YPG Cares About New York City Schools
On Saturday, October 15, 2011, a group of 16 YPG Cares volunteers from 9 AAP member publishing houses and a handful of literary agencies took part in New York Cares Day 2011 for the second consecutive year. The event also marked the first birthday of YPG Cares, a service initiative that gives YPG members volunteer opportunities to support literacy-related causes in NYC.
New York Cares Day is New York City’s largest day of volunteer service, an annual event intended to revitalize and beautify classrooms and playgrounds for over 100 NYC public schools. This year, YPG Cares’ site was The Brooklyn International High School (BIHS) in downtown Brooklyn. The high school serves 380 students from 40 different countries that have only been in the US for less than four years. BIHS was recently profiled by NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” and is the subject of the book, The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens by Brooke Hauser, published by Free Press/Simon & Schuster. YPG Cares Team Leader Kara Taylor also organized a generous donation from Simon & Schuster to provide a copy of this book for each participating YPG Cares team member.
After checking in and receiving t-shirts, YPG Cares went right to work. The group’s assignment was to paint over the aging brown walls of the school library with a vibrant sky blue color. Volunteers took up brushes and rollers and quickly began to transform the large room into a brighter, more welcoming space. YPG members old and new swapped publishing stories and painting tools in a friendly and collaborative environment. Time flew by, and the group was so productive that the job was finished in just a few hours. Volunteers then enjoyed the beautiful fall weather during a well-deserved outdoor lunch break. Several members remained at BIHS to help work on a series of murals featuring quotes about literacy and creativity on the school hall walls, while others commuted home after a morning of service and fun. All in all, new connections were made and a school was made more beautiful, making YPG Cares’ involvement with New York Cares Day another great success.
If you’re interested in participating in a future YPG Cares event, contact Becca Worthington at bworthington@publishers.org.
