CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY
We believe a strong and compelling case exists for the effectiveness of civic engagement as a student success strategy. Therefore we strive to organize multiple opportunities for civic engagement over the course of a school year and in the summer. To do so, we foster strong partnerships between school, family, and the community. Through these partnerships, we create a nurturing environment for each student. Ultimately we believe that each student receives the five fundamental sources deemed necessary for healthy child development including a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start, a marketable skill through effective education and a chance to give back to peers and the community.
Active in the city of Camden, we employ an ongoing social justice curriculum. Working with community partners, our students provide over 15,000 hours of annual community service, in keeping to our commitment to change the world. Here are a few examples of students in the community:
"LIFE’S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?" MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Habitat for Humanity - Restore
Camden Academy seniors volunteer at several locations during the school year and summer. One such location is Restore, Habitat for Humanity (HFH), an organization that seeks to transform lives through decent and affordable home ownership. Restore acts as the biggest fundraiser for the HFH affordable home ownership program. In the photo, students are organizing and sorting rugs in order to make room for the next shipment. This is crucial as the more rugs sold, the more families served. It is estimated that the value of a volunteer is about $25.43 per hour. This number alone demonstrates just how valuable Restore volunteers are to HFH. We are grateful to be able to partner HFH Restore.
Camden Kroc Center - Angel Tree Program
Camden's Promise has supported the Kroc Center's Angel Tree program for several years. This year, once again, our middle school Beta students collected and delivered hundreds of toys donated by our school district to the Kroc Center. These 'Angel' donations give joy to Camden children and their families during the holiday season.
CCSN Harvest Food Drive
Each year, our school system hosts a Harvest Food Drive during the month of November. This picture shows Camden's Pride K-1 after they won a pizza party for collecting the most cans of food during the food drive. In addition to making a donation, upper classroom collected the food and delivered it to St. Joseph's Pro Cathedral in Camden for their annual feed the hungry campaign.
Come Volunteer With Us!
We also offer a Network-wide external volunteer program set up to capitalize on the many talents and skills of our extended community. If you are looking for an opportunity to participate in the education of students, let us know. We will work to match you and your team up with meaningful opportunities in which you are able to share your expertise within the Network of schools.
Through this skills-based effort, professionals are able to collaborate with teachers in order to share their expertise and knowledge connecting their real-world experience to the classroom, curriculum, and students.
For more information, follow the link below to register as a volunteer with us. All information is kept securely and confidentially, and will never be shared outside of our office. Any questions, please let us know. We can be reached at mjames@camdencsn.org or wmilanese@camdencsn.org. Thank you!