Students at the Charter School of Educational Excellence on December 20, 2023, about to pack up the toys they collected for foster children in Harlem. Photo courtesy of the CSEE.
Students at the Charter School of Educational Excellence in Yonkers brought Christmas toys to foster children in Harlem.
The students delivered the toys on December 20 to a center run by Graham Windham, an agency that cares for orphans, foster children and their families. The school’s Helping Hands Club helped organize the annual, three-week toy drive as part of the club’s mission to support their peers.
Eleventh graders Kayla Rodriguez and Temidola Juniad, co-founders of the Helping Hand Club, called the toy drive a success and a learning experience.
“It gives us an opportunity to understand everyone else’s situation and help those in need,” said Rodriguez. “This helps bring awareness to how others are feeling.”
“The toy drive is the perfect opportunity this Christmas season to give back to our community, to give back to kids who don’t have a lot,” said Juniad.
The school encourages children to start their own clubs because leadership is an important component of the Charter School of Educational Excellence’s curriculum. Classroom instruction, sports, clubs, and arts programs are designed to encourage students to lead.
As part of the school’s empowerment effort, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students attended the Yonkers Youth Bureau’s Youth Leadership Academy the week of December 18 for a series of afterschool sessions.
The charter school has an established partnership with Graham Windham. On December 15, students in the culinary program baked Christmas cookies for Graham Windham as part of the school’s holiday outreach.
