“To create a culture of service we need to expand opportunities for children to help their communities. I founded Good Cents for Oakland to get kids excited about helping their local communities and to give them meaningful ways to contribute to the greater good.” …Dagmar Serota, Executive Director
Good Cents for Oakland believes that kids CAN make a real difference in their communities if they’re given age-appropriate information about issues affecting their community and the tools to help.
We want kids to be excited about helping others, so we’ve created a program where they can make meaningful decisions about who and how to help. We inform kids about issues and encourage them to talk to others about the issues they find important.
Our programs combine service to the community with learning. Children learn social studies and science when they read and discuss issues affecting their community. They learn the importance of voting when they cast their ballots to decide how to help. They use language arts skills to make posters, write letters and talk to others to encourage them to help. They build math and financial literacy skills as they sort and weigh the coins they collect to donate to the non-profit they’ve chosen to support.
Good Cents for Oakland operates three service learning programs in Oakland, California and nearby cities: our flagship program, the 10-week, elementary school Penny Roundup Program, a six-week, pre-k/kindergarten Hunger Program benefiting the Alameda County Community Food Bank and City-wide Service Days, family community service and educational events held at Oakland parks. Over 2,000 children at 10 schools participate in our programs this school year. We hope to introduce a middle school program in the 2009-2010 school year.
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Announcements
Jefferson Award Winner, Dagmar Serota
Jefferson Award video
Dagmar Serota, our executive director, has been chosen as a Jefferson Award
winner in recognition for her work engaging children in making Oakland a
better place. Says Serota, "For years, I have been inspired by the work of
past Jefferson Award winners. As part of our Penny Roundup Program, we
profile local community leaders that we hope will inspire children to try to
make a difference in Oakland. Many of our Community Helpers are Jefferson
Award winners. I could not be more honored to join them. I share this
honor with our dedicated staff, board and the many teachers, administrators
and volunteers whose combined efforts allow us to accomplish our mission to
turn kids into community activists and pennies into Good Cents."
Read: SF Chronicle 10/26 Sunday Style Section
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