Care System of Sonoma County
Network for a Healthy California

by Emily Mann, Health Fair Coordinator

Destination: After School

Shannon Irish and Katie Gill, CalSERVES AmeriCorps Content Leaders,
with their prizes from the After School Conference

“Twenty years from now, the kids you currently serve won’t remember much of what you said to them, but they’ll all recall how you made them feel.” These were just some of the opening remarks and inspirational lessons given to the attendees of the March 2nd, Region 1 After School Conference in Fortuna, CA by keynote speaker Charlie Appelstein.

 The conference was composed of several workshops ranging from Healthy Behaviors to Engineering Robotics. The keynote speaker, Charlie Appelstein, gave a very powerful talk on Strength-Based Behavior Management. He also held a workshop, which further elaborated on his keynote address and book “No Such Thing As a Bad Kid!”

Charlie’s speech provided attendees with endless ways to positively enrich student’s lives. At one point he stated: “A positive attitude sends the message: I want to be here. I care about you. I believe in you. And I know you will succeed. Which all leads to hope, happiness, and success! Hope is humanity’s fuel.” His stories and strategies were filled with tears, laughter, and knowledge. If you’re staying in the field of education, we highly suggest going to his website to learn more about his techniques and theories: www.charliea.com.

Some other interesting workshops that were given at the conference included: Rescuing Recess Game, 4-H Robotics, Photo Voice, Learning Activities to Felicitate Hard Middle School Topics, Feel the Force with Charlie Alperstein, Creating Art on the Cheap, and Fun Games on the Fly. Additionally, our very own Kristen Mowers had the privilege to lead a workshop about Nutrition Education.

At the end of the conference, our program was put into a drawing to win educational prizes. We were lucky and won one of the raffle prizes that consisted of 6 board games, books, science activities, and gym equipment.

 Between meeting new people, enjoying the booming town of Fortuna, and learning lots of useful information, we all greatly enjoyed the conference.

by Katie Gill, CalSERVES AmeriCorps Content Leader

A Valuable Volunteer

Volunteer Christina Strong works with students at Kawana Elementary.

Kawana Elementary has been honored with an exceptionally devout volunteer in Christina Strong. Aspiring to become a teacher one day, Christina brings a steadfast approach to the CalSERVES after-school program. Her experience continues to be an important stepping-stone in moving forward towards her career of teaching. “I am majoring in Liberal Studies to become a K – 12 teacher and this program offers me everything I need as I am searching for teaching and classroom leadership experience.”


Kawana team members have recognized her hard work. Classroom Leader, Emily Walski, praised Christina’s commitment, “she’s very self-motivated; she comes in to help, figures out where she can lend a hand, and starts working.” This kind of relentless work ethic and passion for teaching makes Christina such a unique and valuable member of the after-school team. Cody Cibart, the volunteer coordinator, added further appreciation, “Christina is great; not only do the mentors and children enjoy her, but she also brings value to our program through her willingness to make a difference.”

Since beginning as a volunteer in early October, Christina has made remarkable progress. In fact, she did such an amazing job as a volunteer that CALSERVES recently decided to hire her as a substitute classroom leader. She is confident going into the future, mentioning that this new position will provide good practice for her career goals.

Volunteers like Christina contribute to the improvement of our community with an unselfish zeal. Her dedication, patience, and desire to improve students’ learning capabilities are the perfect mix of support that the CalSERVES after-program is thrilled to have.

by Cody Cibart and Alex Rowan, AmeriCorps VIP Leaders

Martin Luther King Jr. Day On, Not Off 2013

 “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What Are You Doing for Others?’”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

On Monday morning, AmeriCorps members all gathered in the main building of Catholic Charities. Everyone was eager to get to work due to the amount of work that needed to be done. With the sun brightly shining, the members got right to work on a variety of projects that were all physically demanding.

There were a lot of members who worked on cleaning up the community garden, which meant there was lots of pulling of weeds from the garden beds, shoveling up weeds from the ground, and raking out the extra leaves. Other members were hard at work cutting down rose bushes and cleaning up the excess amount of shrubs around the buildings.

Another group of members cleaned out the front area of the drop-in building, which is very busy throughout the week. A few members also helped out inside the buildings by answering phones, cleaning, and making sandwiches for the residents. AmeriCorps member Lavonne Toso said of her experience: "I really enjoyed talking to the different people that were living there or using the resources given by Catholic Charities."

 Other members moved furniture out of rooms so that they could be painted. The work didn’t just stop at Catholic Charities because there was another group who went to Julliard Park to landscape, plant, and cleanup the area. AmeriCorps member Alex Rowan said of the work at Julliard Park: "From weeding to planting ferns around the park, we all felt great getting our hands dirty and giving back to the community."

 During this rewarding time of service, there were smiles, laughter, and joyous conversations happening everywhere. The CalSERVES AmeriCorps team really came together to get things done for America and to follow through with the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. AmeriCorps member Ashley Schalich noted: "I really enjoyed seeing how much our group accomplished in such a short amount of time - everyone worked together to make a noticeable, significant change for our local community."

 Working together for a greater cause is not unusual for this team and after seeing the difference that their services provided on this day, it’s clear that these members continually serve their community straight from their heart.

 Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” 

by Sandra Hwang, CalSERVES AmeriCorps Leader

A Day On, Not a Day Off for CalSERVES

On January 21,2013, CalSERVES will be partnering with Catholic Charities and the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County to provide service for the community.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and
should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

With Dr. King’s words in mind, AmeriCorps members will be assisting several projects including:

• Painting the dining room, scrubbing and reorganizing the kitchen, creating intake packets, shredding items, and garden maintenance at the family support center; 
• Providing landscaping work for Julliard Park and Catholic Charities’ complex; 
• Clearing bushes, weeds, and cigarette butts at a homeless service center.

For this group of dedicated AmeriCorps members, it will truly be a
Martin Luther King Day On, Not a Day Off.