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Even with Mayor Fenty's re-organization plan of D.C. public schools, we all know they're still struggling, and not just academically. That's why DCist is organizing another team this year to participate in the annual Servathon, organized by Greater DC Cares and their sponsor Fannie Mae, which is focusing only on fixing up school facilities this year. The date to roll up your sleeves is May 3.
Last year, 27 DCist staff members and readers turned out to help paint the gym of Hine Junior High near Eastern Market or work on other projects scattered around D.C. under the Servathon umbrella. Our readers also raised over $3,000, blowing away our original goal of $2000, which went to help non-profits run throughout the year.
Starting today you can join Team DCist, and on May 3 we'll head to a DCPS school — determined in a few weeks — to help with tasks such as painting classrooms, landscaping, painting games on the blacktop, etc. — anything to make our neighborhood schools better places to learn, work and play. There is a $20 registration fee per person that goes toward supplies, a t-shirt, water and snacks during the event. Team members are also encouraged to raise funds for the cause from family and friends. When we've turned in our paintbrushes and handed in our gardening tools, there's even a free after-party with food and beverages, for those who've worked up a sweat.
We're reaching mightily for $4,000 this year, so if you're not able to join us on May 3, please consider donating a few bucks to our team to get us to our fundraising goal.
So head on over to Servathon and register Team DCist. If we get 25 people joined up March 16, we even get our team name emblazoned on our shirts for free — a DCist momento you'll surely treasure forever.
Also, for those of you with the volunteer bug, this year's Servathon incorporates other events — such as a Citizen Academy Forum, Board Leadership Program, Pro Bono Consulting and In-kind Donations — in the weeks leading up to and after the service day.
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I'm all for community action, but the schools have to show they can help themselves too. DC has the 3rd highest tax burden of any state if they can't paint their schools then what can we do?
Kiva is my charity of choice and my 2 cents
I'm all for community action, but the schools have to show they can help themselves too. DC has the 3rd highest tax burden of any state if they can't paint their schools then what can we do?
Kiva is my charity of choice and my 2 cents
Yay, I'm glad you're doing this again. Last year I couldn't participate. I just signed up.
helping DC schools = waste of time = waste of money
Well, aren't we all Debbie Downers today...
momento memento
Bollocks. No strike tags allowed (though, curiously, they do show up in the preview).
Tax season is sort of a tough time to ask us to give more to DC govt.
Tax season is sort of a tough time to ask us to give more to DC govt.
It's not about giving more to the gov't, it's about giving something to your society, community, and the people that live in it. I know the line "do it for the children" is a bit hackneyed, but if the effort that people put into this pay off in the form of one more kid thinking that their life is worth something isn't it worth it?
For me it's about enlightened self-interest. If I put some hours into helping a kid learn to read or whatever and that kid is able to successfully navigate high school, get a job, and be a taxpaying citizen that ultimately benefits me.
All Naive and Idealistic and Shit,
HR
Isn't this what we pay DCPS employees for? DCPS has a MASSIVE budget. WTF do they do with it all?
Guys, it's cool, we actually rememeber all your complaints from last year. Don't worry, no one will force any of you to volunteer or donate, and you're welcome to skip over the do-gooder posts if they give you angina.
We know there are lots of you who enjoy giving back to your community, by not penalizing children for whatever faults DCPS may have, and to those of you we say: sign up, we'll paint a hop-scotch pattern together, or whatever it is the kids play these days.
*sigh* Gold Cup, or Servathon?
Actually, Hillrat is right. From what I've read, school performance is much more closely related to community involvement than it is to school budgets/spending per pupil etc. The physical act of covering a wall with paint is not what's important here.